Prelude will not resume full production this year, says Shell
Article by Adam Duckett: 21st October 2020
SHELL has said its huge floating LNG production plant – the Prelude FLNG facility – is not expected to resume full production this year, following a troubled start for the pioneering facility.
Production aboard Prelude – which at 488 m long is the largest ship ever built – was halted in February after an electrical trip and it has not resumed. This fault followed, though was not linked to, an order from Australia’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) for Shell to revise its safety management system.read more
Over the last 5 years, Chevron has consistently outperformed Shell.
On financial metrics, Chevron looks much better than Shell.
Shell’s share count goes up, Chevron’s goes down.
Chevron’s dividend continues to go up while Shell cuts its dividend.
Shell’s zero-emission goals will limit profit potential.
According to Seeking Alpha (see here), Chevron (CVX) has replaced Exxon (XOM) as the largest oil company by MV (Market Value). In many ways, this is more a race to the bottom than a race to the top with CVX falling 39% YTD while XOM is falling 52%.
Another oil company in the doldrums is Shell (RDS.A) (RDS.B) whose price has fallen by 56%.
Trade union Unite said it understood Shell was intending to axe 63 out of 77 contractor jobs at the Fife NGL Plant and that this could put lives at risk.
Shell has disputed the union’s claims of an 80% cut in workforce, insisting the safety of its plants was “paramount” and would not be compromised.
Posts under threat are said to include scaffold inspectors and supervisors, riggers and rigging supervisors, forklift drivers, general assistants and mechanical supervisors.read more
SHELL have come under fire after denying union claims of huge job cuts at two of its plants raising ‘critical’ safety concerns – that were later confirmed.
Details seen by the Herald confirm Unite concerns that proposals affecting the energy giant’s Northern Systems and Plants (NSP) operations in Fife and Aberdeenshire would result in 63 out of 77 Kaefer jobs being axed at the Mossmorran plant with a further 46 out of 52 jobs being proposed for redundancy at St Fergus.read more
A shift to renewables and the rise of green energy giants means the future for former fossil fuel titans is far from certain, writes Rachel Millard
Tuesday 20 October 2020 The Daily Telegraph
EXTRACTS
It was the early days of 2015 when Shell’s chief executive Ben van Beurden ascended the stage of the InterContinental Hotel on London’s Park Lane with a stirring message for his industry peers amid strengthening global action on carbon emissions.read more
With the crude oil price stagnating around $40 for the past few months and no solution to Covid-19 yet in sight, investing in oil is a risky business and oil companies are out of favour with investors.
Premier Oil is merging with Chrysaor, and rumours abound that Tullow Oil might be next in line for a takeover. No less than 36 US oil and gas companies had declared bankruptcy by August. But with pressure piling on, even the majors are in trouble and as both Royal DutchShell (LSE:RDSB) and (LSE:BP) appear to be struggling, could a merger be on the cards?read more
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L said on Thursday its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project off Australia, off line since early February, is working on restarting operations but would not resume full production this year.
The troubled Prelude FLNG platform was shut down following an electrical trip and Shell has faced a number of issues over the past few months in trying to restart full production and now does not expect to ship any LNG before next year.read more
US Firm Funding Nigeria Litigation Against Eni and Shell
Shell and Eni have been on trial in Milan since 2018.
by Bloomberg | William Clowes & Alberto Brambilla | Wednesday, October 14, 2020
(Bloomberg) — Eni SpA is seeking documents from a U.S. investment firm helping Nigeria sue it and Royal Dutch Shell Plc for more than $1 billion over an energy deal at the center of a criminal corruption trial.
Eni claims that “undisclosed interests” are driving the Nigerian government’s litigation strategy “at the expense of Eni’s contractual rights and the national interest of Nigeria.” The Italian oil company wants permission to subpoena information from the investment firm, Drumcliffe Partners LLC, to help its defense in the corruption trial in Milan, which Nigeria has joined as a civil party.read more
Shell’s Pennsylvania Ethane Cracker Completes 70% Construction
Zacks Equity Research
Royal Dutch Shell plc. (RDS.A – Free Report) said that its petrochemical complex of several billion dollars in Western Pennsylvania is about 70% complete and in the process to enter service in the early 2020s. The news was disclosed by Hilary Mercer, vice president of Shell Polymers via an online presentation at Shale Insight 2020 conference.
