Chevron

Shell Eyes Venezuela’s Oil Jackpot: Climate Promises Take Another Holiday

Just when you thought the world’s biggest oil companies might slow down their hunt for new fossil-fuel frontiers, along comes Venezuela — the planet’s largest untapped oil treasure chest — and suddenly climate pledges look suspiciously like optional extras.

According to fresh reports, Chevron and Shell are moving closer to major oil and gas agreements in Venezuela, marking the first large-scale deals since the country’s political upheaval and reopening of its energy sector to foreign investment.  read more

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Perplexity: 20 Global Companies with the Most Controversial Histories (Shell is number 3)

Created by Perplexity: Here is a 20‑company ranking, extending the logic and criteria of the original article (severity, scale, duration, and notoriety of controversies).

Top 20 companies with highly controversial histories

Bayer (Germany) – IG Farben participation, forced labour at Auschwitz-Monowitz, and role in supplying components for Zyklon B during the Nazi era, followed by later pharmaceutical and agrochemical controversies.watchmojo+1

Volkswagen (Germany) – Founded under the Nazi regime, heavy use of forced labour during WWII, and the modern diesel emissions‑cheating scandal affecting millions of vehicles globally.ig+1

Royal Dutch Shell / Shell plc (UK / Netherlands) – Long-running allegations over pollution and human‑rights issues in the Niger Delta, major 2004 reserves overstatement scandal, and historical controversy around Sir Henri Deterding’s interactions with Nazi Germany.royaldutchshellplc+1 read more

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COPILOT: 20 Global Companies with the Most Controversial Histories (Shell is number 2)

CREATED BY COPILOT: Here’s a ranked, interpretive “top 20” list of global companies with especially long and controversial histories—environmental damage, human rights, corruption, product harms, and governance scandals. The order is judgment-based, not a formal metric.

Rank Company (current or successor) Main areas of controversy
1 ExxonMobil Climate denial, environmental disasters, lobbying against climate policy
2 Royal Dutch Shell Oil spills, Niger Delta conflict, climate litigation, alleged human rights complicity
3 Deepwater Horizon spill, safety record, environmental damage
4 Union Carbide / Dow Bhopal disaster, toxic chemicals, long‑tail liability disputes
5 Monsanto (now part of Bayer) Glyphosate health claims, GM seeds, Agent Orange legacy, farmer lawsuits
6 Volkswagen Group Diesel emissions cheating, regulatory deception, environmental impact
7 Meta Platforms (Facebook) Data privacy, misinformation, mental‑health concerns, content moderation failures
8 Amazon Labour conditions, union busting, surveillance, antitrust and tax practices
9 Nestlé Infant formula marketing, water extraction, child labour in cocoa supply chains
10 Philip Morris International / Altria Tobacco health harms, youth marketing, long history of denial and lobbying
11 Rio Tinto Indigenous rights violations, mine disasters, environmental damage
12 Glencore Corruption cases, resource extraction impacts, market manipulation allegations
13 Foxconn (Hon Hai) Worker suicides, harsh factory conditions, excessive overtime
14 Boeing 737 MAX crashes, safety culture, regulatory capture concerns
15 HSBC Money‑laundering cases, sanctions breaches, tax‑evasion facilitation
16 Goldman Sachs Role in 2008 crisis, Abacus deal, 1MDB scandal, conflicts of interest
17 Uber Technologies Aggressive “growth at all costs” tactics, labour classification, data misuse, “Greyball”
18 Wells Fargo Fake accounts scandal, sales‑pressure culture, repeated consumer abuses
19 Chevron Ecuador rainforest pollution case, other environmental and community disputes
20 Samsung Electronics (group context) Chaebol governance issues, corruption cases, labour and safety controversies

