John Donovan

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 3 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 3rd, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 3 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-076

The Sakhalin Papers LXVI: “Strategic Global Cooperation” — Four Years After the Kremlin Crisis, Shell Signs a Worldwide Pact with Gazprom

On 30 November 2010, Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Peter Voser and Gazprom chairman Alexey Miller signed a “Protocol on Strategic Global Cooperation”. The language was striking. Shell and Gazprom would examine exploration and production opportunities in western Siberia and the Russian Far East, downstream cooperation in Russia and Europe, and even Gazprom participation in Shell projects outside Russia. Shell described the relationship as a “strong partnership”. This was less than four years after Gazprom had taken control of Sakhalin II during one of the most contentious episodes in Shell’s modern history. The protocol did not erase what had happened at Sakhalin. It showed what Shell decided to do afterwards.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-076
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal authenticated records: Royal Dutch Shell plc Form 6-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, December 2010; Royal Dutch Shell fourth-quarter and full-year 2010 results; Royal Dutch Shell plc Form 6-K of December 2006
Contemporaneous reporting: The Guardian; Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal reporting preserved in the Donovan archive; Bloomberg
Judicial context: Export Credits Guarantee Department v Friends of the Earth [2008] EWHC 638 (Admin)
Evidence standard: The 2010 protocol, its stated scope and the parties’ public statements are treated as established corporate facts. Contemporary descriptions of the 2006 Sakhalin ownership transfer as forced or Kremlin-driven remain attributed descriptions. No court identified here found that Shell entered the 2010 agreement because of coercion, a secret bargain or an earlier promise of access to Russian resources. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 2 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 2nd, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 2 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-075

The Sakhalin Papers LXV: The “New Heartland” — Why Shell Deepened Its Gazprom Partnership After Losing Control

In December 2006 Shell agreed to surrender control of Sakhalin II. By April 2007 Gazprom owned 50 per cent plus one share. Yet within two years Shell was not retreating from Russia. It was signing twenty-year gas agreements with Gazprom, discussing Sakhalin III, exploring Yamal LNG opportunities and establishing a working group to pursue additional Sakhalin resources. Shell’s 2009 Annual Report went further still: Russia had become a new corporate “heartland.” The documents establish the expansion of the relationship. They do not contain a single internal memorandum explaining why Shell chose that course. But Shell’s public statements, Gazprom’s records and the commercial structure make the strategic calculation unusually visible.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-075
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal authenticated records: Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2009; Shell SEC filings; Gazprom corporate releases of 8 April and 18 September 2009
Contemporaneous reporting: Reuters, Bloomberg, Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal, UPI, AFP and The Times
Judicial context: Export Credits Guarantee Department v Friends of the Earth [2008] EWHC 638 (Admin)
Evidence standard: The agreements, meetings, ownership interests and Shell’s description of Russia as a new “heartland” are treated as established documentary facts. Contemporary descriptions of Shell having been forced or pressured to surrender control remain attributed to journalists and other observers. No public court judgment identified here determined that Gazprom’s acquisition resulted from an unlawful bargain. Explanations of Shell’s strategic motives are commentary unless explicitly attributed to Shell. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

OPL 245 Twist: Italy’s Supreme Court Says Shell-Eni Prosecutors Did Not Breach Their Legal Duties

Oct 2nd, 2026
by John Donovan.
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The extraordinary legal afterlife of the Shell-Eni OPL 245 affair has produced another important development.

The detailed judgment behind the acquittal of former Milan prosecutors Fabio De Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro has now been published—and it overturns the proposition that their handling of potentially favourable material in the Shell-Eni Nigeria prosecution amounted to a criminal refusal to perform their duties.

The extraordinary legal afterlife of the Shell-Eni OPL 245 affair has produced another important development.

Italy’s Court of Cassation has published the reasoning behind its decision to clear former Milan prosecutors Fabio De Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro, who had themselves been convicted after the collapse of the enormous corruption prosecution involving Shell, Eni and Nigeria’s controversial OPL 245 offshore oil licence. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell’s $5.2 Billion Kashagan Battle Collides With Its C$33 Billion LNG Canada Bet

Oct 1st, 2026
by John Donovan.
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Within 24 hours, Shell found itself on opposite sides of the risk ledger: Kazakhstan resumed enforcement of a huge disputed environmental penalty while the Shell-led LNG Canada venture committed billions to doubling its export capacity.

Shell has just provided an unusually vivid illustration of the risks and rewards inherent in operating one of the world’s largest energy portfolios.

On one side of the globe, Kazakhstan has restarted proceedings aimed at collecting a 2.3 trillion tenge—approximately US$5.2 billion—fine from the international consortium operating the giant Kashagan oil field. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell Veteran Takes Helm at NAM as Groningen Era Gives Way to Decommissioning

Oct 1st, 2026
by John Donovan.
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Martijn Kleverlaan will become Managing Director of Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij on 1 November 2026, taking charge of a much smaller organisation shaped by the end of Groningen gas production, offshore divestments and an expanding decommissioning programme.

Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij, the long-standing Dutch oil and gas producer associated with Shell, is changing leadership at a particularly symbolic moment in its history.

Martijn Kleverlaan, 53, will take over as Managing Director of NAM on 1 November 2026, succeeding Martijn van Haaster, who is returning to Shell after three years in charge. NAM announced the appointment on 30 September, with offshore industry publication Ocean Energy Resources reporting it on 1 October. nam.nl read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 1 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 1st, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 1 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-074

The Sakhalin Papers LXIV: The Kremlin’s LNG Prize — Russia’s First LNG Plant Opens After Shell Loses Control

Two years after Gazprom took control of Sakhalin II, President Dmitry Medvedev inaugurated Russia’s first liquefied natural gas plant. Shell was no longer the controlling shareholder, but it had not disappeared: it retained 27.5 per cent, remained a technical participant and would soon be buying Sakhalin LNG under long-term arrangements. On 29 March 2009 the first Russian LNG cargo left for Japan. Shell’s own annual report later called Russia a new “heartland.” The project had survived cost escalation, environmental controversy, litigation, political pressure and a forced change in ownership. The strategic prize was finally producing — under Russian control.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-074
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal authenticated record: Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2009
Contemporaneous corporate record: Sakhalin Energy statement, 18 February 2009
Contemporaneous reporting: Reuters, Financial Times, Oil & Gas Journal, Offshore, New Europe
Judicial context: Export Credits Guarantee Department v Friends of the Earth [2008] EWHC 638 (Admin)
Evidence standard: Production, ownership, capacity and Shell accounting statements are treated as established where recorded in Shell or Sakhalin Energy documents. Contemporary descriptions of the 2006–07 ownership change as coercive or politically driven remain attributed assessments rather than judicial findings. The plant’s successful commissioning is not treated as proof that earlier environmental concerns were unfounded or that every environmental obligation had been satisfied. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell Australia FLNG Faces Two New Industrial Court Proceedings Over Prelude

Oct 1st, 2026
by John Donovan.
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Australian Workers’ Union cases M 93/2026 and M 115/2026 are both heading to pre-trial conferences in October

Shell’s troubled Prelude floating LNG operation has acquired another legal complication.

The Industrial Magistrates Court of Western Australia is now listing two separate proceedings brought by the Australian Workers’ Union against Shell Australia FLNG Pty Ltd, the Shell entity associated with the Prelude project.

The first case, Australian Workers’ Union v Shell Australia FLNG Pty Ltd, M 93/2026, is listed for a pre-trial conference at 11:00 am on Friday 2 October 2026. The court’s current hearing list names Shell Australia FLNG Pty Ltd directly as respondent. imc.wa.gov.au read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 30 SEPTEMBER 2026

Sep 30th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 30 SEPTEMBER 2026

SLF-2007-073

The Sakhalin Papers LXIII: The Reserves Ledger — Did Shell Really Lose 1.06 Billion Barrels?

In March 2008, the consequences of Shell’s surrender of control at Sakhalin II surfaced in the language oil companies understand best: proved reserves. Contemporary reports said roughly 1.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent were disappearing from Shell’s books. Shell’s own annual report contained two striking figures — 658 million boe and 402 million boe — which, when added together, appeared to support that conclusion. But they did not describe the same thing. One figure represented minority interests disappearing from a consolidated subsidiary; the other represented reserves being transferred into the equity-accounted investment column. Shell’s actual reduction in proved reserves attributable to its shareholders from the Sakhalin transaction was approximately 402 million boe. The distinction is accounting — but it is not merely cosmetic.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-073
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal authenticated records: Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2006; Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2007
Contemporaneous reporting: Financial Times; JP Morgan/Hemscott; The Observer; Bloomberg; Thomson Financial/AFX; Energy Intelligence
Judicial context: Export Credits Guarantee Department v Friends of the Earth [2008] EWHC 638 (Admin)
Evidence standard: Shell’s reserve figures and accounting classifications are treated as corporate facts. Contemporary descriptions of a 1.1-billion-barrel “loss” are attributed to the analysts and journalists who used them. No accounting reclassification is treated as a physical disappearance of hydrocarbons. The distinction between reserves surrendered economically and reserves merely moved between reporting categories is maintained throughout. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Marketing Week Magazine Shell/Donovan Archive Articles

Sep 30th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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1995

Irate Don hits Shell investors

By Shell UK dealers and institutional shareholders have received letters from sales promotion company Don Marketing accusing Shell of a cover-up involving a “flawed” promotion.

