Posts under ‘Netherlands’

OPL245 Scandal: Coalition urges World Bank group not to protect oil giants

…prosecutions relating to the OPL 245 deal are live in two jurisdictions (Nigeria and Italy); Investigations are also live in The Netherlands, where the prosecutors have told Royal Dutch Shell, which was also a party to the deal that they have sufficient evidence to prosecute. 

By Press Release: November 22, 2020A World Bank affiliated group may scuttle Nigeria’s bid to successfully prosecute illicit funds associated with the controversial OPL 245, a coalition of international anti-corruption groups has said. read more

English translation of an article published today by the Dutch Financial newspaper, the FD.

Shell and Exxon are aiming for multi-billion dollar green subsidies

Carel Grol: 16 November 2020

Four multinationals that want to store the greenhouse gas CO₂ in an empty gas field off the Dutch coast will apply for a subsidy at the end of this month. According to estimates, this subsidy could amount to around € 1.5 billion.

In brief

• Four multinationals, including Shell, want to participate in a large-scale CO₂ storage project in a gas field under the North Sea.
• It is estimated that a subsidy of € 1.5 billion will be applied for.
• If the subsidy is paid, there will be less money for solar energy.

Four multinationals, including Exxon and Shell, will apply for a subsidy for CO₂ storage in a gas field under the North Sea. This grant is controversial as it is a huge amount for something that has never been done on this scale. There are less than 25 active large CO₂ storage projects worldwide. The so-called Porthos project in the North Sea should really be a breakthrough for Europe. read more

Nigeria protests target Shell in UK, Netherlands

Activists have mounted demonstrations at Shell’s headquarters in London and The Hague, in protest over the killings of the Ogoni 9 in Nigeria, 25 years ago.

Eight activists from Extinction Rebellion Rotterdam climbed a Shell storage tank in Pernis. A spokesman for the group, Marjolein: “Although Shell is obliged to clean up the oil, they appear to be failing to deliver on their promises as always. That is why today we protest at one of Europe’s largest oil refineries: to show that Shell cannot get away with this and to encourage the people in the Ogoni area. ” read more

English translation of an article published by the Dutch equivalent of the Financial Times, the FD. 

Shell wins Sijthoff prize for reporting in a disaster year in the oil sector

“This is remarkable, now that the oil and gas company is under social pressure, such as because of tax morality with regard to remittances in the Netherlands…”

Cor de Horde and Pim Kakebeeke: October 29, 2020

Shell receives the FD Henri Sijthoff prize from Sijthoff jury member Roderick Munsters (right) during an online meeting Photo: Sander van Nieuwenhuys read more

Nigerian farmers take on Shell in landmark oil spill case

OCT 9, 2020 10:15 AM PHT: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS

Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell faces a case over 3 spills which occurred in the 2000s around the southeastern Nigerian villages of Goi, Oruma, and Ikot Ada Udo

Lawyers for 4 Nigerian farmers accused Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell on Thursday, October 8, of causing widespread pollution in a landmark court case filed in the Netherlands.

The farmers first filed suit in 2008, demanding Shell clean up devastating oil spills in 3 villages in the Niger Delta, prevent further pollution, and pay compensation. read more

Nigerian farmers take on Shell in landmark oil spill case

Lawyers for four Nigerian farmers accused Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell on Thursday of causing widespread pollution in a landmark court case filed in the Netherlands.

The farmers first filed suit in 2008, demanding Shell clean up devastating oil spills in three villages in the Niger Delta, prevent further pollution and pay compensation.

Two of the farmers have since died, as Shell spent years arguing that the case, backed by Dutch environment group Milieudefensie, should not be heard in the Netherlands. read more

Shell looks to inflate case for generating power offshore

Emily Gosden, Energy Editor: Saturday, August 15, 2020. The Times

Royal Dutch Shell hopes to boost the profits it makes from offshore wind farms by using surplus electricity to produce hydrogen and to charge batteries at sea.

The oil company claims that using such technologies to store energy, as well as installing floating solar panels next to the turbines, should enable it to offer “a continuous power supply”, even when the wind isn’t blowing. read more

Nam calls for Groningen gas field closure in 2022

31 JULY 2020

The Netherlands’ Groningen low-calorie gas field could be closed completely in 2022, while keeping it on stand-by afterwards would require substantial production to be maintained, operator Nam has said.

There will be “no role for Groningen after 2022” as it is highly unlikely that it would be needed to guarantee security of supply then, Nam said in response to a consultation on the field’s draft output plan for the 2020-21 gas year.

The Dutch economy ministry’s plan foresees that Groningen output would halt from about mid-2022 when a new quality conversion facility in Zuidbroek is expected to become operational, significantly increasing the scope to convert high-calorie gas into low-calorie supply. The field is to remain on stand-by afterwards until at least about mid-2025 to serve as a back-up that could help meet northwest European low-calorie demand in situations of exceptionally strong consumption or disruptions to other sources of supply. read more

Energy venture NAM says it does not want to use Groningen gas field in 2022

AMSTERDAM, July 30 (Reuters) – NAM, a venture of Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil that operates gas fields in the Netherlands, said on Thursday it did not want to use the Groningen gas field in 2022 and had asked the government to approve this.

