Shell Prelude Floating FLNG Barge: A Potentially Catastrophic Failure of Safety Standards

Posted by John Donovan: 12 May 2023

In yet another display of negligence and incompetence, Shell has shamefully suspended production at its Prelude floating LNG facility off Western Australia. The reason? A “trip.” How convenient that Shell conveniently brushes off this serious incident with such a casual technical term, downplaying the gravity of the situation.

Shell’s spokesperson, undoubtedly well-trained in corporate spin, reassures the public that they are working “methodically” to restart production, with safety apparently being their primary concern. But let’s not forget that this is the same company that has repeatedly demonstrated a reckless disregard for safety, as evidenced by the litany of incidents that have plagued the Prelude FLNG facility. read more

Posted by John Donovan: 12 May 2023

Shell’s Deceptive Claims: Downplaying the Consequences of the Deer Park Fire

The recent inferno at Shell’s petrochemical plant in Deer Park unleashed a thick, black cloud of smoke that engulfed the Houston area, leaving experts to question the true extent of the damage caused.

Astonishingly, despite mounting evidence, the oil giant continues to deny any danger to the neighbouring community, conveniently sidestepping their responsibility. But this time, residents, advocates, and experts refuse to be fooled by their reassurances. read more

Shell’s Shameful Victory: UK Supreme Court Fails Nigerian Communities in Oil Spill Case

Posted by John Donovan:

LONDON, 10 May 2023

The UK Supreme Court has dealt a devastating blow to Nigerian claimants seeking justice against two Shell subsidiaries for a catastrophic offshore oil spill in 2011. The ruling, announced today, marks another shameful chapter in Shell’s ongoing legal battles against the long-suffering residents of Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta—a region plagued by pollution, conflict, and corruption directly linked to the oil and gas industry. read more

By John Donovan

Shell, the oil giant partly responsible for environmental destruction and climate change, has shamelessly announced a profit of nearly £8 billion for the first quarter of the year, revealing its insatiable greed for profits. This further highlights the company’s utter disregard for the cost-of-living crisis that their exorbitant fuel prices have caused. Even with oil prices down from their peaks touched after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Shell still made money at an obscene rate, almost £1,000 a second or £58,000 per minute. read more

By John Donovan

In an audacious display of corporate arrogance, oil behemoth Shell is embroiled in a showdown with the Church of England (CofE). Accused of reneging on its commitments to a greener future, Shell has drawn the ire of the Church, whose pension board is set to vote against the company’s chief executive, Wael Sawan, and chairman, Sir Andrew MacKenzie, at an upcoming shareholder meeting.

Despite the global urgency to combat climate change, Shell continues to prioritize its short-term profits over the long-term health of the planet. The energy giant, far from being a responsible corporate citizen, has been exploiting the Ukraine crisis to bolster its fossil fuel profits, while shamelessly backpedalling on promises to transition to clean energy. read more

CITYA.M. 

God vs Big Oil: Church of England loses faith in Shell’s climate plans ahead of AGM

NICHOLAS EARL

The Church of England (CofE) will vote to oust Shell’s chief executive Wael Sawan and chairman Sir Andrew Macenzie at the upcoming shareholder meeting of the energy giant later this month.

The clergy’s pension board – which manages the CofE’s £3bn retirement pot – has lost trust in the energy giant following a row over green investments.

Shell has been accused across the industry of backtracking on net zero commitments and the CofE is particularly concerned that the London-listed company has rowed back on promises to switch to clean power after the Ukraine war sent oil and gas prices soaring.

Adam Matthews, chief responsible investment officer for the Church of England Pension Board, told The Telegraph it was “with genuine regret” that he was preparing to vote against Sawan and Sir Andrew but claimed closed door talks on climate issues had ground to a halt.

Matthews said: “We have lost confidence in the direction of the company.”

The Church’s retirement fund has accused Sawan of downplaying the importance of renewables and prioritising short-term profits since he took over as chief executive in January with the energy boss open to raising oil and gas production. read more

Proxy adviser PIRC recommends vote against Shell’s chair, annual report

May 9 (Reuters) – Proxy adviser PIRC on Tuesday recommended Shell Plc’s (SHEL.L) investors vote against the energy company’s chair and opposed its annual report for “failing to address climate risks by setting adequate targets.

PIRC said it, instead, recommended shareholders vote in favour of a climate activist group’s proposal seeking faster emissions cuts.

Shell, on the other hand, has recommended its shareholders vote against the proposal by the Follow This activist shareholder group that asks the energy giant to align with the 2015 Paris climate deal. read more

The Telegraph

Why the Church of England is taking on Shell

Short-term profits cannot come before the long-term health of our planet

ADAM MATTHEWS9 May 2023 • 6:00am

The oil and gas industry in Europe is at a crossroads.

The decisions the sector makes on where to allocate capital could make or break our collective efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C, with massive implications for the economy, for communities and in particular the poorest and most vulnerable on the planet.

The recent announcements by BP that it is weakening its climate targets, and the none too subtle hints from Shell being read by the market that it is likely to do something similar, signals that the lure of short-term profit maximisation is trumping the long-term sustainability of these companies and of our planet.

