Saudi Aramco

Shell, BP, BAE And The Al-Yamamah Slush-Fund Fog Machine

Jun 28th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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By John Donovan

A tabloid-satirical rewrite of Chapter 18 of the John Donovan Shell archive: “Shell involvement in Al-Yamamah corruption scandal.”

Source chapter: CHAPTER 18: Shell involvement in Al-Yamamah corruption scandal, first published 17 September 2018 and later modified on 24 September 2024.

Chapter 18 screenshot exhibit about Al-Yamamah and Shell
Source archive screenshot from Chapter 18.

Al-Yamamah was the kind of scandal that makes ordinary corruption stories look like lost petty cash. Arms, oil, Saudi princes, BAE Systems, Downing Street nerves, Serious Fraud Office drama, diplomatic pressure, and a great deal of money vanishing through respectable-looking channels. Into that swamp, Chapter 18 places Shell and BP: not as decorative wallpaper, but as alleged participants in the oil-for-arms plumbing. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Oil, Arms & WTF: Shell, BP and the $43bn Al-Yamamah Scandal

Sep 21st, 2025
by John Donovan.
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When Britain’s largest ever export agreement turns out to be part fighter jets, part oil barrels, and part money-laundering scheme, you know Shell and BP won’t be far from the action. The Al-Yamamah arms deal wasn’t just about Tornados flying to Riyadh. It was also about crude oil flowing to London, and then through Shell and BP into Western banking systems. The real WMD? “Wealth Made Disappear.”

The Basics: What Was Al-Yamamah?

Al-Yamamah (“The Dove”) was the name given to a series of gargantuan arms contracts between the UK and Saudi Arabia starting in 1985. Britain promised Saudi Tornado fighters, Hawk trainers, missiles, ships, and infrastructure. In exchange, the Saudis delivered up to 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day — routed through the British government. BAE Systems (then British Aerospace) was the prime contractor. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell Can’t Even Ditch Its Dirty Nigerian Oil Fields Without Screwing Up

Oct 17th, 2024
by John Donovan.
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17 Oct 2024

Oh, Shell, always finding new ways to trip over its own oily feet. This time, they’ve managed to fumble a $1.3 billion sale of their onshore oilfields in Nigeria. Yes, you heard that right. The almighty Shell, which practically wrote the book on ruthless exploitation, can’t even offload its pollution-ridden assets without causing another mess. Nigeria’s oil regulator took one look at their proposed buyer, Renaissance Group, and said, “Yeah, no thanks. These guys aren’t remotely qualified to run this operation.” 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell and BP Shares Plummet—Oh No, How Will the Planet-Burning Billionaires Cope?

Sep 27th, 2024
by John Donovan.
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Well, well, well, looks like Shell and BP have finally hit a speed bump on their highway to environmental destruction. In a shocking turn of events (cue the world’s tiniest violin), the stock prices of these oil-stained giants have taken a nosedive. Why? Because Saudi Arabia, that bastion of altruism, is reportedly ditching its plan to keep oil prices sky-high.

According to the Financial Times, Saudi Arabia, ever the benevolent overlord of the oil market, may abandon its $100-a-barrel target. Instead, they’re planning to flood the market with more crude. Gasp! Brent crude futures dropped to $71.62 a barrel, down 2.5% in a single session and 20% lower over the past six months. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Big Oil Plays Pretend: Phasing Out Fossil Fuels Deemed ‘Fantasy’ Amid Record Profits

Mar 20th, 2024
by John Donovan.
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Posted by John Donovan: 20 March 2024

In a dazzling display of corporate doublethink, oil moguls gathered in Houston, casually shrugging off any pretence of urgency in the face of the climate crisis. Despite John F. Kerry’s victory lap at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Dubai, declaring a monumental shift away from fossil fuels, the lords of oil in Houston had a hearty laugh. “Missed the memo, John,” they seemed to say, before diving into their Scrooge McDuck-style money vaults. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell and Saudi Aramco in a Tug-of-War for Pavilion Energy

Mar 5th, 2024
by John Donovan.
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Posted by John Donovan: 5 March 24

Oh, what do we have here? The corporate gladiators, Shell and Saudi Aramco are sharpening their swords, ready to dive into the lavish feast of Pavilion Energy’s assets, served by Singapore’s very own Temasek. It’s a spectacle worthy of the Colosseum, as these energy behemoths get shortlisted to gobble up most of what Pavilion Energy has on offer, minus the gas pipeline business because, let’s be real, that’s just the side dish no one’s really eyeing at this banquet. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell could start profit slowdown as Labour pushes to expand windfall tax

Oct 25th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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CITYA.M.

Shell could start profit slowdown as Labour pushes to expand windfall tax

: MONDAY 24 OCTOBER 2022 4:13 PM

The historic profit run from oil and gas titans is expected to slow down this week, when Shell unveils its latest results.

Producers are grappling with both inflation and suppressed demand amid growing expectations of a global recession.

Shell has warned ahead of its third quarter update this week that earnings will likely be dented by a sharp hike in refining costs and weaker natural gas trading.

In an update earlier this month, it revealed indicative refining margins dropped to $15 a barrel compared with $28 a barrel in the previous three months of trading.

The energy giant will update investors on its performance this Thursday, the first in a wave of results from oil and gas giants over the coming days.