Currently under construction, the plant is in Beaver County, about 48 km northwest of Pittsburgh, and will be self-sustained with its natural gas power plant and water treatment facility. The plant’s costs are estimated to be $6-$10 billion, where ethane will be transformed into plastic feedstock. The facility is equipped to produce 1.5 million metric tons per year (“mmty”) of ethylene and 1.6 mmty of polyethylene, two important constituents of plastics.read more
Work is being carried out to remove “attic oil” from the Brent Bravo installation – which has been the subject of widespread environmental concerns – after Shell estimated none was there.
Shell said in documents published in 2017 and 2018 it believed Bravo had “zero” volumes of the free-flowing oil in its legs, however Enpro Subsea has now been carrying out work to remove it.read more
Featured below are extracts from negative customer reviews about Shell Energy posted over the past 4 days on Trustpilot. Visit the Shell Energy page on Trustpilot to view all reviews in their entirety, positive and negative (and Shell Energy responses). Watch out for any fake reviews. Note the reoccurring themes in the negative reviews, including difficulty in communicating with the company. This article posted on 14 Oct 2020.
Completely dysfunctional customer phone system, it doesn’t matter whether you dial in yourself and carefully follow the menus and enter all your details perfectly, you’ll end up in the wrong place and be transferred multiple times before giving up after 30 wasted minutes. One Customer Services Rep I spoke to sounded utterly defeated saying it’s been a difficult place to work the last few months. I’m attempting to cancel my switch to Shell Energy because of this, currently queue number 100 in the online chat, wish me luck…read more
OPL 245, an offshore field awarded to the two oil companies in 2011, is the subject of multiple court cases worldwide, including a criminal case in Milan in which the Nigerian government alleges roughly $1.1 billion of payments from the companies was siphoned to politicians and middlemen.
Eni seeks World Bank arbitration in Nigeria oilfield dispute
MILAN/LAGOS (Reuters) – Eni ENI.MI has filed a request for arbitration against Nigeria at the World Bank’s dispute settlement body and plans to argue that the country’s failure to allow it to exploit an oilfield it acquired with Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L nearly a decade ago breaches their investment agreement, court documents show.
OPL 245, an offshore field awarded to the two oil companies in 2011, is the subject of multiple court cases worldwide, including a criminal case in Milan in which the Nigerian government alleges roughly $1.1 billion of payments from the companies was siphoned to politicians and middlemen. Shell and Eni have denied any wrongdoing.read more
By Julian Lee | Bloomberg: Oct. 11, 2020 at 1:54 p.m. GMT+1
Covid-19 may do for Big Oil what the Chicxulub asteroid did for the dinosaurs when it struck Earth 66 million years ago.
BP Plc plans to cut 10,000 jobs, equivalent to 14% of its workforce; Shell will shed 9,000 workers, or 11%; and Chevron will reduce its payroll by 6,000, a 13% reduction.
Much like the “terrible lizards,” Big Oil was already in decline before the novel coronavirus hit. The world in which they thrived is changing around them and they face multiple threats to their future health. But the outbreak’s impact has accelerated the process.read more
Shell Plans to Cut Thousands of Jobs Amid Shift to Carbon Neutrality: What Investors Need to Know
Shell’s job cuts are just the latest unsettling news for Wall Street’s least-loved oil major (shares of Shell are down more than any other integrated oil and gas company so far this year).
The case for why the job cuts are the right decision for investors.
To say it’s been an off-year for big oil would be an understatement. Shockwaves of volatility and lower energy demand have rippled through global markets. An added threat is the increasing role of renewables in the energy mix as wind and solar companies continue to gain market share — and oil companies lose it.read more
Listen and read proof in audio and transcript form of Shell CEO Ben van Beurden’s cover-up tactics in the OPL 245 Nigerian corruption scandal. The instruction given by him in the covertly recorded call to CFO Simon Henry was at odds with Shell’s claimed core business principles. Cover-up and obstruction, instead of transparency and integrity, says Shell critic John Donovan
SHELL EXECUTIVES AT THE CENTER OF A SCHEME TO STEAL $1.3 BILLION FROM NIGERIA’S PEOPLE
SHELL ADMITS DEALING WITH NIGERIAN MONEY LAUNDERER – BBC NEWS
SHELL, ENI AND NIGERIAN OFFICIALS IN OPL 245 CORRUPTION SCANDAL
INVESTIGATION OF OPL 245 NIGERIAN OIL CORRUPTION SCANDAL
SHELL KILLS FOR OIL IN NIGERIA
ESTHER KIOBEL SUES SHELL FOR COMPLICITY IN HUSBANDS MURDER
ESTHER KIOBEL: EVIL OIL GIANT SHELL COLLUDED IN THE EXECUTION OF MY INNOCENT HUSBAND
SHELL LIED ABOUT CLEANING UP OIL IN NIGER DELTA
