Posts under ‘Gas-to-liquids’

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Dispute stops cargoes at Shell’s huge floating LNG plant

Angela Macdonald-Smith: Senior resources writer
Updated Jun 28, 2022 – 10.36pm, first published at 9.22pm

Shell’s monster floating LNG project off the north-west coast has cancelled cargoes until at least mid-July amid an escalating industrial dispute, tightening the supply of gas in the already-stretched global market.

Trade unions represented through the Offshore Alliance say Shell has threatened union negotiators with its intention to shut down the facility amid the deteriorating situation.

Australian Workers’ Union national secretary Daniel Walton described the threat as “insane” given the national gas crisis, and said the energy major was trying to bully the nation into agreeing to its “hardline” demands.

However the energy multinational insists it is union bans that are behind the likely shutdown, restricting its ability to operate the complex facility and offload cargoes. Prelude supplies LNG to the export market, not to Australian energy users.

A Shell spokeswoman said the group has notified customers that it is cancelling cargoes until at least the middle of next month due to the impact of the industrial action.

The dispute centres around a new collective agreement under negotiation between Shell and the unions, for workers that industry sources say are paid an average of $250,000-$280,000, and in some cases more through bonuses, allowances and overtime. read more

WAtoday

Shell’s Prelude gas ship hit by safety, crewing and industrial problems

By Peter Milne: June 10, 2022 — 5.00am

Shell is running its $23 billion Prelude floating LNG plant with critical positions filled by crew who are not fully qualified, and more than 200 safety alarms out of action, ahead of industrial action due to start on Friday.

Gas exports recommenced from the world’s largest floating vessel just two months ago after it was shut down for four months following a complete power failure in December that the offshore safety regulator said could have led to a “catastrophic failure”. read more

ENERGY VOICE

Shell sends ‘thug’ to stop industrial strike action on Prelude FLNG, says labour union

Production at Shell’s (LON:SHEL) Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility offshore Western Australia may soon be affected by industrial strike action after the Offshore Alliance issued the supermajor with a notice of protected industrial action starting 10 June.

Production at Shell’s (LON:SHEL) Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility offshore Western Australia may soon be affected by industrial strike action after the Offshore Alliance issued the supermajor with a notice of protected industrial action starting 10 June.

In response to the formal notice served by lawyers representing the Offshore Alliance, a labor union, as well as the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), issued on 30 May, Shell has “now resorted to industrial thuggery in a desperate effort to try and stop protected industrial action on Prelude,” the Offshore Alliance claimed in a post on Facebook today.

“One of the Shell leads, who has been parachuted onto Prelude, is throwing his weight around like he’s some sort of big king dick…this self-styled hero tough guy has been doing his best to intimidate some of the younger female tech’s by demanding they tell him whether they are in the Union and whether they intend to take Protected Industrial Action,” claimed the Offshore Alliance.

“Shell’s senior management need to pull this idiot into line as the Offshore Alliance will bang both him and Shell into the Federal Court for breach of Freedom of Association provisions if he doesn’t pull his head in. Pull off your management thugs, Shell,” added the union. read more

Shell to develop Crux project in Western Australia

May 30, 2022

Shell Australia Pty Ltd (Shell Australia) and its joint venture partner, SGH Energy, have taken a final investment decision to approve the development of the Crux natural gas field, off the coast of Western Australia. Crux will provide further supplies of natural gas to the existing Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility.

“This project forms an important part of Shell’s integrated gas portfolio,” said Wael Sawan, Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy Solutions Director at Shell. “Natural gas from Crux will play a key role in helping Asian customers move from coal to gas as a cleaner-burning fuel. The project will help us to meet the increasing demand for LNG as the energy market transitions to a lower carbon future.

“The project will also boost our customers’ security of supply, which is becoming an ever more significant consideration for global consumers.”

