Risteard Ó Domhnaills documentary film about the Corrib Natural Gas project in County Mayo Ireland, The Pipe, has been quite a long time in the making – but the wait has been worthwhile. This is a moving, unsentimental and compelling story well told and, particularly, well edited (by Nigel O’Regan) of how ordinary people in a remote community fought with a multinational company, Shell, to protect their community and their livelihoods. The public release of The Pipe is timely in the light of BPs Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico because, as with BP, the evidence is clear that Shells initial handling of Corrib showed a comprehensive failure to match the rhetoric of their public statements with the reality of their actions. BPs green positioning was shown to be a chimera as the world greatest environmental disaster unfolded in all of its horror and Shells stated commitment to Sustainable Development has been shown in The Pipe to be no less of a veneer.
October, 2010:
Local heroes take on Shell in County Mayo – “The Pipe” – a review
Saudi Aramco, Shell Extend Natural Gas Drilling To 2015
By Angus McDowall of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES OCTOBER 26, 2010
LONDON (Dow Jones)–A joint venture between Saudi Arabian Oil Co., known as Saudi Aramco, and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB) to drill for natural gas in the kingdom’s empty quarter has extended its exploration license by five years to 2015.
The South Rub al-Khali Co., or SRAK, was one of three ventures launched in 2003-04 that gave international oil companies upstream access to Saudi Arabian energy reserves for the first time since 1980.
“We…requested for a second exploration period, which means a new commitment from the company including drilling wells and collecting seismic data,” a spokesman for SRAK told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday. “The government officially approved our request of entering a second exploration period for five years.”
Saudi Aramco, Shell Venture to Drill in Saudi Arabia
By Fred Pals and Wael Mahdi – Oct 25, 2010 4:33 PM GMT+0100
A joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell Plc plans to drill three wells in Saudi Arabias southern Rub Al Khali desert after completing its first exploration period, the company said today.
South Rub al-Khali Co., or SRAK, as the venture is known, also plans to submit an appraisal plan to the government for the Kidan area of Saudi Arabia, it said in a statement. Kidan lies near the Saudi border with the United Arab Emirates.
Shell wants more from Brazilian waters
LONDON, Oct. 25 (UPI) — Royal Dutch Shell announced it was investing in developments in the deep waters off the coast of Brazil in order to enhance its American portfolio.
Shell said it was investing an undisclosed sum to support a second phase of development of the Parque das Conchas basin about 62 miles off the coast of Brazil.
Shell began operating in the region in 2009. The second phase envisions drilling to roughly 3,600 feet below the sea bed, 6,000 feet below the surface of the water.
Shell slashes $18bn from Kashagan costs
DAILY TELEGRAPH: Royal Dutch Shell has radically simplified the design of the Kashagan oil development, slashing $18bn (£11.5bn) from the cost of the second phase of development as it strives to make the project economically viable.
By Richard Orange in Almaty
Published: 11:38AM BST 25 Oct 2010
The milestone report from Shell’s Kashagan Cost Reduction Team reduces the cost estimate for the second phase of the project from $68bn to $50bn, a senior Kazakh official told The Daily Telegraph.
Shell took control of the planning of the second phase from Italy’s Eni at the start of last year. The Anglo-Dutch company has been working to turn around the economics of the project, which will take production capacity to 1m barrels per day, from the first phase’s production capacity of 450,000.
City eyes third-quarter growth from Shell
Daily Telegraph: Royal Dutch Shell’s results beat market expectations in the first half.
25 October 2010
The City is expecting profits at Royal Dutch Shell to have risen 50pc to $4.3bn when it reports its results on Thursday Photo: Johnny Greig / AlamyWhen it posts third-quarter figures on Thursday, investors will be watching to see whether Peter Voser, its chief executive, unveils solid results again, as arch-rival BP struggles to recover from its Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Shell’s restructuring programme and a higher oil price helped it to second-quarter profits of around $4.5bn (£2.87bn). The oil giant had slashed its spending by $3.5bn over the previous 18 months by shedding 7,000 staff and making operational savings. At the time, Shell said its radical restructuring programme had come to an end earlier than planned.
