Posts under ‘Gazprom’

yahoo!finance

Putin Swoop on Gas Plant Risks Forcing Foreign Partners Out

Stephen Stapczynski and Garfield Reynolds

Fri, July 1, 2022, 10:04 a.m.

(Bloomberg) — President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to transfer rights to the Sakhalin-2 natural gas project to a new Russian company, a move that could force foreign owners including Shell Plc to abandon their investment in the facility.

The decree cites threats to Russia’s national interests and economic security, according to a statement dated June 30, issued by the Kremlin and signed by Putin. Stakeholders have one month to say whether they’ll take a holding in the new company, and those who opt out may not be fully compensated, the statement said.

The move could prove complicated for Shell, which holds a 27.5% stake in the liquefied natural gas facility in Russia’s far east. The energy giant announced it would exit the project after Russia invaded Ukraine, and also said it wouldn’t commit to any new investments in the country.

Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden said earlier this week that Shell is making progress selling its stake, which Wood Mackenzie estimates is worth $4.1 billion. China’s key state-run energy companies are in talks with Shell to buy its stake in the project, people familiar with the details said in April.

Shell is aware of the decree and is assessing its implications, the company said in a statement.

The world is already grappling with surging fuel prices as Putin steps up the use of gas as a weapon, and any effort by Moscow to take over energy assets could rile markets further. Most western energy firms are trying leave Russian projects, but are struggling to find willing buyers. read more

CITYA.M.

Kremlin orders seizure of gas facility which Shell has 27 per cent stake in worth £3.4bn

JACK MENDEL

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has ordered the seizure of a gas facility in the county which UK firm Shell has a 27 per cent stake in.

The Kremlin signed a decree to take control of rights of the Sakhalin-2 plant, which will be transferred into Russian hands.

This comes as Moscow continues to come under severe economic pressure with sanctions, while countries including the UK, Germany and other EU states have been urged to stop buying fuel from Russia, amid its war against Ukraine. read more

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Putin moves to seize a large gas venture in Russia’s Far East.

Shell and two Japanese companies, Mitsui and Mitsubishi, are minority shareholders in the Sakhalin-2 joint venture.

Russia is moving to take over an important natural gas joint venture, putting the investments of Shell and two Japanese trading companies, Mitsui and Mitsubishi, at risk.

A decree issued by President Vladimir V. Putin on Thursday said the project, called Sakhalin-2, which is on Sakhalin Island in Russia’s Far East and is a key exporter of fuel to Japan, would be taken over by a new company. read more

BBC News

Russia moves to take control of Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project

1 JULY 2022

Russia has moved to take over a major oil and gas project in which Shell has a 27.5% stake.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday to take charge of the Sakhalin-2 project.

The move could force Shell and Japan’s Mitsui and Mitsubishi to abandon their investments as the economic fallout of the Ukraine war spreads.

Oil giant Shell said: “We are aware of the decree and are assessing its implications.” read more

yahoo!finance

Gazprom cutting gas supplies to Shell affects small volumes in Germany-regulator

Wed, June 1, 2022, 8:02 AM

FRANKFURT, June 1 (Reuters) – Gazprom’s decision to cut off gas supplies to Shell Energy only affects small volumes in Germany, the country’s network regulator said, adding they could be replaced from other sources.

“Security of supply is currently guaranteed. According to our information, only small quantities are affected, which can be procured elsewhere. We are monitoring the situation very closely,” the Bundesnetzagentur said. read more

REUTERS

Gazprom cuts gas supply to Orsted and Shell Energy

June 1, 2022

June 1 (Reuters) – Russian gas producer Gazprom (GAZP.MM) has cut off gas supplies to Denmark’s Orsted (ORSTED.CO) and to Shell Energy (SHEL.L) for its contract to supply gas to Germany, it said on Wednesday, citing the companies’ failure to make payments in roubles.

The Telegraph

Europe lurches closer to energy crisis as Kremlin cuts off gas supply to Shell

British company loses access to Russian fuel following refusal to pay in roubles

By Rachel Millard and Matt Oliver31 May 2022 • 7:44pm

Europe lurched closer to an energy crisis on Tuesday after the Kremlin cut off gas supplies to major buyers including Shell.

Russia’s state-owned gas supplier, Gazprom, said supplies to Shell in Germany as well as to Ørsted in Denmark will be cut off on Wednesday after they refused to bow to Putin’s demands to pay in roubles. read more

CITYA.M.

Shell refuses to set up Gazprom account as it continues Russian withdrawal

NICHOLAS EARL: TUESDAY 31 MAY 2022 6:31 PM

Energy giant Shell has confirmed it will not set up a rouble account, under new terms demanded by Kremlin-backed giant Gazprom.

This means it will no longer be contracting Russian gas to fulfil its contracts to European households, including its customers in Germany.