The government, which has been ordering production cuts at the field due to seismic risks in the region, had asked NAM to keep the field available as a resource in 2022 in case of a cold snap, NAM said, adding that it was opposing this request. read more

Translation of an article published overnight by the Dutch media organisation nrc.nl

High prison sentences demanded against former Shell employees

Lawsuit In a criminal case for alleged corruption by Shell and Eni when purchasing a Nigerian oil field, the Public Prosecution Service demands high penalties.

Merijn Rengers and Carola Houtekamer: July 21, 2020 at 22:22

The Italian Public Prosecution Service demanded unprecedented high prison sentences in Milan on Tuesday against four former Shell directors and employees for large-scale corruption. The prosecution charges it to a former member of the board of directors, a director and two advisers who participated in bribery in Nigeria. The amount of the kickback, more than $ 1 billion, makes this one of the largest corruption affairs a Dutch company has ever been involved in. read more

The third small earthquake in a week struck the province of Groningen early Sunday morning. The quake registered a magnitude of 2.3, and its epicenter was in Startenhuizen, meteorological agency KNMI said.

It struck seconds before 4:08 a.m., and was followed by an aftershock registering 0.9 about four minutes later, data from the agency showed. The earthquake was determined to be induced by human activity, a fairly common occurrence in the region due to decades of natural gas extraction. read more

Shell and Unilever, two icons of Dutch business moving away from their native country?

Translation of an article published today by the Dutch version of the Financial Times, the FD. 

“Companies will scratch their heads: will I still come to the Netherlands?”

By Bas Knoop and Job Woudt

In the past months, departing Secretary-General for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Maarten Camps saw Unilever leave for London at his post and Shell is preparing to do the same. The climate for multinationals seems to have changed. “It indicates that we need to nurture our business climate and continue to welcome companies.” read more

Translation of an FD article published today

How Shell disappeared from politics in The Hague

Shell CEO Van Beurden recently hinted at a possible departure of the multinational from the Netherlands. A signal that, according to those involved, can also be interpreted as an ultimate rapprochement attempt. Because the dialogue between politicians and Shell is at a dead end.

Ulko Jonker

In brief

• Shell is considering leaving the Netherlands, partly because of the dividend tax that did not disappear.
• GroenLinks now wants to impose a moving fine on companies that go abroad.
• The multinational is said to have fallen into political isolation because of gas extraction in Groningen.

Jesse Klaver took the doctrine of debt and fine to a new level last week. The GroenLinks captain believes that Unilever and Shell should first ‘settle with Dutch society’ before they can move their headquarters. GroenLinks MP Bart Snels himself calls his initiative ‘Brutal’. It is also ominous, companies say. read more

There was an earthquake in Loppersum in Groningen on Tuesday afternoon. The quake measured 2.7 on the Richter scale, making it the strongest earthquake to hit the province so far this year. The municipality of Loppersum called residents to report damage to the Groningen Mining Damage Institute.

The earthquake happened at around 5:15 p.m., according to meteorological institute KNMI. People reported feeling the quake in Loppersum, the city of Groningen, Leermens, Middelstum and Zeerijp, according to RTV Nooord. Before Wednesday, the strongest earthquake of the year measured 2.5 at Zijldijk on May 2. The strongest earthquake ever to hit Groningen was in Huizinge in 2012 and measured 3.6, according to NOS. read more

English translation of an article published 4 July 220 by the FD: Bert van Dijk

Shell is considering moving its head office

It is uncertain whether Shell wants to keep its headquarters in the Netherlands, now that a controversial plan by the cabinet to abolish dividend tax has been definitively off the table. That says Shell CEO Ben van Beurden in an interview with the FD.

The energy giant is a British company, but has its headquarters in The Hague. Shell chose this construction on the assumption that dividend tax would be abolished, says Van Beurden. In October 2018, the government withdrew this intention after public pressure. As a result, Shell looks at its current British-Dutch structure with different eyes, according to the CEO. read more

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell is not ruling out moving its headquarters from the Netherlands to Britain, the oil company’s chief executive Ben van Beurden said in a Dutch newspaper interview published on Saturday.

Anglo-Dutch consumer products giant Unilever said last month it plans to ditch its dual Anglo-Dutch legal structure and create a single entity in Britain.

Van Beurden did not explicitly say Shell wants to move its headquarters, het Financieele Dagblad said.

“You always need to keep thinking,” Shell’s Van Beurden told the newspaper. “Nothing is permanent and of course we will look at the business climate. But moving your headquarters is not a trivial measure. You cannot think too lightly about that.” read more