Alonso is being accused of non-compliance with her duties and functions as head of the AO for allegedly covering up infractions by former Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren, accused of malfeasance and conflict of interest for signing deals that benefited Grupo Royal Dutch Shell PLC oil company.

Dec 20, 2019: Global Americans and the Canadian Council for the Americas present “Two Gringos with Questions,” an interview series featuring political and cultural leaders from across the Americas. In episode 26, Chris and Ken speak to Laura Alonso, former head of Argentina’s Anti-Corruption Office (AO) and Secretary of Public Ethics, Transparency and Fight Against Corruption under President Mauricio Macri’s administration (2015-2019).

Hosts Chris and Ken speak to Alonso about her anti-corruption efforts, the future of Argentina and the recent attacks against her work and the AO by Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. On top of these attacks, Alonso is being accused of non-compliance with her duties and functions as head of the AO for allegedly covering up infractions by former Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren, accused of malfeasance and conflict of interest for signing deals that benefited Grupo Royal Dutch Shell PLC oil company. read more

Worker dies and two more injured at Shell Buenos Aires refinery fire

(SCREENSHOT – NOT A WORKING VIDEO)

16 November 2018

Passing this on from Argentinian colleagues: one worker has died and two more were hospitalised with injuries after a fire at Shell’s Dock Sud refinery near Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Sunday. (Video of fire here.) 

The historic Dock Sud refinery was commissioned in 1931 and last year Shell passed on ownership to its 50% controlled Brazilian subsidiary Raizen. The fire started last Sunday in a sector of the refinery that was closed for repairs, where the three injured workers were soldering. Two were able to escape the fire themselves and the third was discovered by colleagues who began fighting the fire, according to trade union outlet Prensa Obrera. He died in hospital the day after. The story has been reported in a couple of small outlets in Argentina but not anywhere else.

Translated article

TRAGIC FIRE AT SHELL

On Sunday, 11 November, at about 11 am, a fire broke out in the CD3 sector of the Raízen refinery (acquired just a few months ago from the multinational Shell) in Dock sud, Avellaneda party with a tragic balance of a deceased worker and several injured.

During the course of the morning, in the sector HV2 (high vacuum 2) also occurred a fire, in smaller scale, but that seemed to be portent of what would come next.

The episode took place at the plant called CD3, a sector subject to “plant shutdown”, an exercise planned for the restructuring and commissioning of said complex. There they were working on different companies, including Raízen (Shell), Hidrocinetic S.A., Velo S.A. (last two, outsourced under the UOCRA agreement). The fire was caused by the absolute negligence of the employer, responsible for a large number of anomalies and deficiencies in the work processes. read more

Shell said that it was selling its downstream business in ­Argentina, which includes 645 petrol stationsMARCOS BRINDICCI/REUTERS

Emily Gosden: April 25. 2018

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to offload its refining and marketing business in Argentina to its Brazilian joint venture for $950 million.

In the latest stage of a $30 billion divestment programme, the Anglo-Dutch energy group said that it was selling its downstream business in Argentina, which includes a refinery in Buenos Aires, 645 petrol stations and operations selling liquefied petroleum gas, marine and aviation fuels. read more

The Dutch supermajor is selling off everything from its retail stations to a refinery in Argentina, but won’t give up its stake on the Vaca Muerta shale.

By Daniel J. Graeber: April 24, 2018

April 24 (UPI) — The Vaca Muerta shale formation in Argentina has substantial growth potential remaining, Shell said Tuesday after it unloaded its downstream business.

For close to $1 billion in cash, Royal Dutch Shell said it was selling off everything from its retail service stations to its refinery in Buenos Aires to Raízen, the third largest energy company in Brazil. After the close, Shell will still have a footprint in the downstream, or refinery side, of the energy sector in Argentina. read more

Shale oil declines 35-50% per year. You need to keep drilling faster and faster until you go bust…..

And when the costs are high and returns are marginal, corners will be cut and other problems start. Polluted aquifers, operators going bust so who will clean up the mess?

US shale oil will keep prices low – will it ??

Give this 5 mins – it’s fun.

Excellent website link below, with great interactive charts on how the shale wells in US are doing.

These were supposed to keep the oil price low remember? read more

Shell estimates annual Argentina investment of $300 million through 2020

Thu Sep 29, 2016 | 8:50pm BS

Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) plans to invest $300 million a year in Argentina through 2020 in exploration as well as refining, distribution and marketing, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

The announcement came after Shell Chief Executive Ben van Beurden met with Argentine President Mauricio Macri in Buenos Aires. Shell has been working to launch an early production well in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale reserves.

(Reporting by Juliana Castilla; Writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Peter Cooney) read more

OPEC decision on daily oil output freeze to have no impact on Shell’s strategy

September 29, 2016

Baku-APA. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) agreement to freeze daily oil output will not affect Royal Dutch Shell ‘s current strategy, a spokesman for one of the world’s largest oil companies told Sputnik on Thursday, APA reports quoting Sputnik.