A Shell spokesperson told City A.M.: “Shell has not agreed to new payment terms set out by Gazprom, including the creation of K accounts. We will work to continue supplying our customers in Europe through our diverse portfolio of gas supply. Shell continues to work on a phased withdrawal from Russian hydrocarbons, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.” read more

REUTERS

Shell sells Russian retail business to Lukoil

May 12, 2022 11:22 AM GMT

May 12 (Reuters) – Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil (LKOH.MM) will buy Shell’s (SHEL.L) Russian retail and lubricants businesses, the companies said on Thursday, as the British oil major moves ahead with its exit from the country following its Ukraine invasion.

The deal includes 411 retail stations, mainly located in the Central and Northwestern regions of Russia, and the Torzhok lubricants blending plant, Shell said in a statement.

“The acquisition of Shell’s high-quality businesses in Russia fits well into Lukoil’s strategy to develop its priority sales channels, including retail, as well as the lubricants business,” said Maxim Donde, a vice-president with Lukoil.

Neither Shell, nor Lukoil would not comment on the value of the deal, which still requires the approval of Russia’s anti-monopoly authorities. read more

“Under this deal, more than 350 people currently employed by Shell Neft will transfer to the new owner of this business,” Shell said. read more

Shell tightens restrictions on Russian oil buying

April 27 (Reuters) – Shell SHEL.L on Wednesday tightened its restrictions on buying Russian oil, saying it would no longer accept refined products with any Russian content, including blended fuels.

Shell last month said it would phase out buying Russian crude and its involvement in all Russian hydrocarbons from oil to natural gas, after facing an uproar over buying a Russian crude cargo in the days following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. read more

The Telegraph

Ukraine urges Johnson to ensure ‘not a drop’ of Russian oil reaches the UK

Shell, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, has pledged to withdraw from Russian oil products, but…

By Rachel Millard: 24 April 2022 • 6:46pm

Ukraine’s government has urged the UK to ensure “not a single drop of Russian oil enters the country”, as it pushed for a “total and immediate” boycott on Russian fossil fuels.

Oleg Ustenko, economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said it was “no time for half measures”. It comes amid concerns Britain may adopt a definition of Russian oil that allows some Kremlin supplies into the country, even under the impending embargo. read more

CITYA.M.

Ukraine’s government writes to Shell, accusing it of ‘bankrolling Putin’s war with an accounting trick’

JACK MENDEL:  22 April 2022

Ukraine has accused energy giant Shell of continuing to “bankroll Putin’s war machine” buy buying oil through an “accounting trick.”

In an angry letter sent to the oil company’s boss, Kyiv branded it “deplorable” that firm was still buying fuel linked to the Kremlin indirectly.

According to the Telegraph, despite a commitment to stop purchasing energy, Shell considers refined oil products as not being Russian if less than half of the blend is from the country. read more

Three Chinese energy firms are in talks to buy Shell’s stake in a huge Russian natural gas export project, a report says

Grace Dean: Fri, April 22, 2022, 12:27 PM

Chinese firms are in talks to buy Shell’s stake in a Russian natural gas export project, sources told Bloomberg.

CNOOC, CNPC, and Sinopec are in joint discussions, the sources said.

Shell and other Western energy companies are withdrawing from the Russian oil and natural gas sector.

Three Chinese state-run energy companies are in talks to buy Shell’s 27.5% stake in a huge Russian natural gas export project, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. read more

Bloomberg

Shell starts withdrawing staff from Russia as part of exit strategy

Oil company is demobilising its seconded employees in ventures with Gazprom and Gazprom Neft in a phased process

Shell has started to withdraw staff from its joint ventures with Russia’s Gazprom as it moves forward with plans to exit investments in response to the war in Ukraine.

Dozens of Shell employees on temporary assignment at the Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas export project in Russia were removed over the weekend to be relocated back to other offices, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Operations at the facility are unlikely to be affected by the move, the people said. read more

The New York Times

Shell says it expects to lose up to $5 billion for pulling out of Russia.

In an update to investors, the oil company projected a huge financial hit from its exposure to Russia.

By Marie Solis and Jason Karaian: April 7, 2022, 8:09 a.m. ET

The estimate, detailed in an update to Shell shareholders, is among the largest publicly announced financial hits by any of the hundreds of companies that have curtailed their operations in Russia or withdrawn entirely since its invasion of Ukraine. read more

Shell says Russia exit has already cost $5 billion

LONDON (AP) — Shell says its decision to pull out of Russia in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine has already cost the international energy giant as much as $5 billion.

The reduced value of Russian assets, credit losses and “onerous” contract terms will cut earnings for the first three months of the year by between $4 billion and $5 billion, London-based Shell said Thursday. The estimate was part of an update released before publication of complete first-quarter earnings on May 5. read more