THE SHELL LEAKS FILES

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 29 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 29th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

SLF-2007-102

The Sakhalin Papers XCII: The Russian Exit — Shell’s 28 February 2022 Announcement and the Financial Reckoning

Four days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Shell announced that it would withdraw from its major Russian joint ventures and end its involvement in Nord Stream 2. The decision brought an extraordinary chapter in the company’s history towards its conclusion. The financial consequences were immediate: a $1.614 billion impairment relating to Sakhalin II, a $1.126 billion write-down of its Nord Stream 2 loan and billions more in Russia-related charges. Yet Shell’s subsequent accounts reveal that the withdrawal was neither instantaneous nor complete. The original corporate announcements, SEC filings and contemporaneous reporting establish precisely what happened — and why the consequences remained unresolved years later.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-102
Publication date: 29 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-101, The Sakhalin Papers XCI, 28 October 2026

Principal authenticated records: Shell plc announcement of 28 February 2022; Shell’s Nord Stream 2 financing announcement of 24 April 2017; Shell’s operational update of 7 April 2022; first-quarter financial results of 5 May 2022; Shell Annual Report and Form 20-F 2022; Shell Annual Report and Form 20-F 2025, filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on 12 March 2026. 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 — 28 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 28th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 28 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-101

The Sakhalin Papers XCI: The Security Report Withdrawn — How Germany’s October 2021 Approval Became a February 2022 Reversal

In October 2021, Germany’s economy ministry concluded that certifying Nord Stream 2 would not endanger European gas supplies. Its 54-page assessment acknowledged Russian state control of Gazprom, previous supply interruptions and objections from Poland and Ukraine. Four months later, Germany withdrew the assessment. The original document, subsequently released to the public, reveals what officials believed about Russian gas dependence before the invasion of Ukraine — and why the distinction between commercial infrastructure and geopolitical risk became so consequential for Shell’s investment.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-101
Publication date: 28 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-100, The Sakhalin Papers XC, 27 October 2026

Principal sources: German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Security-of-Supply Assessment dated 26 October 2021; the ministry’s announcement dated 22 February 2022; Bundesnetzagentur certification proceedings BK7-21-056; Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine correspondence dated December 2021; the German-American joint statement of 21 July 2021; Court of Justice of the European Union judgment C-848/19 P; Shell’s original 2017 financing announcement; Shell’s announcement dated 28 February 2022; and Shell’s financial statements filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. 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 — 27 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 27th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 27 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-100

The Sakhalin Papers XC: Built but Not Approved — Germany’s November 2021 Decision and the Regulatory Battle Over Nord Stream 2

On 26 October 2021, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs concluded that certifying Nord Stream 2 would not endanger German or European gas supplies. Just three weeks later, Germany’s energy regulator suspended certification of the pipeline’s operator. The original government records reveal that these were not contradictory decisions: they concerned different legal requirements. Meanwhile, Polish and Ukrainian energy companies had been admitted to the proceedings, raising objections to Gazprom’s control of the project. The documentary trail shows how a completed pipeline, backed by almost €9.5 billion in planned investment, remained unable to begin commercial operations — and how Shell’s substantial financing ultimately became a $1.126 billion write-down.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-100
Publication date: 27 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-099, The Sakhalin Papers LXXXIX, 26 October 2026

Principal sources: German Federal Network Agency certification proceedings, Case BK7-21-056; German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs security-of-supply assessment dated 26 October 2021; original German regulatory announcement of 16 November 2021; Polish PGNiG and Ukrainian Naftogaz corporate statements; contemporaneous Reuters reporting; German Energy Industry Act; Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court proceedings; European General Court judgment of 27 November 2024; and Shell’s authenticated financial disclosures filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. 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 — 26 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 26th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 26 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-099

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXIX: The Certificate That Never Came — How US Sanctions Forced DNV GL Out of Nord Stream 2

On 4 January 2021, one of the world’s leading independent technical assurance companies announced that it was withdrawing from Nord Stream 2. Norway-based DNV GL had been engaged to verify the pipeline’s safety and technical integrity. New American sanctions legislation meant it could no longer complete that work or issue the intended certificate. Yet a subsequent Danish government announcement reveals an important qualification: by October 2021, one of the pipeline’s two lines had satisfied Denmark’s certification-related conditions. The authenticated corporate disclosures, US legislation, Danish regulatory records and German judicial proceedings reveal how Nord Stream 2 encountered successive obstacles even after physical construction was completed.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-099
Publication date: 26 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-098, The Sakhalin Papers LXXXVIII, 25 October 2026

Principal sources: DNV GL’s statements reported by S&P Global and EUobserver on 4–5 January 2021; the US National Defense Authorization Act enacted on 1 January 2021; Danish Energy Agency decisions dated 30 October 2019, 1 October 2020 and 4 October 2021; Nord Stream 2’s construction records; the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court’s decision of 25 August 2021; German Federal Network Agency records; Shell’s authenticated April 2017 financing announcement; and Shell’s financial disclosures filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. 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 — 25 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 25th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 25 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-098

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXVIII: The Thirty-Day Exit — Washington’s October 2020 Sanctions Ultimatum and the Companies Caught Between Two Legal Systems