Brief context by company

  • ExxonMobil: Long‑running accusations that it funded climate‑science denial while its own research showed fossil‑fuel risks; major spills and refinery pollution, plus intense lobbying against climate regulation.
  • Royal Dutch Shell: Oil spills (notably in the Niger Delta), allegations of complicity in human rights abuses in Nigeria, and prominent climate lawsuits over its emissions trajectory.
  • BP: The Deepwater Horizon disaster became one of history’s worst marine oil spills, highlighting safety and risk‑management failures; BP has also faced criticism over other spills and its broader environmental footprint.
  • Union Carbide / Dow: The 1984 Bhopal gas leak in India killed and injured thousands; disputes over compensation, remediation, and responsibility have persisted for decades, now tied to Dow as the corporate successor.
  • Monsanto (Bayer): Criticised for glyphosate (Roundup) cancer claims, aggressive enforcement of seed patents, GM crops, and the legacy of Agent Orange; it frequently appears on lists of “most infamous” corporations.
  • Volkswagen Group: “Dieselgate” revealed systematic cheating on emissions tests worldwide, leading to huge fines, recalls, and reputational damage, and it remains a flagship ESG‑controversy case.
  • Meta Platforms (Facebook): Cambridge Analytica, repeated data‑privacy failures, algorithmic amplification of misinformation and hate, and concerns about mental‑health impacts have made Meta a central ESG and tech‑ethics flashpoint.
  • Amazon: Criticised for warehouse working conditions, anti‑union tactics, intense productivity surveillance, tax strategies, and market dominance; it features heavily in ESG‑controversy datasets.
  • Nestlé: Long‑running infant‑formula marketing scandals, accusations of over‑extracting groundwater, and child labour in cocoa supply chains have given Nestlé one of the most persistent reputational shadows.
  • Philip Morris International / Altria: Tobacco’s health toll, historic denial of smoking risks, youth‑targeted marketing, and lobbying against regulation make these firms emblematic of product‑harm controversies.
  • Rio Tinto: Criticised for mine‑related environmental damage and for destroying the 46,000‑year‑old Juukan Gorge Aboriginal heritage site in Australia, sparking global outrage over Indigenous rights.
  • Glencore: Has faced multiple corruption and bribery investigations, sanctions‑related cases, and scrutiny over environmental and social impacts of its mining and trading operations.
  • Foxconn (Hon Hai): Known for harsh working conditions, excessive overtime, and a cluster of worker suicides at Chinese plants supplying major electronics brands.
  • Boeing: The 737 MAX crashes exposed serious issues in safety culture, engineering oversight, and regulatory relationships, leading to criminal settlements and ongoing scrutiny.
  • HSBC: Involved in major money‑laundering and sanctions‑breach cases, including handling funds for drug cartels, and has been repeatedly fined by regulators.
  • Goldman Sachs: Central to several high‑profile scandals, including its role in the 2008 financial crisis and the 1MDB corruption case, raising questions about conflicts of interest and governance.
  • Uber Technologies: Built a reputation for “move fast, break rules” tactics: regulatory evasion tools, toxic internal culture, sexual‑harassment scandals, and disputes over driver classification and rights.
  • Wells Fargo: Created millions of fake customer accounts under extreme sales pressure, then faced further issues around auto‑insurance, mortgages, and governance failures.
  • Chevron: Best known for the long‑running Ecuador rainforest pollution case and other environmental disputes, plus aggressive legal counter‑campaigns against critics and plaintiffs.
  • Samsung Electronics (wider Samsung group): Part of a chaebol system repeatedly linked to corruption and political scandals in South Korea, alongside labour and safety controversies in its electronics supply chain.
  • read more

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    20 Global Companies with the Most Controversial Histories (Shell is number 11)

    Created by GROK: The Long Shadow of Industry: 20 Global Companies with the Most Controversial Histories (Independent Research-Based Ranking)

    This expanded ranking follows the exact same criteria as my previous top-10 list (and the referenced article): documented human-rights abuses, environmental devastation, measurable scale of harm (deaths, long-term health impacts, displaced/affected populations, ecological/economic costs), and enduring legacy. It draws exclusively from cross-verified court records, official reports (Amnesty International, EPA, science panels), journalistic investigations, declassified documents, and historical scholarship. Where companies have issued apologies, paid reparations, funded memorials, or reformed practices, this is explicitly noted. Many legacies involve complex geopolitical contexts or government contracts, but the focus remains on corporate decisions and outcomes. read more

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    Failure Pays Well: Shell CEO Bags 60% Pay Rise as Profits Slide and the Planet Warms

    In the strange universe of global oil capitalism — where gravity appears to work in reverse — Shell’s chief executive has just demonstrated the timeless corporate principle that less profit can still mean more pay.

    According to Shell’s newly released annual report, CEO Wael Sawan’s remuneration surged by more than 60% to £13.8 million in 2025, up from £8.6 million the previous year. 

    The catch?

    Shell’s profits fell sharply at the same time.

