Peter Milne: 15 May 2020 • 10 min read

ANALYSIS

While the Prelude did export LNG at about half its capacity for the second half of 2019, it is now idle.

Moored far off the Kimberley coast it is plagued with technical problems, dwindling gas reserves and safety processes condemned by the regulator despite Shell and its partners spending about $US19.3 billion ($A30.0 billion) to the end of 2019.

Neither Shell and its partners nor Australia have gained anything near what they expected from the giant experiment. read more

3.3 THE “OPL 245” BRIBERY CASE

In 2018, Italian prosecutors brought a criminal case over the alleged involvement of Shell, and the Italian oil multinational Eni, in a 1.3 billion US dollar bribery scheme linked to the license of OPL 245. This is the name of one of Nigeria’s most valuable offshore oil blocks.

Thirteen individuals, including some current and former senior managers of Shell and the Italian oil company Eni, are currently on trial in Italy relating to how the two companies acquired the block in 2011.80 The defendants include both companies, a former Royal Dutch Shell Executive Board Member and two former MI6 agents who worked for Shell.81 read more

The Nigerian government on Monday lost a bid to postpone a massive claim against oil giants, Eni and Shell, in a London court.

Royal Dutch Shell and Eni’s bid to block a $1.1 billion civil claim over corruption allegations in Nigeria will go ahead next month, Mark Pelling, a judge in a London court ruled on Monday.

The court ruled that it should not wait for a connected Italian ruling.

Nigeria wanted the April court date postponed until January 2021, when a connected criminal case in Milan will have concluded. read more

Upstream Online: Shell learns from Prelude challenges

Shell is currently in the process of ramping up its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas development off Western Australia, but the ambitious project …

Extract ends

Printed below are extracts from recent postings on our Shell Blog relating to the above Upstream Online article and its interview with Shell VP Prelude, Bob Jager.

Posting on 19 August 2019

I would be interested to know the content of the article just published by Upstream Online about the Prelude FLNG problems?

What I do know is that Prelude is still having difficulties in with the processed volumes of any of the three streams of product, LNG, LPG and condensate.

I have been monitoring the Marine Traffic web site with Prelude as the target. The offtake tankers, LNG or condensate, can be seen hanging around but at a greater distance from Prelude making it not as easy to keep track of as in previous occasions. The latest LNG tanker, Symphonic Breeze, has been nearby for nearly a week waiting for its nominated cargo. The demurrage costs must be quite high by now as the “notice of readiness” will have been tabled on arrival. read more

Italian prosecutors accuse former and current executives of the two energy giants of paying bribes to secure the licence. In March 2019, Dutch prosecutors said they were preparing criminal charges against Shell over OPL 245.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK: JUL 18, 2019

According to Reuters, one of the oil industry’s biggest corruption trials revolves around a Nigerian offshore licence known as OPL 245, which Royal Dutch Shell and Italy’s Eni bought in 2011.

Italian prosecutors accuse former and current executives of the two energy giants of paying bribes to secure the licence.

Shell and Eni, and their executives have denied the accusations and any wrongdoing.

Below are a list of legal actions that have arisen from the award of OPL 245: read more

In September 2017, four foreign NGOs filed a declaration in the Netherlands against Shell, Van Beurden and three (former) directors. According to lawyer Barbara van Straaten of the law firm Prakken d’Oliveira, this declaration was added to the current investigation by the Public Prosecution Service.: Almost a year ago, Shell itself filed a statement against former director Peter Robinson. According to the group, the Australian would have been guilty of corruption in Nigeria. Robinson is one of the four former Shell employees who stand trial in Milan. Justice in the US and stock market watchdog SEC were also informed.

English translation of a Dutch article published today by ncr.nl

The question is: did Shell know that the money ended up with the politicians?

Corruption The bulk of the purchase price for the Nigerian oil field OPL 245 ended up in the pockets of politicians. Justice thinks it has enough evidence to prosecute Shell.

Hester van SantenErik van der Walle: 1 March 2019 at 1:00

Shell is being prosecuted in the Netherlands because of possible corruption in Nigeria. The oil and gas company announced on Friday morning that it has been informed about this by the Public Prosecution Service (OM). According to a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service, “offences” have been committed and there is “enough to prosecute”. The spokesman states that the investigation has almost been completed. read more

Former Shell CEO Peter Voser is an unlucky man. He had the incredible misfortune to be in charge of the bad guys at both corporate giants, Shell and UBS Bank simultaneously, while presumably being personally innocent of any criminal acts? What are the chances of that happening? The question of managerial negligence, twice-over, must surely be another matter?

By John Donovan

Printed below is an article published yesterday by BBC News reporting that the “Swiss banking giant UBS has been fined €3.7bn (£3.2bn; $4.2bn) in a French tax fraud case.”

The article goes on to say that “Following similar cases in the US in 2009 and Germany in 2014, the bank accepted large fines.”

During the period of criminal activity the then Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc – Peter Voser – was paid millions of Swiss francs in his role as a director of UBS AG. He was also a member of the governance and nominating committee and of the strategy committee. read more

Latest news on the OPL 245 scandal involving several senior Shell executives, including Malcolm Brinded and MI6 “people” hired by Shell, as admitted by RDS Chief Executive Ben van Beurden during a telephone call surreptitiously recorded by investigators. During the same conversation, on the spur of the moment and perhaps shocked by the news that RDS global HQ was being searched for evidence, he issued instructions that if carried out, could qualify as obstruction of a criminal investigation.  read more

By John Donovan

Printed below is a self-explanatory email sent last month to the named Trade Union parties and the Scottish Government Justice Committee by Bill Campbell, retired global safety guru for Royal Dutch Shell Plc. I have redacted personal email addresses.