A disorderly climate transition caused by delayed action will not only miss the goals of the Paris climate agreement but directly work against the financial interests of pension funds and other long-term investors and their beneficiaries. read more

REUTERS

Fire burns for third day at Shell Texas chemical plan

May 8, 202312:24 AM GMT+

HOUSTON, May 7 (Reuters) – A fire burned for a third day on Sunday at Shell Plc’s (SHEL.L) chemical plant in the Houston suburb of Deer Park, Texas, a company spokesperson said.

The fire initially ignited on Friday afternoon in an explosion in an olefins unit, used to make plastics and rubber.

The fire was extinguished for a few hours on Saturday morning before it reignited around 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT), said Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith.

No injuries were reported from the fire. Nine people were evaluated and released at local hospitals on Friday for possible chemical exposure.

Water is being sprayed onto the fire to keep it under control until the chemicals, which were being processed at the time of the explosion, burn away, Smith said. read more

ISS advises Shell shareholders to vote against climate activist resolution seeking faster emissions cuts

SHADIA NASRALLA: LONDON: REUTERS: May 6, 2023

Shell shareholders should vote against a climate activist resolution seeking faster emissions cuts, proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) said on Saturday, while acknowledging the merits of the proposal.

Shell investors will vote at an annual general meeting on May 23 on a resolution filed by the Follow This activist shareholder group which asks the energy giant to align with the 2015 Paris climate deal.

Scientists say the world needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions by around 43 per cent by 2030, from 2019 levels, to have any hope of meeting the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming well below 2C above pre-industrial levels. read more

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Deer Park chemical plant fire still burning, runoff water being pumped into Houston Ship Channel

Sunday marked the third day since a Shell chemical plant in Deer Park caught fire, and the smoke continued to rise.

The plant caught fire Friday afternoon due to a heat exchange between two heavy gas oils that occurred during “routine maintenance,” according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Nine contractors had been taken to the hospital but were released Friday night. Saturday morning, Shell announced the fire had been extinguished, but it later reignited around 3 p.m. read more

No harmful chemical levels in air after Shell Texas chemical plant fire, company say

REUTERS: May 6, 20236:44 PM GMT+

May 6 (Reuters) – Air monitoring around an extinguished fire at the Shell Plc’s (SHEL.L) chemical plant in Deer Park, Texas, showed no harmful levels of chemicals in the air, the company said on Saturday, added that there was no threat to the surrounding community.

The fire broke out shortly before 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT) on Friday after in an olefins unit at the plant in the Houston suburb. Five people were taken for evaluation of possible injuries due to exposure to burned chemicals, the county sheriff said on Friday

The company on Saturday said in a series of tweets that the fire was extinguished and air monitoring has detected no harmful levels of chemicals.

“There is no danger to the nearby community. Current response activities being conducted at our facility are causing some flaring and noise, which we are working to minimize,” the company wrote on Twitter. read more

Fire reignites at Shell Chemical Plant in Deer Par

Christian Terry, Digital Content Producer, Published: May 6, 2023 at 4:06 PM: Updated: May 6, 2023 at 7:52 P

DEER PARK – A fire has reignited at the Shell Deer Park Chemical Plant, several hours after it was extinguished.

According to the Deer Park Office of Emergency Management, the fire has rekindled and firefighters are currently back putting it out

Shell released a statement confirming the rekindling.

Response crews are currently responding to a fire on site, which was a result of remaining product on-site reigniting. Channel Industries Mutual Aid was called in an abundance of caution, and employees and contractors are accounted for with no injuries reported. (1/2)

— Shell Deer Park Chemicals (@ShellDeerPark) May 6, 2023 read more

‘It doesn’t look safe at all’: Air quality concerns rise after Shell facility fire in Deer Park

By Briana Conner : Saturday, May 6, 2023: ABC NEW

DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) — Any incident at a gas and oil refinery is certainly cause for concern, especially for people who live in the neighborhoods around the Shell refinery.

“This kind of stuff right here is still scary,” a man named Vance told Eyewitness News as he looked at the smoke across State Highway 225 on Friday. He was unsettled by the hot orange flames and thick black smoke rising from the Shell refinery.

“It looks like a bunch of chemicals being released into the air, and it doesn’t look safe at all,” he said.

Shell did not make anyone available Friday to answer questions from ABC13.

For updates on this story, follow Briana Conner on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. read more

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Shell reports ‘no danger’ to community as air monitoring continues after fire at Deer Park facility

John Wayne Ferguson, Dug Begley, Rebecca Hennes, Bailey Gallion, Rebekah F. Ward

May 5, 2023. Updated: May 5, 2023, 10:28 p.m.

A fire at the Shell Chemical facility in Deer Park sent black smoke billowing along Texas State Highway 225 and drew an enormous response from emergency workers. The smoke plume was so big it was spotted by satellites in space.

Contractors return home after receiving treatment

Nine contractors were released from local hospitals after being evaluated following Friday’s fire, Shell said in a tweet on Friday night. The company has not described the contractors’ injuries. read more