Shell PLC

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 21 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 21 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-094

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXIV: The Foreseeability Test — What Shell and Its Partners Knew Before the Nord Stream 2 Investment Was Written Off

Shell’s own records establish that its final Nord Stream 2 loan instalments were made in the second quarter of 2020. By then, European legislation had changed, the project was facing legal challenges, American sanctions had disrupted construction and Germany’s energy regulator was deciding whether the pipeline qualified for an exemption. A subsequent European court judgment raises an important question: how much of this risk was foreseeable?

Archive reference: SLF-2007-094
Publication date: 21 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-093, The Sakhalin Papers LXXXIII, 20 October 2026
Principal sources: Shell’s 24 April 2017 financing announcement; Shell’s published 2022 financial results; European Parliament proceedings; European Commission and Council records; the German Federal Network Agency’s May 2020 decision; the EU General Court’s November 2024 judgment; Allseas’ December 2019 statement; and contemporaneous Reuters reporting.
Evidence classification: Authenticated corporate disclosures, official legislative and regulatory records, judicial findings, contemporaneous journalism and separately identified editorial analysis. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES — 20 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 20 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-093

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXIII: The Energy Charter Treaty Trap — How a Gazprom-Owned Company Challenged the EU, and Where Shell Fits In

A 2019 arbitration notice, a 192-page investment claim, the European Union’s jurisdictional objections and an extraordinary legal complication: Brussels has now withdrawn from the very treaty under which the case was brought.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-093
Publication date: 20 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: The Sakhalin Papers LXXXII, 19 October 2026
Principal sources: Shell corporate announcements and financial reports; Nord Stream 2 AG’s arbitration notice and memorial; the European Union’s September 2020 jurisdictional memorial; Permanent Court of Arbitration Procedural Order No. 4; EU judicial records; and contemporaneous Reuters reporting.
Evidence classification: Authenticated primary documents; recorded legal allegations and responses; judicial findings; and separately identified editorial commentary. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES — 18 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 18 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-091

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXI: The Pipeline That Refuses to Die — Shell’s Gazprom Partnership, a Former Stasi Officer and the American Plans to Revive Nord Stream

Nine years after Shell helped finance Nord Stream 2, and four years after explosions crippled the Baltic pipelines, an extraordinary new chapter is unfolding. On 8 October 2026, Reuters reported discussions involving senior American and Russian figures about bringing US investors into the Nord Stream infrastructure. The reported participants included Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Vladimir Putin. Germany immediately reiterated its opposition. Then, on 17 October, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak declared that restoring gas supplies through Nord Stream remained technically possible. Behind these developments lies a remarkable documentary trail: Shell’s original 2017 financing agreement, former East German intelligence officer Matthias Warnig’s leadership of Nord Stream 2, American sanctions, a $1.126 billion Shell write-down, Swiss restructuring proceedings and an increasingly complicated battle with European regulators. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES — 17 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 17 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-090

The Sakhalin Papers LXXX: Who Pays for a Dead Pipeline? Shell’s $1.126 Billion Loss, a €579 Million Insurance Defeat and the Battle Over Nord Stream’s Financial Remains

Four years after explosions devastated the Nord Stream pipelines, the financial consequences continue to work their way through European courts. A remarkable judgment delivered by London’s High Court on 6 July 2026 rejected a €579 million insurance claim arising from the destruction of Nord Stream 1. In Switzerland, the operator of Nord Stream 2 has survived threatened bankruptcy through a court-approved agreement with creditors, including the Western energy companies that helped finance its construction. Meanwhile, a German court has refused to allow the pipeline operators to join the criminal prosecution arising from the sabotage as additional complainants. For Shell shareholders, these developments raise an important question: what became of the company’s $1.126 billion Nord Stream 2 financing exposure, written down months before the explosions? 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 Wins Canadian Reserves Disclosure Exemption — Twenty-Two Years After the Scandal That Shook Investor Confidence

16 October 2026 | RoyalDutchShellPlc.com

Shell has obtained permission from Canadian securities regulators to dispense with certain Canadian oil and gas reserves reporting requirements, following its multibillion-dollar acquisition of ARC Resources. Instead, the company will continue using its American securities reporting framework, subject to conditions that include filing the relevant disclosures in Canada. The decision may be a legitimate administrative accommodation for an international company already subject to extensive reporting obligations. But it also raises an important question about the information available to Canadian investors. For Shell, whose 2004 reserves scandal involved the overstatement of 4.47 billion barrels of oil equivalent, any change to reserves reporting deserves careful examination. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES — 16 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 16 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-089