Don and Shell are involved in a long-running legal dispute, due to come to court in February. Don has issued three high court writs and county court proceedings against Shell, alleging the wrongful use of retail promotions developed by Don Marketing. Shell has settled one of the three writs out of court.

Now Don has formed the Shell Corporate Conscience Pressure Group, put ads in the petrol trade press rallying support from others who have had dealings with the firm and written to institutional investors. Those who have received a letter include the pension fund manager of The Equitable Life Assurance Society, a heavy investor in Shell. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

When Shell Tried to Sing Its Way Into a Greener Image

Sep 29th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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A story highlighted by Campaign is worth revisiting because it captures something larger than a mere advertising stunt. It shows how Shell deliberately used pop music, celebrity culture and youth-oriented digital marketing to present itself as a company associated with the future of clean energy rather than simply as one of the world’s biggest oil and gas businesses. That makes it less a quirky campaign anecdote than a revealing case study in corporate image management.

In late 2017, Shell unveiled a glossy new chapter in its global #makethefuture campaign: a music video for “On Top of the World” featuring an international line-up of artists including Jennifer Hudson, Pixie Lott, Luan Santana, Yemi Alade and Monali Thakur. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell doubles down on Canada: LNG Canada Phase 2 turns Kitimat into a 28-million-tonne export hub

Sep 29th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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Shell doubles down on Canada: LNG Canada Phase 2 turns Kitimat into a 28-million-tonne export hub

Shell has taken the final investment decision on LNG Canada Phase 2, committing with its partners to double the capacity of the Kitimat, British Columbia, export terminal from 14 million to 28 million tonnes of LNG a year. The decision substantially deepens Shell’s exposure to Canadian natural gas only weeks after it completed its acquisition of ARC Resources, adding roughly 370,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day of Canadian production. Shell Canada

For Shell, this is not a peripheral investment. The company owns 40% of LNG Canada, alongside PETRONAS with 25%, PetroChina 15%, Mitsubishi 15% and KOGAS 5%. Phase 2 will add two further liquefaction trains, an additional LNG storage tank, condensate storage, another loading berth and expanded utilities. The 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline will also be expanded through five new compressor stations. Commercial operations are expected in the early 2030s. Shell Canada read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 29 SEPTEMBER 2026

Sep 29th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 29 SEPTEMBER 2026

SLF-2007-072

The Sakhalin Papers LXII: The Fine Print — $4.1 Billion, a $19.4 Billion Budget and the “Economic Balance” Agreements

The Kremlin agreement of December 2006 determined who would control Sakhalin II. The transaction completed on 18 April 2007 determined what that change meant in money, accounting and project economics. Shell received approximately $4.1 billion, surrendered half its interest, stopped consolidating Sakhalin Energy as a subsidiary and accepted Gazprom as majority shareholder. On the same day, Russia approved the revised Environmental Action Plan, the project’s amended development budget was approved, and Shell later disclosed that additional agreements had been signed with the Russian Government “addressing the economic balance of the project.” Those facts are documented. The surviving public record is much less explicit about what those additional agreements contained.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-072
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal authenticated records: Royal Dutch Shell plc Form 20-F for 2007; Shell SEC-filed 2007 interim financial statements; Shell announcement of 18 April 2007
Government/project record: approval of the amended Sakhalin II development budget and revised Environmental Action Plan
Contemporaneous reporting: Reuters; Oil & Gas Journal; contemporary project and financial reporting
Later judicial context: Export Credits Guarantee Department v Friends of the Earth [2008] EWHC 638 (Admin)
Evidence standard: transaction figures and accounting treatment are treated as established corporate facts. Statements concerning Russian motives or coercion remain attributed assessments. The phrase “economic balance of the project” is Shell’s own description; no interpretation of undisclosed agreement terms is presented as fact. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 28 SEPTEMBER 2026

Sep 28th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 28 SEPTEMBER 2026

SLF-2007-071

The Sakhalin Papers LXI: The Kremlin Deal — $7.45 Billion and the Day Shell Agreed to Give Up Control

On 21 December 2006, after months of environmental enforcement, permit uncertainty, cost disputes and negotiations with Gazprom, Shell and its Japanese partners signed a protocol inside the Kremlin. Gazprom would pay $7.45 billion for 50 per cent plus one share of Sakhalin Energy. Shell’s 55 per cent interest would be halved. President Vladimir Putin described Gazprom’s entry as a corporate decision and, at the same meeting, said the project’s fundamental problems could be considered resolved. The timing generated immediate allegations that regulatory pressure had been used as commercial leverage. Shell did not adopt that interpretation. Nor did any court identified in this archive adjudicate such a bargain. What the documents do establish is unusually stark: the ownership dispute, the project-budget dispute and the environmental crisis converged on the same day.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-071
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal authenticated record: Royal Dutch Shell plc Form 6-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, December 2006; Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2007
Corporate environmental record: Shell Sustainability Report 2006
Government and institutional record: contemporaneous Kremlin statements; later House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee report
Contemporaneous reporting: The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Oil & Gas Journal
Later judicial context: Export Credits Guarantee Department v Friends of the Earth [2008] EWHC 638 (Admin)
Additional contemporary record: Shell’s January 2007 response to the Donovan account, subsequently preserved by Legal 500
Evidence standard: transaction terms are treated as corporate facts; Russian environmental allegations as allegations; descriptions of administrative pressure are attributed to journalists or Parliamentary findings; the coincidence of regulatory and commercial events is not treated as proof of a secret quid pro quo. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 27 SEPTEMBER 2026