Rivals BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Equinor and Saudi Aramco will also announce their results over the coming days – offering markets a flurry of data on the latest conditions in the fossil fuel sector. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Forbes Global 2000: Shell Becomes Europe’s Top Public Company As Oil Price Boom Drives Profits

May 12th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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Forbes

Forbes Global 2000: Shell Becomes Europe’s Top Public Company As Oil Price Boom Drives Profits

David Dawkins: Forbes Staff: MAY 12, 2022

Petrol and energy giant Royal Dutch Shell has reclaimed its spot as Europe’s top-ranked public company on the Forbes Global 2000 ranking, pushing German car giant Volkswagen AG back down into second place.

The London-based Anglo-Dutch giant, with its distinctive yellow and red branding seen across Europe’s gasoline forecourts, is valued at $211 billion this year, a rise of nearly 40% over the year and over double the value of second-placed Volkswagen AG.

In May, Shell reported its highest ever quarterly profits for the first three months of 2022 at $9.13 billion, following a sharp rise in oil prices further heightened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February and the punitive sanction regime placed on Russia thereafter. Having fallen to 324 on the list of 2000 listed companies last year, Shell has shaken off its pandemic blues and returned to the 16th spot globally in 2022. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Outlook darkens for North Sea oil and gas industry

Nov 3rd, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Outlook darkens for North Sea oil and gas industry

TWO oil and gas majors provided votes of confidence in the North Sea last week but these may only provide cold comfort as the outlook for the sector gets ever bleaker.

On Tuesday BP underlined its belief in the exploration potential of the North Sea as it announced that it had returned to profit in the third quarter.

The giant included its successful bid for new North Sea exploration licences in a list of highlights for the three months to 30 September. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Open Letter from the CEOs of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative

May 27th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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News provided by

Oil and Gas Climate Initiative

May 26, 2020, 08:03 ET

Focusing on what matters

LONDON, May 26, 2020 /CNW/ — The unprecedented challenges the world is facing force us all to sharpen our focus on what really matters. Our immediate priority, as CEOs, is to do everything we can so that our people and communities are safe and capable of confronting the pandemic effectively. We will work to help the world recover from the economic shock of this crisis that has undoubtedly hit some more than others yet impacts us all. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Reuters: Saudi Arabia buys stakes in four big European oil firms: source

Apr 9th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Saudi Arabia buys stakes in four big European oil firms: source

Ron Bousso: APRIL 9, 2020

LONDON (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has accumulated stakes in four major European oil companies, a source familiar with the transaction said.

The four are Royal Dutch Shell, France’s Total, Norway’s Equinor and Italy’s Eni, the source said, confirming a Wall Street Journal report.

The source did not confirm the combined value of the stakes, which the WSJ reported were worth $1 billion.

“The Saudis have been buying every day almost for the past few weeks, specially since the share prices of many of these companies were in correction territory and dividend yields were very high,” the source familiar with the transactions said. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell joins other oil giants in slashing spending after coronavirus and ‘oil war’ between Russia and Saudi Arabia causes prices to collapse

Mar 23rd, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Royal Dutch Shell has announced it is planning to save at least $8billion in the coming year following the huge fall in oil prices.

The world’s ninth-largest company by revenue says capital expenditures are to be scaled back by $5billion. At the same time, underlying operating costs will be cut by at least $3billion to help cope with the impact of the coronavirus.

It still plans to go ahead with their $10billion divestment programme but have cancelled the next tranche of their share buyback programme. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

The Telegraph: Could Big Oil’s well of cash finally dry up?

Mar 19th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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ROBIN PAGNAMENTA: 19 MARCH 2020

It is the biggest company in the FTSE 100 and its largest dividend payer – a cornerstone investment for millions of pension funds around the world.

Royal Dutch Shell has not cut dividend payments to shareholders for more than 70 years but a precipitous plunge in oil prices this month has left chief executive Ben van Beurden facing an agonising choice.

The oil price war launched by Russia and Saudi Arabia on March 9 and fuelled by a collapse in demand linked to coronavirus will damage the entire industry – but some producers are far better positioned than others to survive a lengthy downturn. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Bloomberg: Oil CEOs at Davos debate tougher CO2 cuts as pressure mounts

Jan 22nd, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Javier Blas, Bloomberg

The bosses of some of the world’s biggest oil companies discussed adopting much more ambitious carbon targets at a closed-door meeting in Davos, a sign of how much pressure they’re under from activists and investors to address climate change.

The meeting, part of a World Economic Forum dominated by climate issues, included a debate on widening the industry’s target to include reductions in emissions from the fuels they sell, not just the greenhouse gases produced by their own operations, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Andrew Gould

Jan 2nd, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Extracts from a MySanAntonio.com article: “Oxy shores up board with former Schlumberger CEO”

Occidental Petroleum added to its board of directors Thursday with the appointment of a former chief executive of Schlumberger… Andrew Gould, who previously headed the world’s largest oilfield services firm until 2011…

As for Gould’s background, he led Schlumberger as the chairman and CEO from 2003 to 2011. He then chaired the United Kingdom’s BG Group until 2016 when it was bought by Royal Dutch Shell. The Anadarko sale was the biggest energy deal in the world since the BG deal. Gould is currently a board member with the state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

THE TIMES: Saudis buy Shell stake in refinery

Apr 22nd, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Saudi Arabia’s state oil group has agreed to pay almost £500 million to Royal Dutch Shell to buy it out of an oil refinery joint venture on the Gulf.

Saudi Aramco will buy Shell’s 50 per cent stake in the plant, ending a 30-year joint venture, as it expands its refining and petrochemical operations in a drive to become the world’s largest energy company.

Saudi Aramco is the world’s biggest oil company, pumping more than 10 million barrels per day last year. The acquisition, for $631 million, is due to complete later this year. 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, the Independent Shell Archive, 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 conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.
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