The Sakhalin Papers LXXIX: The Baltic Explosions — Nord Stream’s Destruction, the Ukrainian Connection and the Trial That Could Rewrite the History

Four years after underwater explosions devastated the Nord Stream gas pipelines, a German court has begun hearing a criminal case that may finally establish who carried out one of Europe’s most consequential acts of infrastructure sabotage. On 14 October 2026, a former Ukrainian military officer appeared before the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg, accused of helping organise the operation. German federal prosecutors allege that Ukrainian military personnel acted on instructions from Ukrainian state authorities. Ukraine denies responsibility, and the defendant contests the allegations. The proceedings follow years of competing accusations involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine. For Shell shareholders, however, one authenticated corporate disclosure establishes an important and frequently overlooked fact: Shell had already written down its entire $1.126 billion Nord Stream 2 loan before the explosions occurred. The documentary record now connects the destruction of the pipelines, the international investigations, the subsequent criminal proceedings and Shell’s financial exposure — while leaving the ultimate determination of criminal responsibility to the court. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES: 15 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 15 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-088

The Sakhalin Papers LXXVIII: Washington Enters the Pipeline War — US Sanctions, German Resistance and Shell’s Nord Stream 2 Exposure

Between April 2017 and February 2022, Royal Dutch Shell’s financial participation in Nord Stream 2 became entangled in an escalating confrontation between Washington, Berlin and Moscow. The United States threatened sanctions against companies supporting the Russian gas pipeline. Germany resisted what it regarded as extraterritorial interference in European energy policy. A major offshore contractor abandoned construction work, while the American government subsequently warned that even financing partners could face sanctions. The pipeline was eventually completed, but it never entered commercial service. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany halted its certification, Washington sanctioned the project company, and Shell announced its withdrawal. In May 2022, Shell recognised a $1.126 billion write-down of its Nord Stream 2 loan. Authenticated corporate announcements, American sanctions records, German government statements, European court proceedings and contemporaneous reporting reveal how a commercially ambitious energy project accumulated increasingly visible political and financial risks. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES: 14 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 14 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-087

The Sakhalin Papers LXXVII: Poland Strikes Back — Shell, Gazprom and the PLN 29 Billion Nord Stream 2 Penalty That Collapsed in Court

On 7 October 2020, Poland’s competition authority announced an extraordinary decision against Gazprom and five Western European energy companies, including Royal Dutch Shell. Gazprom was fined more than 29 billion Polish zlotys, while Shell received a separate penalty exceeding PLN 30 million. The regulator also ordered the companies to terminate their agreements financing Nord Stream 2. Poland argued that the companies had effectively recreated a prohibited joint venture through lending arrangements. The companies disagreed and appealed. In November 2022, a Polish court overturned the decision. In October 2023, an appellate court upheld its annulment. The documentary record reveals a remarkable confrontation between European energy strategy, competition law and corporate finance — and demonstrates why regulatory allegations must never be confused with final judicial findings. 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 on Trial: ExxonMobil Faces US Supreme Court Climate Showdown — With Shell Fighting Its Own Battle in the Netherlands

13 October 2026 | RoyalDutchShellPlc.com

Two of the world’s most consequential courts are considering questions that could reshape the legal responsibilities of the fossil fuel industry. In Washington, the US Supreme Court is examining whether communities can pursue climate-damage claims against ExxonMobil and Suncor under state law. In the Netherlands, Shell is defending itself before the Dutch Supreme Court against demands for enforceable greenhouse gas reductions. The proceedings are legally distinct, but they expose the same underlying conflict: how far can courts go in holding major energy companies responsible for their contribution to climate change? 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES: 12 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 12 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-085

The Sakhalin Papers LXXV: From Sakhalin to the Baltic — Shell Joins Gazprom’s Nord Stream 2 Project as Europe Divides

On 4 September 2015, Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden joined Gazprom chairman Alexey Miller and four other European energy companies in signing an agreement to develop Nord Stream 2. The proposed pipelines would double the capacity of the existing Baltic Sea route for Russian gas exports to Germany. Shell described the project as necessary for Europe’s future energy needs. Six days later, the Slovak prime minister publicly condemned the agreement as a betrayal of Ukraine and Slovakia. Within weeks, the European Parliament was raising concerns about energy dependence, security and the political consequences of bypassing established transit countries. The authenticated corporate announcements, contemporary journalism, parliamentary records and subsequent court proceedings reveal how a project promoted as commercial infrastructure became a major geopolitical controversy.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-085
Publication date: 12 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Principal authenticated records: Gazprom and OMV joint corporate announcement, 4 September 2015; European Parliament briefing, 1 October 2015; US Treasury sanctions announcement, 12 September 2014; EU regulatory and judicial records.

