May 27th, 2005
by John Donovan.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: FTC Clears Shell In Refinery Closure
Posted 27 May 2005
By RUSSELL GOLD
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The Federal Trade Commission has concluded the Royal Dutch/Shell Group wasn’t trying to drive up California gasoline prices by closing a refinery in Bakersfield, Calif. The agency closed a year-long investigation on Wednesday, stating that it could find “no evidence to substantiate” allegations the company was scheming to boost profit margins by squeezing refinery capacity. read more
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May 27th, 2005
by John Donovan.
May 27th, 2005
by John Donovan.
Los Angeles Times: FTC Drops Probe of Shell Refinery Plans
27 May 2005
By Erica Williams, Times Staff Writer
Shell Oil Co. wasn’t attempting to squeeze fuel supplies and boost pump prices in California when it announced plans in 2003 to close its Bakersfield refinery, federal antitrust authorities said Wednesday.
The Federal Trade Commission said it found “strong evidentiary corroboration” of the oil giant’s stated reasons for closing the 70,000-barrel-a-day refinery and would drop its yearlong investigation.
The Houston-based unit of Royal Dutch/Shell Group cited oil supply problems and economic factors for the planned closure. But after public officials intervened, the refinery was sold in March to Flying J Inc., a Utah truck stop operator. read more
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May 26th, 2005
by John Donovan.
AFX Europe (Focus): US FTC clears Shell decision to shut California refinery
26 May 2005
SAN FRANCISCO (AFX) – A Federal Trade Commission investigation of Shell Oil Company’s decision to shut a California refinery found the company did nothing wrong, the government agency said.
Shell’s announcement that it would shut its Bakersfield refinery by Oct 1, 2004, triggered a storm of accusations by consumer groups and lawmakers that the company was trying to drive up gasoline prices by cutting refining capacity.
“The commission found no evidence to substantiate this,” the FTC said in a statement late Wednesday. read more
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Sep 25th, 2004
by John Donovan.
MSNBC: Hopes pump up for Shell refinery (Bakersfield)
“Shell is not including its pipelines in the sale, which could limit buyer interest and may violate the company’s agreement with the attorney general to make a good-faith effort to find a buyer.”
By Katy Lieber
East Bay Business Times
Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET Sept. 25, 2004
More than 20 companies are interested in buying the Shell Oil Products US refinery in Bakersfield and some have even gone so far as to bid on the property, Shell announced this week.
Interest in the 70,000 barrel-per-day refinery appears to be running high, despite limitations Shell has placed on the potential sale. Shell is not including its pipelines in the sale, which could limit buyer interest and may violate the company’s agreement with the attorney general to make a good-faith effort to find a buyer. read more
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Sep 23rd, 2004
by John Donovan.
KESQNewsChannel3: Companies show interest in Shell’s Bakersfield refinery
23 Sept 04
LOS ANGELES Shell Oil says it has received interest from more than 70 companies to buy its Bakersfield refinery that produces two percent of California’s gasoline.
Shell had agreed to delay the planned closure of the refinery to allow for more time to find a buyer. Shell says more than 20 companies have signed confidentiality agreements, allowing them to enter the sales process.
The company says no new companies will be allowed to enter the sales process.
If no agreement can be reached with a company, Shell said the refinery closure plan will continue. Shell President Lynn Laverty Elsenhans has agreed to keep the refinery running through March 31st _ six months later than the October first planned shutdown date. read more
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Sep 16th, 2004
by John Donovan.
San Jose Mercury News: Problems mount for sale of Bakersfield refinery, sources say
“We’ll explore our options if we believe Shell is not acting in good faith.”: “Lockyer and the Federal Trade Commission have already launched investigations into whether a shutdown would violate antitrust laws.”
ANDREA ALMOND
Associated Press
Posted 16 Sept 04
LOS ANGELES – Shell Oil Co. wants to sell its Bakersfield refinery without the vital pipelines, onsite oil storage tanks and other equipment needed to run it, sources familiar with the situation say.
The company’s refusal to include key parts in a deal could dissuade buyers from purchasing the operation, which produces 2 percent of California’s gasoline and 6 percent of its diesel. That could result in permanent closure of one of only 13 California refineries that make the clean-air fuel the state requires. read more
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Aug 19th, 2004
by John Donovan.
LACityBeat.com: REFINERY REPRIEVE: “Under pressure from political leaders and activists, Shell keeps the gas flowing in Bakersfield”: “Their brand has been severely damaged from day one.”
By Dennis Romero
19 August 04
Under pressure from political leaders and activists, Shell keeps the gas flowing in Bakersfield
What do you do when the Federal Trade Commission, Sen. Barbara Boxer, and California Attorney General Bill Lockyer are dogging you like Michael Moore dogs the president? You buy time.
After feeling the heat from Washington and Sacramento, Shell Oil Co. announced last week that it’s keeping its Bakersfield refinery alive at least until December so that a suitable buyer can be found. The move spells relief for Golden State motorists, who surely would have paid even higher prices for gas if Shell closed the crucial plant October 1, as planned, in the name of profits. read more
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Aug 16th, 2004
by John Donovan.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Shell to Delay Closing Refinery, Granting Californians Reprieve
“Shell’s intent to close the plant had triggered an antitrust investigation by California officials as well as one by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.”