On Wednesday, OPEC oil producing countries agreed a preliminary deal on the sidelines of an international energy forum in Algiers, Algeria. The output ceiling was set at 32.5-33 million barrels a day for the whole cartel.  read more

By Carolina Millan: September 13, 2016

Tax declarations show he owns $1 million worth of Shell shares

Aranguren was chief executive officer of Shell Argentina

Argentina’s Energy and Mining Minister, Juan Jose Aranguren, has sold his shares of Royal Dutch Shell Plc following criticism from anti-graft authorities, President Mauricio Macri said.

Aranguren, formerly the chief executive officer of Shell Argentina, sold his shares in the company, Macri said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. Earlier, the minister was excused from all dealings with Shell in Argentina, according to a decree published in the official gazette. The minister, who owned $16 million pesos ($1 million) shares in the company according to reports of his tax documents for 2015, received a non-binding recommendation on Monday from the anti-graft office to sell his stock. read more

By ASSOCIATED PRESS: PUBLISHED: 20:54, 12 September 2016 

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s anti-corruption office is asking the country’s energy minister to sell his stock in Royal Dutch Shell, where he was an executive of the local branch.

Juan Jose Aranguren became energy minister in December. He has faced growing criticism for continuing to own a reported $1.1 million in Shell’s class A shares.

The head of Argentina’s anti-corruption office said Monday that Aranguren should get rid of his stock or set up a blind trust to handle his finances. read more

Sep 8 2016, 08:38 ET | By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) is considering selling ~600 gas stations in Argentina as part of a strategic review of its downstream assets in the country, Business Times reports.

Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said at a conference in New York yesterday that the company is in the middle of a strategic review of its downstream assets in Argentina as part of a $30B divestment program.

Shell has market share of 19% in Argentina for gas stations, making it the second biggest seller after state-owned YPF. read more

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell is evaluating whether to sell part of its assets in Argentina, the company said yesterday.

According to Executive President Ben van Beurden, refineries, transporting and distribution assets in the country could be put up for sale as part of a massive global disvestment programme worth an estimate US$30 billion. The move amounts to a massive revision of the firm’s “downstream” services, van Beurden said during a conference in New York. read more

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Energy giant Shell is already expanding its business in the sector’s marquee Vaca Muerta formation, echoing other private firms who have gained traction in the country’s oil sector following President Mauricio Macri’s arrival in office six months ago.

But each of Shell’s positive announcements in the country come with an almost automatic question mark — addressing the company’s relationship with its previous CEO and current Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren. read more

Thursday, June 9, 2016

The sworn declarations of the assets belonging to the officials of the Mauricio Macri presidency (presented last Thursday at the Anti-Corruption Office) reveal varying degrees of wealth among a total of of over 430 million pesos but no item had more impact than the 16 million pesos worth of shares retained in Shell by Energy and Mining Minister Juan José Aranguren because it also represents a conflict of interest.

But Aranguren (with a 38-year career in Shell, whose local branch he headed for 12 years until last December when he joined Macri’s Cabinet) has no plans to shed the shares. Ministry spokesmen hastened to defend the situation of controlling the oil industry while owning shares in one of its companies by arguing: “The only restriction imposed by the law is that the minister cannot take specific decisions concerning Shell as a company previously employing him.” read more

By Eduardo J. Vior

While Royal Dutch Shell PLC has announced ten days ago an annual drop of its global sales in the first quarter by 83%, its Argentine subsidiary is filling the pockets of its mother company and the Dutch crown with the help of Energy Minister José Luis Aranguren. Since his appointment by President Mauricio Macri at last 10^th December, Mr. Aranguren, Shell Argentina CEO from 2003 to 2015, and 2009-15 with downstream responsibility for the whole of South America, pursuits a policy which extremely benefits his company, and sows hatred and resentment. read more

Dear John,

It has taken some time to send you my promised request for information, but I’m now fulfilling my commitment. 

I’m an Argentinian independent journalist. Usually, I write on international Politics, and in this job I regularly check your site. In recent times, however, I note the absence of references to the enormous political engagement of Shell in the new Argentinian government.

Usually, I write on international Politics, and in this job I regularly check your site. In recent times, however, I note the absence of references to the enormous political engagement of Shell in the new Argentinian government. read more

Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Argentine unit was accused of conspiring against the country’s interests by Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich after the oil producer increased fuel prices following a devaluation of the peso. “Shell’s attitude and the one from its highest executive is conspiratorial and against the interests of the country,” Capitanich told reporters this morning in Buenos Aires. “The only explanation for this behavior is greediness.”

By Pablo Gonzalez Feb 3, 2014 7:08 PM GMT

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA)’s Argentine unit was accused of conspiring against the country’s interests by Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich after the oil producer increased fuel prices following a devaluation of the peso.

Shell boosted prices an average 12 percent at its service stations, which represent 18 percent of the Argentine market, the company said in an e-mailed statement published by local newspapers today. The company’s previous price increase of 6.8 percent was on Jan. 2, before Argentina moved to weaken the peso 15 percent from Jan. 22 to Jan. 23, the largest drop since 2002. read more