On 20 October 2020, the United States gave companies supporting Nord Stream 2 a sharply defined choice: end certain activities within 30 days or face potential sanctions. The warning extended to businesses supplying equipment, facilities and services to the vessels needed to complete the Russian gas pipeline. An examination of the original Federal Register notice, Shell’s financial disclosures, German parliamentary records and contemporaneous reporting reveals how Washington used an expansive interpretation of existing legislation to intensify pressure on a project already facing serious regulatory and political difficulties.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-098
Publication date: 25 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-097, The Sakhalin Papers LXXXVII, 24 October 2026
Principal sources: US Department of State Public Notice 11236; Federal Register, 5 November 2020; Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act of 2019; German Bundestag parliamentary records; European External Action Service statements; Shell’s authenticated April 2017 financing announcement; Shell’s 2022 Annual Report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission; contemporary S&P Global and Reuters reporting; and subsequent US government sanctions records. 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 — 24 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 24th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 24 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-097

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXVII: The Port Under Threat — Washington’s Warning of Crushing Sanctions Against a German Harbour

On 5 August 2020, three American senators sent an extraordinary letter to the operators of Mukran Port on Germany’s Baltic coast. The warning extended beyond the port company to its directors, shareholders and employees. The senators threatened devastating financial consequences unless the port stopped supporting Nord Stream 2. The original correspondence, American sanctions legislation, German parliamentary records and contemporaneous reporting reveal an important distinction: the threat was genuine, but some of the powers invoked had not yet been enacted into law.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-097
Publication date: 24 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-096, The Sakhalin Papers LXXXVI, 23 October 2026
Principal sources: Original letter dated 5 August 2020 from US Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Ron Johnson; Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act of 2019; CAATSA Section 232; US Department of State sanctions guidance; Shell’s authenticated April 2017 financing announcement; contemporaneous Associated Press, Reuters and German reporting; German Bundestag parliamentary records; the German government’s response of October 2020; subsequent US sanctions announcements; and European judicial records concerning the separate regulatory dispute.
Evidence classification: Authenticated correspondence, enacted legislation, official government records, corporate disclosures, contemporaneous journalism, judicial context 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 — 23 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 23rd, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 23 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-096

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXVI: The Grandfathering Gamble — How Washington Changed the Rules for Nord Stream 2’s European Financiers

On 15 July 2020, the United States removed a crucial protection previously afforded to financing agreements signed before August 2017. Shell and four European energy companies had entered their Nord Stream 2 agreements in April 2017. The original American guidance had appeared to place those agreements outside the intended sanctions regime. Three years later, Washington changed its approach. The authenticated US government notice, Shell’s financial disclosures, Uniper’s contemporary warnings and a revealing statement from Wintershall Dea show how a major international financing arrangement became entangled in an escalating dispute between Washington and Europe.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-096
Publication date: 23 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-095, The Sakhalin Papers LXXXV, 22 October 2026
Principal sources: Royal Dutch Shell’s April 2017 financing announcement; the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017; US Department of State guidance effective 15 July 2020 and published in the Federal Register on 23 July 2020; Uniper’s 2020 Half-Year Interim Report; Wintershall Dea’s 2020 Annual Report; Shell’s 2022 financial disclosures; contemporaneous Reuters reporting; the European External Action Service’s statement of 17 July 2020; and the European General Court’s judgment of 27 November 2024. 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 — 22 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 22nd, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 22 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-095

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXV: The Warning Already in Print — Uniper’s August 2020 Loan Alarm and the Road to Shell’s Billion-Dollar Write-Down

Six years ago, RoyalDutchShellPlc.com published a Reuters warning about the possibility of financial losses on Nord Stream 2. Newly examined corporate reports show that one of Shell’s European financing partners had formally identified the risk even earlier. By 2022, both companies had written down substantial loans. The documentary question is not whether the warning existed, but what it established at the time.

Archive reference: SLF-2007-095
Publication date: 22 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: SLF-2007-094, The Sakhalin Papers LXXXIV, 21 October 2026
Principal sources: Shell corporate financing announcements and financial disclosures; Uniper’s 2019 Annual Report and 2020 Half-Year Interim Report; OMV’s July 2020 financial report; Reuters reporting published on 11 August 2020; official United States sanctions guidance; the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court’s judgment of 25 August 2021; and Fortum’s March 2022 corporate announcement.
Evidence classification: Authenticated corporate records, contemporaneous journalism, official government guidance, 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 — 21 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 21st, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

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

Oct 20th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

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 — 19 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 19th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 19 OCTOBER 2026

SLF-2007-092

The Sakhalin Papers LXXXII: Gazprom’s Pipeline Takes Europe to Court — The Energy Charter Treaty, Secretive Arbitration and the Battle Over Billions

An investment dispute begun in 2019, a European court defeat, sanctions that interrupted the arbitration itself, and an extraordinary January 2026 order questioning the European Union’s explanations

Archive reference: SLF-2007-092
Publication date: 19 October 2026
Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia
Previous instalment: The Shell Leaks Files — 18 October 2026
Principal evidence: Shell’s authenticated 2017 financing announcement and 2022 financial disclosures; Permanent Court of Arbitration Case No. 2020-07; Procedural Orders Nos. 18 and 19; European Union legislation; General Court judgments; and official records of subsequent legal proceedings.
Evidence classification: Authenticated corporate records, legislation and judicial decisions; documented submissions by opposing parties; independent legal reporting; 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 — 18 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 18th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

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

Oct 17th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

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.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 16 OCTOBER 2026

Oct 16th, 2026
by John Donovan.
No comments yet

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

Oct 15th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

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

Oct 14th, 2026
by John Donovan.
Comments are off for this post

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.
← Earlier Posts