    The company reported adjusted earnings of $18.5 billion for the year — down from $23.7 billion previously, a drop of roughly 22%.  read more

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    BREAKING: Oil Companies, including Shell, Lobby White House on Venezuela — Because Why Not Take the Whole Planet?

    In what can only be described as the most perfectly obvious development in the history of obvious developments, major U.S. oil interests have apparently decided that nothing says “tasteful business practice” like quietly leaning on the White House about Venezuela while the world watches.

    Lobbying disclosures reveal that Chevron, Shell’s U.S. arm, PBF Energy, and Phillips 66 have all been energetically encouraging the U.S. government to reshape its Venezuela “strategy” — you know, amidst the recent regime change and mild international eyebrow-raising — specifically so they can cash in on that totally stable and functioning oil economy.  read more

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    Shell’s London Escape Route: Is the Oil Giant Preparing to Jump to New York?

    Here’s the latest on Shell plc’s plan to move its listing to New York — with an investigative, critical lens.

    By John Donovan (with AI collaboration)

    21 October 2025

    When a corporate behemoth begins to flirt with another stock exchange, the romance is rarely innocent. Shell plc — once Royal Dutch Shell plc, before dropping the “Dutch” as neatly as a discarded partner — is now openly courting Wall Street.

    The CEO, Wael Sawan, has been muttering about “value gaps” and “unlocking potential,” code for what London traders hear as: we’re tired of being undervalued in a city that drinks warm beer instead of crude profits. read more

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    Shell’s Energy “Transition” Hits a 20-Year Low in Oil Output – And Wall Street Still Claps

    After dabbling in green PR and selling off assets, Shell’s production tanks while Exxon and Chevron pump away. BlackRock yawns.

    Oh, Shell. The self-proclaimed champion of “Powering Progress.” The oil giant that flirted with an “energy transition” just long enough to slap wind turbines on its annual report before sprinting right back to its first love: fossil fuels. And yet—somehow—it’s producing less of them than at any point in the last two decades.

    Let’s set the stage. In the great oil-and-gas Olympics of Q2, Exxon and Chevron took home gold medals in pure, unapologetic extraction. Exxon pumped 4.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, fuelled by Guyana’s deepwater gushers and a little something called the Pioneer Natural Resources acquisition. Chevron cranked out 3.4 million barrels per day, with Kazakhstan, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Permian all coughing up crude like it’s still 1973. read more

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    Will Shell Finally Swallow BP?

    This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor for factual accuracy and satirical tone.

    The fossil fuel fanfiction nobody asked for is back: Shell might finally devour BP — in what could become the biggest unholy alliance since, well… Shell and apartheid South Africa.

    That’s right: after years of flirting and fumbling, the dirtiest merger fantasy in Big Oil is once again swirling through boardrooms and Bloomberg alerts.

    Why now? Because activist hedge fund Elliott Management just bought a nearly 5% stake in BP and immediately demanded a boardroom bloodletting. Cue another round of speculation that Shell, Chevron, ADNOC, or some other oil-drunk conglomerate might swoop in and “rescue” BP from its decade-long identity crisis. read more

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    Shell’s “Successful Failure”: Still Failing, But With Even Bigger Bonuses

    CEO Wael Sawan says his strategy is working — if you define ‘working’ as slashing renewables, kneeling to Wall Street, and praying the Trump administration sticks around.

    Shell — the fossil-fueled titan that never met a barrel of oil it didn’t want to burn — has declared its latest strategy a “successful failure.” Which is corporate code for: We didn’t achieve what we said we would, but we did make rich people richer, so that counts, right?

    Two years into CEO Wael Sawan’s so-called “10-quarter sprint” to remake Shell into a leaner, meaner profit machine, the results are in: read more

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    Shell & Friends: The Carbon Kings Laughing Their Way to Climate Collapse

    Shell & Friends Are Holding the Planet Hostage

    You know the world is in trouble when just 36 fossil fuel companies—led by the usual suspects, like Shell, ExxonMobil, and Saudi Aramco—are responsible for half of the planet’s carbon emissions in 2023. That’s 20 billion tonnes of CO₂ in a single year, because apparently, making obscene amounts of money off the destruction of the planet is a team sport.

    The Science vs. Shell’s Business Model (Guess Who’s Winning?)

