Puerto Rico plunged into darkness last week after the second major hurricane in a month crippled its aging, debt-laden electric utility. The island is projected to be without power for six months or more, as people swelter and lifesaving medical equipment saps generators in what House Speaker Paul Ryan declared “a humanitarian crisis” on Tuesday.

But it’s not just old, storm-vulnerable transmission lines that need to be replaced.

The utility’s dependence on imported fossil fuels has devoured funding that could have been spent on upgrading the island’s grid and building cleaner infrastructure, a sign of years of mismanagement and incompetence. But it also stems from a colonial history in which Puerto Rico’s development was put in the hands of a few mainland corporate interests seeking tax breaks. read more

The Brazilian Petrobras Scandal: The Brazilian oil giant Petrobras is the largest company in the Southern Hemisphere. On November 14, 2014, a series of police raids netted politicians and Petrobras bigwigs who had paid $2 billion in bribes… Now we have news that Petrobras is linking up with Royal Dutch Shell, which is currently mired in a billion dollar scandal: OPL 245…

Shell and Petrobras sign technical cooperation agreement to strengthen deep water partnership

Posting on Shell Blog by Bogus Group

Shell MoU with Petrobras and their partnership to share experience on cost efficiency and use of technology.

Déjà vu springs to mind (Daily Telegraph 01 March 2012) on BG Group finance of $1.8bn from Brazilian Development Bank to fund interests offshore Brazil (was this the same interests that Chapman demanded his cohorts in Brazil disclose over estimated reserves?).

Daily Telegraph 14 May 2013 also noted Chris Finlayson rhetoric to “keep up the pace with huge discoveries” and focusing on “value over volume”, leaving the company “lean and agile”. read more

By Daniel J. Graeber: Sept. 12, 2017

Sept. 12 (UPI) — Royal Dutch Shell said it formed a “true partnership of spirit” with a Brazilian company working in tough conditions in the country’s deep waters. Shell said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Petroleo Brasileiro, the Brazilian company known also as Petrobras, meant to strengthen cooperation in deep waters. “In true partnership spirit between two of the world’s largest energy companies, Shell will benefit from technical solutions, contract management expertise and cost efficient initiatives Petrobras applies to Brazil’s pre and post-salt projects,” Shell’s statement read. “Shell will share with Petrobras its global deep water experience, especially on cost efficiency efforts and use of technology.” Shell already has a partnership with Petrbras to work in a group of fields in the broader Santos Basin off the Brazilian coast. FULL ARTICLE read more

NEWS PROVIDED BY: Shell Oil Company: Sep 11, 2017, 14:14 ET

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Royal Dutch Shell and Petrobras signed last week in The Hague, Netherlands, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a long-term mutual collaboration in developing pre-salt fields in Brazil. 

In true partnership spirit between two of the world’s largest energy companies, Shell will benefit from technical solutions, contract management expertise and cost efficient initiatives Petrobras applies to Brazil’s pre and post-salt projects. Shell will share with Petrobras its global deep water experience, especially on cost efficiency efforts and use of technology. The MoU also involves sharing best practices and learnings on safety and governance management, technical and operational solutions, contract management, logistics, wells construction and air transportation safety. The document was signed by Shell CEO Ben Van Beurden and Petrobras CEO Pedro Parente, during a visit by Petrobras’ executives to the Shell headquarters. FULL ARTICLE read more

By Tim Brugger: October 21, 2013

In what CEO Peter Voser refers to as “one of the largest deep water oil accumulations in the world,” Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A & RDS-B), along with four other oil producers, will pay $280 Million for a 35-year contract to begin drilling in the Libra discovery in the Santos Basin, located about 105 miles off the Brazilian coast of Rio de Janeiro, Shell announced today.

According to Shell’s statement, Brazil’s governmental oil regulator estimates the Libra find has between 8 billion and 12 billion barrels of “recoverable resources.” read more

Balkan Business News Correspondent – 21.11.2011

Turkey’s state-owned oil company, Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), has reached an agreement with Royal Dutch Shell to explore for oil and gas off of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.