By THADDEUS HERRICK
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
August 16, 2004; Page B2
Shell Oil, a unit of Royal Dutch/Shell Group, agreed to postpone the Oct. 1 shutdown of a California refinery for six months to allow more time to find a potential buyer, providing at least a temporary reprieve to consumers in one of the nation’s tightest gasoline markets.
The agreement between Shell and California State Attorney General Bill Lockyer comes as growing world demand for products made from crude oil, coupled with the nation’s limited refining capacity, has resulted in unusually high fuel prices. As of last week the average retail price for a gallon of regular grade gasoline was $1.87, up nearly 31 cents from a year ago, according to the Department of Energy. read more
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Aug 14th, 2004
by John Donovan.
San Diego Union Tribune: Oil company in talks with potential buyers
“the attorney general will continue an antitrust probe of Shell. The Federal Trade Commission also has been investigating the proposed shutdown.”
By Craig D. Rose
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 14, 2004
Shell Oil Co. says its Bakersfield refinery is uneconomical because crude oil supplies in the area are declining.
Shell Oil Co. said yesterday it will delay closing its Bakersfield oil refinery to allow more time for a possible sale of the facility, which produces 2 percent of the state’s gasoline and 6 percent of its diesel oil.
Shell said it is in discussions with several potential buyers and will keep it open at least through Dec. 31 and probably through March 31, 2005, six months beyond the earlier shutdown date of Oct. 1. read more
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Aug 14th, 2004
by John Donovan.
The New York Times: Shell Delays Closure of Calif. Refinery
“an antitrust investigation into Shell’s decision to close the refinery will continue.”
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 13, 2004
Posted 14 August 04
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shell Oil Co. has agreed to delay the planned closure of a Southern California oil refinery that produces 2 percent of the state’s gasoline to allow more time to find a buyer and negotiate a sale, state officials said Friday.
The decision is “a welcome show of cooperation with our effort to keep open this refinery, which is crucial to helping protect California drivers from even higher gas prices than they already pay,” state Attorney General Bill Lockyer said in a statement. read more
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Aug 13th, 2004
by John Donovan.
Los Angeles Times: Shell May Postpone Closing of Refinery
“The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Shell’s closure plan.”
By Elizabeth Douglass, Times Staff Writer
13 August 04
In what would be a victory for California motorists, Shell Oil Co. is considering postponing the Oct. 1 shutdown of its Bakersfield refinery to allow more time for talks with potential buyers, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The move would come as part of an accord between Shell and state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer, who has been pressuring Shell to keep the plant open or find a buyer for it, this person said. It wasn’t clear how long of a postponement Shell was considering. read more
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Jul 24th, 2004
by John Donovan.
Los Angeles Times: CALIFORNIA Refinery Expert Is at Odds With Shell
“The proposed closure of the refinery has generated outrage among politicians and consumers”
By Elizabeth Douglass, Times Staff Writer
July 24, 2004
Shell Oil Co.’s Bakersfield refinery is financially sound and an attractive asset for potential buyers, and the company’s decision to close it “flies in the face of common sense,” a consultant hired by the state said Friday.
Industry expert Malcolm Turner, retained by Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer to provide an objective opinion on the refinery’s outlook, said his consulting firm disagreed with Shell’s reasons for planning to shut down the facility Oct. 1. read more
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Jul 9th, 2004
by John Donovan.
The Wall Street Journal: Calif Senator Challenges Shell’s Efforts To Sell Refinery
“Federal Trade Commission confirmed that it has opened a formal antitrust investigation into Shell’s decision to close the refinery”
By BETH HEINSOHN
July 8, 2004 6:03 p.m.
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK — U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has taken a new tack in challenging Royal Dutch/Shell Group (RD,SC) unit Shell Oil’s plan to shut its refinery in Bakersfield, Calif., by questioning whether the company is making sufficient efforts to sell the facility.
Shell ‘s plan to close the 70,000 barrel a day refinery by Oct. 1 is raising fears along the West Coast of a further squeeze on an already tight motor fuels market, where consumers for years have paid the highest prices in the continental U.S. read more
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Jul 8th, 2004
by John Donovan.
Los Angeles Times: FTC Probing Shell’s Plan to Shut Refinery
“We’re looking at any possible antitrust violations associated with the closure,”
The antitrust inquiry heightens scrutiny surrounding proposed closure of the oil firm’s Bakersfield plant.
By Elizabeth Douglass, Times Staff Writer
The Federal Trade Commission has launched a formal antitrust investigation into Shell Oil Co.’s plan to close its Bakersfield refinery, an agency official said Wednesday, stepping up scrutiny of a move that California officials believe will worsen the state’s gasoline supply woes.
Meanwhile, the oil company on July 1 reduced crude oil processing at the refinery to levels 19% below capacity, according to an internal Shell document obtained by The Times and a plant employee who asked not to be identified. A Shell spokesman would not say whether the facility was running at full capacity. read more
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Jul 8th, 2004
by John Donovan.
The Times: Stop Press: Shell faces antitrust inquiry: THE US Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into plans by Royal Dutch/Shell to close down a Californian oil refinery
Posted 8 July 04
THE US Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into plans by Royal Dutch/Shell to close down a Californian oil refinery producing 70,000 barrels a day. The Anglo-Dutch oil group faces an antitrust inquiry amid fears that the move will cut competition and raise oil prices on the US West Coast. read more
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