Contemporaneous reporting: Reuters, 18 June and 4 September 2015; Associated Press, 10 September 2015; Euractiv, 10 September 2015; Agence Europe, June and October 2015. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES: 10 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 10 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-083

The Sakhalin Papers LXXIII: The Sanctions Paradox — Shell and Gazprom Plan More LNG While Shell Suspends Russian Shale Exploration

On 30 September 2014, just eighteen days after Washington introduced expanded restrictions on Russian energy technology, Ben van Beurden met Gazprom chairman Alexey Miller at Gazprom’s headquarters. The Russian company’s official announcement welcomed the prospect of increasing LNG production at Sakhalin II. But Shell’s subsequent filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission reveals a crucial distinction: during the same year, Western sanctions had already caused Shell to suspend separate Russian shale-exploration activities. The documentary record exposes how Shell attempted to preserve one major Russian investment while restrictions were bringing other parts of its Russian portfolio to a halt.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-083

Collection: The Sakhalin Papers

Principal authenticated records: Gazprom corporate announcement of 30 September 2014; Gazprom–Shell memorandum-roadmap of 23 February 2014; Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2014, filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on 12 March 2015; Gazprom corporate records concerning Sakhalin III.

Contemporaneous reporting: Reuters, 30 September 2013; Argus Media, 1 October 2014; LNG Industry, 1 October 2014; Reuters and Interfax reporting on Shell’s Russian operations during September 2014. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES: 9 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 9 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-082

The Sakhalin Papers LXXII: The Partnership Survives — Shell Returns to Gazprom as Sanctions Tighten

On 23 May 2014, five weeks after Ben van Beurden met Vladimir Putin outside Moscow, Shell’s chief executive met Gazprom chairman Alexey Miller again — this time at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Russia’s annexation of Crimea had already triggered Western sanctions. Yet the two companies were discussing further cooperation, including expansion of Sakhalin II. Within weeks, the United States and European Union would impose much more consequential restrictions on Russian finance and energy technology. Shell’s response was revealing: it would comply with applicable sanctions, but it was not abandoning its Russian business. The surviving corporate records, contemporary reporting and government documents show how the Gazprom partnership continued through the gathering political crisis.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-082

Collection: The Sakhalin Papers

Principal authenticated records: Gazprom corporate announcements of 23 February, 23 May and 30 September 2014; Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2014; US Treasury sanctions announcements of 16 July and 12 September 2014; EU Council Regulation 833/2014.

Contemporaneous reporting: Associated Press, 30 April 2014; Reuters and RIA Novosti, July–September 2014; Interfax, 19 September 2014; UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office report on the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, published 1 June 2014. 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.

Dutch Government Refuses to Reveal What It Knows About Shell Tax Leaks — Citing Tax Secrecy

Parliament asked whether Shell’s leaked transfer-pricing arrangements were known to the Dutch tax authority and whether they complied with the law. The government’s answer, in substance: it cannot say.

“Shell rejects allegations of improper tax avoidance or illegality.”

A fresh Dutch parliamentary response has added an important new layer to the controversy surrounding the Shell Files — the cache of leaked Shell transfer-pricing documents published this summer by SOMO and Follow the Money.

On 5 October 2026, Dutch State Secretary for Finance E. Eerenberg answered a detailed series of parliamentary questions about Shell’s transfer pricing.

The questions went directly to the heart of the affair.

Did the Dutch tax authorities know what Shell was doing?