It was also copied to a family member Susan Moncrieff of one of the deceased Brent Bravo platform workers, Keith Moncrieff.

From: Bill Campbell
Subject: Technical Notes
Date: 18 December 2018 at 12:23:19 GMT
To: [email protected], [email protected]
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] read more

…any settlement without a full and clear statement of facts and admission of guilt would be contrary to the interests of open justice.

By Wale Akinola: 20 JAN 2019

Four Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have written to the Minister of Justice of The Netherlands to warn against out-of-court settlement in the case instituted by The Netherlands government against Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDS) and Shell Petroleum over the acquisition of the OPC 245 oil and gas field in Nigeria. read more

EMAIL COMMENT RECEIVED FROM BILL CAMPBELL FOLLOWING PUBLICATION OF THE ARTICLE Royal Dutch Shell lied to thousands of its employees over offshore death

From: William Campbell
Subject: Re: Brent Bravo
Date: 17 January 2019 at 12:29:50 GMT
To: John Donovan <[email protected]>

John, thanks

I hope that this indisputable evidence from a governmental report will quell the abusive comments etc made about you on the website, just poison etc.

I am absolutely sure that Holliday fully understands the rottenness of the organisation he joined but is trapped like Ollila and Brandjes were trapped by the corruption disease emanating from MB. Corruption is like the Spanish Flu, it effects everyone it comes into contact with.

The significance of the HSE report cannot be overstated, the chronology is also important, this opinion of the HSE was reached on 18 November 2004 a year before the FAI and purposefully withheld from the FAI, this can no longer be disputed by anyone.

Bill

EXTRACT FROM A COMMENT RECEIVED FROM A SHELL RELATED SOURCE

I like your english understatement. ‘Shell not happy’. 👍😁

Some people would love to have you killed but there is nothing they can do. They must be so frustrated.  Could not have happened to nicer people.

And I admire Bill, he is like a pitbull that does not let go. read more

Printed below is a self-explanatory email sent within the last hour to Royal Dutch Shell Chairman Chad Holliday by Bill Campbell, retired global safety guru for Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Note that it was also sent to HSE officials.

I have redacted personal email addresses and corrected typos. 

From: William Campbell
Subject: Royal Dutch Shell lied to thousands of its employees over offshore deaths
Date: 17 January 2019 at 11:03:41 GMT
To: [email protected]
Cc: susan moncrieff <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected] read more

Despite his sleazy record, Malcolm Brinded (above) remains President of the Energy Institute

… a Secretary for State for Scotland intervened in the Regulatory process to help out her lover Malcolm Brinded and this action allowed Shell to maintain in office a mentally unbalanced Asset Manager… …the infamous Touch F-All Policy was halted by the intervention of a government Minister namely Helen Liddell…

Printed below are self-explanatory emails recently sent by Bill Campbell, retired global safety guru for Royal Dutch Shell Plc. See related article Malcolm Brinded’s responsibility for Brent Bravo deaths for more information.

First, an Email sent to the Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell Plc

From: Bill Campbell
Date: 14 December 2018 at 10:34:14 WET
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Cc: John Donovan <[email protected]>, [email protected]
Subject: Trade Unions

Chairman
First of a number of submissions- the contents are explained.

Please comment by Monday, if not will state that you and OSDR have been given this info and have raised no moral or legal objections because the info provided is fundamentally accurate. read more

Despite his sleazy record, Malcolm Brinded (above) remains President of the Energy Institute

By John Donovan

The Shell cover-up surrounding the deaths of two workers on the Shell Brent Bravo North Sea platform is coming under active scrutiny again as a result of an initiative by retired Shell *safety guru Bill Campbell. Bill is acting on behalf of the family of one of the deceased platform workers, Keith Moncrieff.

For over a decade, the truly extraordinary story about what happened was withheld from the families of the deceased and from investigating authorities by Shell and those parties over whom Shell had influence. read more

In her reasoning, judge Barbara alleged that Shell executives, including Brinded, had known that Etete would keep a part of the purchase price for himself and use the rest to “pay people”, including Nigerian politicians and public officials…

Emilio Parodi: DECEMBER 17, 2018 / 11:40 AM

* Eni, Shell knew of graft surrounding Nigeria deal – judge

* Both firms fully aware of ‘sharks’ circling the deal – judge

* Eni says judge does not have all the evidence to hand

* Shell says no basis to convict it or former Shell staff

MILAN, Dec 17 (Reuters) – An Italian judge said on Monday oil majors Eni and Royal Dutch Shell were fully aware their 2011 purchase of a Nigerian oilfield would result in corrupt payments to Nigerian politicians and officials.

Italy’s Eni and Shell bought the OPL 245 offshore field for about $1.3 billion in a deal that spawned one of the industry’s largest corruption scandals. It is alleged that about $1.1 billion of the total was siphoned to agents and middlemen.

The Milan judge made the comment in her written reasons for the September conviction of Nigerian Emeka Obi and Italian Gianluca Di Nardo, both middlemen in the OPL 245 deal, for corruption. The pair were jailed for four years. read more

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox delivered a barnstorming warmup speech for the PM at the recent Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham

GEOFFREY COX COURAGEOUSLY DEFENDED ME FROM A BLATANTLY BIASED ATTACK BY A HIGH COURT JUDGE

John Donovan

By John Donovan

After a spectacular performance as the warm-up act for Prime Minister Teresa May at the October 2018 Conservative Conference, the Rt. Hon. Geoffrey Cox QC MP is now tipped by at least one publication to become the next PM.

When I first met him two decades ago, he was plain Geoffrey Cox, an ambitious criminal law barrister who had already founded the Thomas More Chambers.  read more