Sep 27th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 27 SEPTEMBER 2026

SLF-2007-070

The Sakhalin Papers LX: The Permit War — When Shell’s Internal Emails Reached Russia’s Environmental Watchdog

In September 2006, Russia moved against the environmental approval underpinning Sakhalin II Phase 2. Shell-led Sakhalin Energy said the approval had survived a Russian court challenge only weeks earlier and denied there were lawful grounds for revocation. Then another evidential strand entered the dispute. Internal Shell emails from 2002 — expressing concern about seismic faults, well design and a project being “schedule driven” — were supplied by John Donovan to Russian environmental official Oleg Mitvol. Contemporary Interfax and Argus reporting independently recorded that Mitvol received the material and sought answers from Sakhalin Energy. The emails did not prove environmental catastrophe, nor has any court identified here adjudicated their technical implications. But they became part of the regulatory confrontation at precisely the moment Shell was fighting to retain control of its largest Russian investment.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-070
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal corporate records: Shell/Sakhalin Energy statements; Shell internal Bouman–Van Spronsen emails; Royal Dutch Shell SEC filing of 21 December 2006
Regulatory record: Russian Ministry of Natural Resources/Rosprirodnadzor statements as reported contemporaneously
Contemporaneous reporting: Reuters, Interfax, Oil & Gas Journal, The Guardian, Dow Jones/MarketWatch and Argus
Archive correspondence: John Donovan communications with Oleg Mitvol, August–November 2006
Later judicial context: Export Credits Guarantee Department v Friends of the Earth [2008] EWHC 638 (Admin)
Evidence standard: Russian allegations, Sakhalin Energy responses, internal technical concerns, Donovan commentary and journalistic interpretation are kept separate. The transmission of the Shell emails to Rosprirodnadzor is documented; it is not inferred that those emails caused the Russian regulatory campaign or the subsequent transfer of control to Gazprom. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 26 SEPTEMBER 2026

Sep 26th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 26 SEPTEMBER 2026

SLF-2007-069

The Sakhalin Papers LIX: The 120-Day Test — When Shell’s $20 Billion Project Was Put Out for Public Judgment

In December 2005, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development decided that Sakhalin II’s environmental and social documentation was sufficiently developed to enter formal public consultation. That was not project approval and it was not a loan decision. During the following 120 days, critics challenged the project in London, Moscow, Sakhalin and Hokkaido over whales, salmon rivers, seismic risk, oil-spill preparedness and consultation itself. Sakhalin Energy maintained that it was complying with Russian law and improving its environmental controls. Then, before the financing question could be resolved, the argument changed character. Russian regulators moved against a crucial environmental approval, Gazprom was seeking entry into the project, and EBRD said the resulting legal uncertainty prevented it from progressing its financing decision.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-069
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal institutional record: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Sakhalin II records and Independent Recourse Mechanism file
Authenticated corporate record: The Shell Sustainability Report 2006
Contemporaneous reporting: AFP, Oil & Gas Journal, RIA Novosti, The Guardian, El País
Campaign submissions: WWF, Friends of the Earth, The Corner House and Friends of the Earth Japan
Later judicial context: Export Credits Guarantee Department v Friends of the Earth [2008] EWHC 638 (Admin)
Evidence standard: EBRD determinations are distinguished from campaign-group interpretations of them. Sakhalin Energy statements are attributed to the company. Russian environmental allegations are distinguished from contemporaneous claims that regulatory action was being used to influence Gazprom’s entry into the project. No court identified in this file determined that the 2006 Russian enforcement campaign was either fabricated or politically motivated. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Dutch Government Looks to Industry to Shoulder Gas-Storage Costs as LNG Dependence Grows

Sep 26th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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The Netherlands wants private energy companies to shoulder more of the cost of keeping enough gas in storage for winter — as the country confronts the expensive consequences of becoming increasingly dependent on imported natural gas and LNG.

According to DutchNews, the Dutch government is considering making commercial energy suppliers responsible for building up their own strategic gas reserves rather than continuing to rely so heavily on the government-backed company Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN). read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.
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