“Developing the Crux project reinforces our commitment to Australia, including boosting the regional economy, creating jobs and providing training opportunities,” said Shell Australia Chair Tony Nunan. “The use of Prelude’s existing infrastructure enables significantly reduced development costs, making Crux competitive and commercially attractive.”

The Crux field is in Commonwealth marine waters in the northern Browse Basin, 620 kilometres north-east of Broome. The development will consist of a platform operated remotely from Prelude,. Five wells will be drilled initially, and an export pipeline will connect the platform to Prelude, which is around 160 kilometres to the south-west of Crux. read more

The Sydney Morning Herald

Shell, Seven Group invest $3.5b in Crux gas for Prelude as unions take action

By Peter Milne: May 30, 2022 — 4.37pm

Shell and Seven Group have sanctioned the $US2.5 billion ($3.5 billion) Crux gas field off Western Australia’s Kimberley coast to supply the world’s largest vessel – Shell’s Prelude floating LNG plant – on the same day unions gave notice of industrial action.

The announcement comes one week into the prime ministership of Anthony Albanese, who said he wants to be remembered for action on climate and is under pressure from the Greens to stop all new fossil fuel projects.

Wood Mackenzie analyst Michael Song said without Crux, before 2030 the 488 metre-long Prelude would not have sufficient gas to operate at full capacity.

Prelude was meant to be the world’s first floating LNG plant and a prototype for Shell to deploy globally to develop gas in remote areas that would otherwise be stranded.

Construction of Crux will start this year with the first gas from an unmanned platform with five wells expected to flow in 2027.

The disappointing Concerto reservoir is another setback for a project that has fallen well short of most metrics that determine a successful project. read more

Reuters

Third Point’s Loeb praises Shell moves, sticks by calls for breakup

NEW YORK, May 7 (Reuters) – Activist investor Daniel Loeb, who wants Royal Dutch Shell Plc to break apart, applauded the energy giant’s decision to move its headquarters even as he sticks to views that a different corporate structure would make it more successful.

Loeb, who said in October that his hedge fund Third Point LLC had taken a $750 million stake in the company, told his own investors on Friday that he has added to his Shell stake and has held discussions with management, board members and other shareholders. read more

abc.net.au

Oil giant Shell feels heat over giant $21 billion Prelude floating LNG plant

By energy reporter Daniel Mercer

Key points:

• The Prelude project has been beset by cost and time blowouts, as well as technical problems
• A lobbyist and former engineer says safety issues are the biggest concern
• There are claims Prelude may never pay royalties for the gas it processes off Australia’s north-west coast

When Dutch-Anglo oil giant Shell decided to build a massive floating gas factory known as Prelude in 2011, it was billed as the dawn of a new era for the industry.

Australia was midway through a once-in-a-lifetime $300 billion splurge that would make the country the world’s biggest producer of super-chilled, shipped gas.

Floating gas plants were supposed to be the logical evolution, vacuuming up gas wherever they went and making fortunes for shareholders and taxpayers. read more

The Telegraph

Ukraine urges Johnson to ensure ‘not a drop’ of Russian oil reaches the UK

Shell, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, has pledged to withdraw from Russian oil products, but…

By Rachel Millard: 24 April 2022 • 6:46pm

Ukraine’s government has urged the UK to ensure “not a single drop of Russian oil enters the country”, as it pushed for a “total and immediate” boycott on Russian fossil fuels.

Oleg Ustenko, economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said it was “no time for half measures”. It comes amid concerns Britain may adopt a definition of Russian oil that allows some Kremlin supplies into the country, even under the impending embargo. read more

Ukraine brands Shell ‘deplorable’ after accusing it of using an ‘accounting trick’ to keep buying Russian oil

By LUCY WHITE FOR THE DAILY MAIL

PUBLISHED: 21:54, 22 April 2022 | UPDATED: 09:52, 23 April 2022

Ukraine’s government has branded Shell ‘deplorable’ after accusing it of using an ‘accounting trick’ to keep buying Russian oil.