Shell’s alleged secret reactor
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-YJPdBHbP4
COMMENT FROM A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF SHELL OIL USA
I read your article about the so-called ‘secret reactor’ that was possibly buried at a location that is now a residential home site. I doubt that is the case, but one cannot expect Shell to tell the truth about such matters
However, the ownership, operation and disposal of civilian reactors in the UK is a highly regulated business. Therefore, appropriate UK governmental agencies should have records of any nuclear reactor owned and/or operated by Shell, including who built it, the model type, date of commissioning, its location of operation, its size, the type of fuel, and its purpose (medical research, isotope production, etc.).
There should also be records of when it was decommissioned, and when, where and how it was disposed of. It is normal practice to bury old reactors after they have been ‘scrubbed down’. My guess is that the UK operates some sort of ‘old reactor graveyard’, where decommissioned reactors are buried, literally.
Shell’s retreat from Nigeria
Shell will be reducing activities in Nigeria and appears to be selling off below market price due to all the hassle there. John Browne leading a consortium. All in Sunday Times.
If true, this will be a major blow in the face of Shell, they give up. Precisely what you can expect from beancounters who have never worked in bad places like Nigeria I see it as reducing value. Bunch of cowards.
And what happened to the promises of Brinded? By 2013 or 2014 he hoped to realise 6-6.5 mln boe/d. And this promise was as recent as 2005 or thereabouts. I would like to know where the deliverable is?
Browne Leads Group Bidding for Shell Nigeria Fields, Times Says
BP Plcs former Chief executive Officer John Browne is leading a group of bidders for $4 billion of Nigerian oil fields being sold by Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the Sunday Times said.
Brownes Riverstone Management Ltd. is interested in bidding, as is KKR & Co. and Blackstone Group LP, the Times said. Another bid group includes Perenco SA, Addax & Oryx Group Ltd. and Oando Plc, the newspaper said. Any bidder will have to have a local partner to meet government requirements, it said.
Partners ENI SpA and Total SA have the right to buy Shells 30 percent stake in the fields, and Nigerias majority holding national oil company must approve any deal, the Times said.
Carson residents protest Shell Oil over soil contamination
More than 200 people — led by environmental activist Erin Brockovich — marched to the companys oil refinery…
October 23, 2010
Residents, activists and city leaders in Carson took to the streets Saturday to protest of Shell Oil Co.s refusal to take responsibility for the contamination of a tract in the Carousel neighborhood, where high levels of benzene and methane have been found in the ground.
More than 200 people — led by environmental activist Erin Brockovich — marched to the companys oil refinery at the intersection of Wilmington Avenue and Dominguez Street. Council members Lulu Davis-Holmes and Mike Gipson joined residents at the protest.
SHELLS STAR RISES ON STRONG EARNINGS GROWTH
Shell will report estimated earnings of $4.4 billion (£2.8 billion)
Sunday October 24,2010
By Tracey Boles
OIL giant Royal Dutch Shell will confirm its star is rising this week by reporting estimated earnings of $4.4 billion (£2.8 billion) for the third quarter, up almost 70 per cent on last year.
The earnings haul for the Anglo-Dutch company compares to $2.6 billion (£1.6 billion) in the third quarter of 2009 and has been driven by its exploration and production arm, much of it from gas revenues.
A message from Rossport
Hi Alfred and John,
After having spent part of my summer at the Rossport Solidarity Camp in Co. Mayo Ireland fighting against Shell (and Statoil!) there, I am even more thankful for all your hard work on your website. You are really inspiring. Many of my friends have been involved in that campaign since 2005. Making the international links has been really important for the local community. Maybe some day we’ll meet. Till then, lots of love, kudos, energy and solidarity your way!
You rock. Sticking together, we can beat them!
Shell to fund Mayo water well
The Irish Times – Saturday, October 23, 2010
LORNA SIGGINS, Western Correspondent, and TOM SHIEL
SHELL E&P Ireland is to fund drilling of a new production well, but for water, not gas, and in the north Mayo village of Rossport.
The multinational says it is giving 750,000 towards upgrading the villages water network as a gesture of goodwill to the Rossport community, which has experienced particular difficulties as a result of the Corrib gas project.
The money will pay for a new water well, replacement of the distribution network with new piping, reservoir, three-phase electricity and installation of consumer and district metering, the company said yesterday. Rossport group water scheme co-op chairman Tony Corduff said the co-op approached Shell for funding after it was refused by Mayo County Council. An offer by the company to upgrade the 35-year-old scheme was accepted by a majority of the community at a meeting on April 29th, he said.