Were the arrangements arm’s length? 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES: 8 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 8 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-081

The Sakhalin Papers LXXI: Good Friday with Putin — Shell Seeks Kremlin Support as Crimea Sanctions Begin

On 18 April 2014, barely a month after Russia annexed Crimea, Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden travelled to Vladimir Putin’s residence outside Moscow. Western governments had begun imposing sanctions. Diplomatic relations were deteriorating. Yet Shell’s new chief executive was seeking something very different from confrontation: Kremlin support for expanding Sakhalin II and strengthening Shell’s long-term position in Russia. The meeting was recorded in an official Russian presidential transcript, reported by Reuters and Dutch broadcasters, and subsequently explained by van Beurden himself. What makes the episode especially revealing is what happened shortly afterwards. On the same afternoon, Putin authorised the first shipment of Arctic oil from Gazprom’s Prirazlomnaya platform — the installation at the centre of the Arctic 30 controversy examined earlier in this series.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-081
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal authenticated records: Russian Presidential Executive Office transcript, 18 April 2014; Gazprom corporate records, 23 February, 18 April and 23 May 2014; Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2014; US Treasury sanctions announcements, March and April 2014; United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262.
Contemporaneous reporting: Reuters, 18 April 2014; NOS, 18 April 2014; Bloomberg, 18 April 2014; AFP, 18–19 April 2014; Washington Post interview with Ben van Beurden, 10 September 2014.
Judicial context: European Court of Human Rights, Ukraine v. Russia (re Crimea), Grand Chamber judgment of 25 June 2024.
Evidence standard: The meeting, public statements, sanctions chronology and project-development discussions are supported by official records and contemporary reporting. Commentary concerning Shell’s political judgment is distinguished from established fact. No finding is made that Shell breached sanctions or participated in Russia’s actions against Ukraine. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES: 7 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 7 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-080

The Sakhalin Papers LXX: The Third Train — Shell Pushes to Expand the Project It No Longer Controlled

Seven years after Shell surrendered control of Sakhalin II to Gazprom, it was pressing its new majority partner to make the project larger. In September 2013 Shell warned that delay could squander favourable Asian LNG prices. The difficulty was not the existing plant: Sakhalin II was already producing above its original design capacity. The problem was finding enough additional gas. Shell pointed toward Gazprom’s neighbouring Sakhalin III resources. In December, Peter Voser and incoming chief executive Ben van Beurden agreed with Gazprom to advance engineering work. On 23 February 2014, van Beurden and Alexey Miller signed the roadmap in Sochi. Shell no longer controlled Sakhalin II. But it plainly still regarded the project as something worth expanding.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-080; Collection: The Sakhalin Papers; Principal authenticated records: Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2014; Gazprom corporate records dated 23 October and 23 December 2013 and 23 February 2014; Contemporaneous reporting: Reuters, 30 September 2013; Later corroborating record: Gazprom’s subsequent account of the proposed third train and its intended Sakhalin III feed gas; Evidence standard: preparation of FEED documentation is distinguished throughout from a final investment decision or authorisation to construct the third train. No court or arbitral ruling identified for this instalment adjudicated the commercial merits of the expansion proposal. 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 SHELL LEAKS FILES: 5 OCTOBER 2026

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 5 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-078

The Sakhalin Papers LXVIII: From Siberia to the Arctic — Shell Takes the Gazprom Partnership Into Russia’s New Frontier

Forty days after Shell announced that it would pause its Alaskan Arctic drilling programme following the troubled 2012 season, Royal Dutch Shell chairman Jorma Ollila sat in Amsterdam with Gazprom chief Alexey Miller and signed a memorandum for cooperation on Russia’s Arctic shelf. Vladimir Putin and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte were present. A parallel Shell–Gazprom Neft agreement targeted liquids-rich shale in Western Siberia. Shell had not abandoned its Arctic strategy after the grounding of the Kulluk. It had begun pursuing another Arctic frontier — this time through the Russian state company that had taken control of Sakhalin II.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-078
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers
Principal authenticated records: Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F 2013; Gazprom corporate chronology and April 2013 corporate record; US Department of the Interior assessment of Shell’s 2012 Arctic operations; National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the Kulluk grounding
Court record: Shell Offshore, Inc. v. Greenpeace, Inc., 709 F.3d 1281 (9th Cir. 2013)
Contemporaneous reporting: UPI; RIA Novosti reporting; Daily Telegraph reporting preserved in the Donovan archive
Evidence standard: The Alaska pause, Kulluk grounding, US government review, April 2013 Gazprom–Shell memorandum and parallel shale agreement are established documentary facts. The Russian agreement is treated as a framework for potential cooperation, not as evidence that specific Arctic fields were awarded to Shell or that production was authorised. The proximity in time between the Alaska setbacks and the Russian agreement is established; any proposition that the Russian Arctic was a direct replacement for Alaska remains commentary rather than documented Shell policy. 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.