    Reality check: Global emissions need to fall by 45% by 2030 to even have a chance of keeping temperature rise below 1.5°C. Instead? Emissions are still rising, because these companies refuse to stop sucking every last drop of oil, gas, and coal out of the Earth. The International Energy Agency has flat-out stated that any new fossil fuel projects launched after 2021 are incompatible with reaching net zero by 2050. But Shell? Oh no, they’re still expanding production while paying lip service to “green energy” in their PR statements. read more

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    Shell + BP Merger: The Ultimate Oil Giant Monopoly No One Asked For

    …whispers of a Shell-BP mega-merger have resurfaced, sending investment bankers into a frenzy…

    Because what the world really needs right now is an even bigger, greedier, more polluting oil conglomerate, whispers of a Shell-BP mega-merger have resurfaced, sending investment bankers into a frenzy. The proposed deal, which would create a $300 billion fossil fuel monstrosity, is being compared to ExxonMobil’s takeover of Pioneer Natural Resources and Chevron’s grab of Hess. In other words, Big Oil is doubling down on destruction, and Shell and BP don’t want to be left behind.

    A Shell-BP merger would create an empire capable of taking on ExxonMobil ($480 billion market cap) and Chevron ($282 billion), solidifying its place among the biggest climate criminals on the planet. Supporters claim consolidation will magically bring “efficiencies” and “financial resilience,” while conveniently ignoring the inevitable job cuts, regulatory nightmares, and intensified climate devastation. Antitrust regulators might object, but when has that ever stopped the oil industry from bulldozing over public interest? read more

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    Should BP and Shell merge?

     If the goal is to accelerate environmental devastation, lay off thousands of workers, and cement Big Oil’s death grip on global energy policy, then sure—go right ahead.

    Nothing screams “brighter future” like two of the UK’s most notorious polluters joining forces to double down on destruction. That’s right—some investment bankers and analysts, never ones to let a good environmental catastrophe go to waste, are floating the idea of a BP-Shell merger. The goal? To create a “national champion” capable of competing with the likes of France’s TotalEnergies and American titans ExxonMobil and Chevron. Because, obviously, the world needs another corporate Goliath ramping up oil extraction while sprinkling in just enough greenwashing to keep up appearances. read more

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    Shell and the Art of Unholy Greed: BP’s Fumbling CEO Faces Judgment Day

    Posted by John Donovan: 19 Jan 25. 

    What the f**k is going on at BP?

    Murray Auchincloss, the latest placeholder in BP’s revolving door of CEOs, is heading for his judgment day. Investors are sharpening their knives, and on February 26, they might just gut his tenure like a sacrificial lamb. Why? Because unlike Shell—the ultimate sin stock, the Exxon of Europe, the undisputed king of greed—BP has been fumbling its way through an identity crisis. And investors? They’ve had enough of BP’s weak attempts at greenwashing when there’s good old-fashioned oil money to be made. read more

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    Shell’s Renewable Retreat: Why Save the Planet When Profits Are This Good?

    Posted by John Donovan: 20 Nov 24

    Ah, Shell — the corporate personification of “Why try when you can cash in?” Remember when they promised to save the planet? Yeah, neither do they. Turns out, pivoting to renewables isn’t nearly as lucrative as just sticking to the same old planet-choking business model. And if there’s one thing Shell and its friends at BlackRock love more than a warm, thriving planet, it’s cold, hard cash.

    Profits Over Planet: The Fossil Fuel Formula

    Let’s rewind to 2020, when oil prices tanked, and fossil fuel giants were scrambling like toddlers caught with crayons on the wall. With demand in free fall, companies like Shell suddenly discovered their “green hearts” and started making grandiose pledges to curb emissions and embrace renewables. But fast forward to today, and it’s clear those pledges were little more than a PR stunt. read more

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    Hurricane Helene Fueled by Big Oil’s Emissions, Greenpeace Demands Polluters Pay

    9 Oct 2024

    Washington DC – Ah yes, Shell. The oil-soaked villain of the century, responsible for more destruction than we can count, is at it again—this time helping fuel Hurricane Helene, which claimed 227 lives across six states. No big deal, right? After all, it’s just another day in the office for Shell and its oily cronies, spewing profits while the planet burns.

    According to a rapid analysis by World Weather Attribution, Helene’s deadly rampage has been supercharged by—wait for it—climate change! Who knew?! Well, Greenpeace sure did, and they’re calling out Big Oil for the catastrophic mess it’s created. Rolf Skar, Greenpeace USA National Campaigns Director, lays it out: read more

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