Officials in Kyiv said Western companies were continuing to ‘bankroll Putin’s war machine’ despite promising to cut ties with the Kremlin. read more

The Telegraph

‘Latvian blend’: How Russia bends the rules to keep its oil flowing

There is a growing gap between rhetoric and reality on the vast trade of Russian oil

The Telegraph

Shell accused of using ‘accounting trick’ to keep buying Russian oil

The Ukrainian government has accused Shell of using an “accounting trick” to allow the oil giant to keep buying Russian crude despite promising to cut ties with the Kremlin.

A letter sent by Kyiv to Shell boss Ben van Beurden said it was “deplorable” that companies are continuing to “bankroll Putin’s war machine” amid concerns Russian oil is still being bought through backdoor routes.

The FTSE 100 oil major committed to stop purchasing Russian crude in the spot market and said it is legally obliged to accept oil deliveries from contracts sealed before the invasion of Ukraine. However, it defines refined oil products, such as diesel, as not being of Russian origin if less than 50pc of the blend is from the country. read more

Three Chinese energy firms are in talks to buy Shell’s stake in a huge Russian natural gas export project, a report says

Grace Dean: Fri, April 22, 2022, 12:27 PM

Chinese firms are in talks to buy Shell’s stake in a Russian natural gas export project, sources told Bloomberg.

CNOOC, CNPC, and Sinopec are in joint discussions, the sources said.

Shell and other Western energy companies are withdrawing from the Russian oil and natural gas sector.

Three Chinese state-run energy companies are in talks to buy Shell’s 27.5% stake in a huge Russian natural gas export project, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. read more

CITYA.M.

Shell restarts LNG shipments from giant floating gas site

NICHOLAS EARL: TUESDAY 12 APRIL 2022

Shell has restarted shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Prelude, its massive floating plant off the coast of Western Australia.

This follows operations at the world’s largest floating object being halted for four months after a fire and safety scare.

The oil and gas giant has confirmed the Prelude facility resumed shipping cargos after demonstrating to regulators that it was safe to do so. read more

ArgusMedia.com

Shell restarts shipments from Australia’s Prelude FLNG

Shipments from Shell’s 3.6mn t/yr Prelude floating LNG (FLNG) facility in the Browse basin offshore Western Australia resumed on 10 April, with the first cargo departing at 21:50 Australian Western Standard Time (13:50 GMT).

Australia’s offshore security regulator the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (Nopsema) gave approval for shipments to resume last month following a suspension since early December after a fire broke out at the Prelude FLNG facility.

“LNG cargoes have resumed from Shell’s Prelude FLNG facility,” Shell said.

Shell operates Prelude with a 67.5pc stake. Japanese upstream firm Inpex has a 17.5pc stake in the facility, while South Korean state-owned importer Kogas and Taiwanese state-controlled CPC own 10pc and 5pc, respectively.

Prelude has been dogged by production issues since it began shipments in June 2019. Production at the plant was halted in February 2020 because of technical issues and resumed around 11 months later in January 2021. read more

Reuters

Shell resumes shipping LNG from Prelude off Australia

MELBOURNE, April 11 (Reuters) – Shell Plc (SHEL.L) said on Monday it has resumed shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its Prelude floating LNG facility off northwest Australia after a four-month shutdown due to a major power failure.

A cargo completed loading and left the site on Sunday night, a Shell spokesperson said, declining to disclose the destination.

“Our focus at Prelude remains on the long-term and delivering safe, sustained and reliable performance into the future,” Shell said in a statement. read more

The New York Times

Shell says it expects to lose up to $5 billion for pulling out of Russia.

In an update to investors, the oil company projected a huge financial hit from its exposure to Russia.

By Marie Solis and Jason Karaian: April 7, 2022, 8:09 a.m. ET

The estimate, detailed in an update to Shell shareholders, is among the largest publicly announced financial hits by any of the hundreds of companies that have curtailed their operations in Russia or withdrawn entirely since its invasion of Ukraine. read more