SHELL SPIES INFILTRATED NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT
DUTCH EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BY SHELL/EXXON
LEGO DROPS SHELL OVER GREENPEACE OIL SPILL VIDEO
SHELL ARCTIC DRILLING ACCIDENTS
SHELL KNEW ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE DECADES AGO
JOHN DONOVAN TV DOCUMENTARY INTERVIEW
ABANDONED BY SHELL: KEITH MACDONALD & FAMILY, VICTIMS OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION AT WORK
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL FOUNDER SIR HENRI DETERDING, NAZI FINANCIER
JOHN DONOVAN PROMOTIONAL GAMES FOR SHELL AND OTHER CLIENTS
AN OPEN WOUND FOR SHELL SAYS FT
John Donovan’s ebooks
EBOOK TITLE: “SIR HENRI DETERDING AND THE NAZI HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON EBOOK TITLE: “JOHN DONOVAN, SHELL’S NIGHTMARE: MY EPIC FEUD WITH THE UNSCRUPULOUS OIL GIANT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. EBOOK TITLE: “TOXIC FACTS ABOUT SHELL REMOVED FROM WIKIPEDIA: HOW SHELL BECAME THE MOST HATED BRAND IN THE WORLD” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
USA USA USA: If Prelude is planning to complete a swivel swap out or repair, it is at least 3 months of work. But that is for a typical NS FPSO, the massive Prelude unit is one of a kind. And no spares were manufactured with 2 production paths. (Operating one at temporary high rates could be done.) Based on the news reports it sounds like both production swivels have failed or have leakage into the secondary containment system. Possibly due to the delays in operation? But this is just one piece of the puzzle. Putting the entire upstream processing facility, gas conditioning, liquefaction, storage and export on one site is just asking for problems. You can not comply with NFPA 59A separation distances...
Wonder if the Shell Australia Chairman is still pleased with the “progress being made”.
Being pleased with mediocre performance is not the Shell I used to work for.
Bill
Bogus Group: https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/271096/petrofac-new-ceo-asfari-retire/
The revolving door continues to spin, BG Group / Shell ‘executive’ demonstrates cronyism is alive and flourishing. Yes, this was the COO that believed corporate projects could be controlled under (what was eventually validated to be flawed) the Value Assurance process, while he sampled corporate hospitality and champagne at Wimbledon.
Cash all Gone: Looking at the senior executive org charts revealed last week, seems there is not a lot of “Reshape” at that level... Looks like the worker bees will be sacrificed again...
PRELUDE: Looks like Stacey Orlandi never stays long enough in one job for very long. I suppose long enough to be seen and then off to the next one. I wonder what she left behind for others to clear up? Neither did Walter or Malcolm and see where that got us.
The point I find difficult to swallow is her role as Refinery Manager. After two years in procurement in an office somewhere she spends a year as a production Manager and then become THE refinery manager of the Cherry Point Refinery, capable of refining 250k barrels a day plus converting Diesel from biomass etc, a large and complex plant.
Perhaps I guess she was one of a number of under-managers or if not perhaps she can convert water into wine.
Anyway, we shall see.
Bonus Group: Bogus Group, hopefully the Executives will be 'executed' and we will be saying 'goodbye' to these worthless, low integrity, sociopaths to whom probity is alien.
Bogus Group: Does the statement “It is very painful to know that you will end up saying goodbye to quite a few good people. I know I, and many others in Shell, will be saying goodbye to people we know well and really like and who have great loyalty to the company” mean that executives will be saying goodbye to good people, or good people will be saying goodbye to executives?
Bonus Group: USA USA USA. BG Group was an Internet Cafe and Cappuccino Lifestyle company that could not get its ducks lined up in a row for the simple reason that it didn't know what a duck is. In consequence, its goose was cooked.
Prelude will not resume full production this year, says Shell
Shell’s plans to slash maintenance staff at Mossmorran would put lives at risk warns union
A shift to renewables and the rise of green energy giants means the future for former fossil fuel titans is far from certain, writes Rachel Millard
Work is being carried out to remove “attic oil” from the Brent Bravo installation – which has been the subject of widespread environmental concerns – after Shell estimated none was there.
EBOOK TITLE: “SIR HENRI DETERDING AND THE NAZI HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
EBOOK TITLE: “JOHN DONOVAN, SHELL’S NIGHTMARE: MY EPIC FEUD WITH THE UNSCRUPULOUS OIL GIANT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
EBOOK TITLE: “TOXIC FACTS ABOUT SHELL REMOVED FROM WIKIPEDIA: HOW SHELL BECAME THE MOST HATED BRAND IN THE WORLD” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
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