BBC NEWS

Shell reports highest profits in 115 years

Oil and gas giant Shell has reported record annual profits after energy prices surged last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

By Simon Jack & Nick Edser: 2 FEB 2023

Profits hit $39.9bn (£32.2bn) in 2022, double last year’s total and the highest in its 115-year history.

Energy firms have seen record earnings since oil and gas prices jumped following the invasion of Ukraine.

It has heaped pressure on firms to pay more tax as households struggle with rising bills.

Opposition parties said Shell’s profits were “outrageous” and the government was letting energy firms “off the hook”. They also called for the planned increase in the energy price cap due in April to be scrapped. read more

The Telegraph

Shell shares slide after profit warning

 James Warrington

6 OCTOBER 2022 • 6:24PM

Shell has issued a profit warning for the third quarter in a sign the energy giant’s record run of earnings could be coming to an end.

The FTSE 100 company reported a negative margin of $27 per metric tonne in its chemical unit, which is often seen as an indicator of the strength of the wider economy.

That could be a worrying sign of the outlook across Europe, where major industries are struggling to cope with soaring gas prices.

Shell also reported a decline in its refining margins as oil prices eased back from their recent highs. read more

The Sun

PURE GREED: How fatcat energy bosses will bank a staggering £15 MILLION as terrified hard-up Brits choose heating or eating

• Emma Pietras
• 22:37, 10 Aug 2022
• Updated: 9:09, 11 Aug 2022

IT is High Noon for the energy fatcats today as they drag their expensively-dressed behinds into showdown talks with the Chancellor.

As The Sun revealed yesterday, Nadhim Zahawi has summoned gas and electricity bosses in to explain just how much cash they are making out of the energy crisis.

It comes as energy experts at Auxilione revealed energy bills could reach over £5,000 next year and Martin Lewis warned the crisis could put lives at risk.

Zahawi and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng wil also demand to know what investment they plan to make with their soaring profits. read more

BBC NEWS

Shell staff get profits bonus as energy bills soar

• Immoral oil and gas profits must be taxed – UN

4 August 2022

Energy giant Shell is to give its workers a one-off 8% bonus after the company reported record profits from high oil and gas prices.

Most of the 82,000 staff it employs worldwide will get the pay boost but top executives will be excluded.

Shell said the award reflected its financial success and was “not a response” to the rising cost of living.

Energy firms’ bumper profits have prompted calls for tougher taxes to help families with rising bills. read more

Shell CEO Sees Risk of Even Higher Oil Prices

by Bloomberg | Laura Hurst, Tom Mackenzie | Thursday, July 28, 2022

Oil prices are more likely to rise than fall as the tightness in supply outweighs any risks to demand, said the boss of Shell Plc. 

“Where we are today, there is more upside than downside when it comes to the oil price,” Shell Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Thursday. “Demand hasn’t fully recovered yet and supply is definitely tight.”

The Shell CEO spoke after the company reported record-breaking profits for a second consecutive quarter due to high oil and gas prices. Even with Brent crude remaining above $100 a barrel there’s little sign of demand destruction, and consumption continues to recover from the pandemic, van Beurden said.

“I’m quite optimistic, both on the energy system as well as the global economy,” he said.

There’s limited scope for extra oil supplies from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries or US shale producers, and the full effect of sanctions on Russia’s production may not yet have been felt, Van Beurden said. read more

The Guardian

‘Insult to millions’: Shell and Centrica profits cause outrage as energy bills soar

Rob Davies: @ByRobDavies: Thu 28 Jul 2022 18.42 BST

profits at two of the UK’s biggest energy companies read more

THE TIMES

Shell vows a return for investors from its ‘obscene’ profits

Emily Gosden: Energy Editor: Friday July 29 2022, 12.01

Shell’s profits more than doubled to a high of $11.5 billion in the second quarter as it benefited from surging oil, gas and fuel prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The FTSE 100 oil company said it would increase returns to investors by buying back $6 billion of shares over the coming three months.

Shell faced a backlash for what critics called “obscene” profits, which come after petrol prices hit record highs and as households face a crippling rise in energy bills that is forecast to push millions of people into poverty this winter.

Ben van Beurden, the chief executive, admitted it was “a difficult period for a lot of people” because of high energy prices, but said: “These are global phenomena, there’s… read more

CNBC

Shell, Total continue buyback bonanza after record profits

PUBLISHED THU, JUL 28 20222:11 AM EDT

KEY POINTS

• Europe’s oil giants Shell and TotalEnergies extended share buybacks after their second-quarter profits beat an already record-breaking previous quarter.

• The two companies combined are buying back $8 billion in shares in the third quarter.

• Benchmark Brent crude oil futures have risen more than 140% in the past twelve months, averaging around $114 a barrel in the quarter.

Europe’s biggest oil companies Shell and TotalEnergies extended share buybacks on Thursday after their second-quarter profits beat an already record-breaking previous quarter on the back of soaring crude, gas and oil product prices.

The two companies combined are buying back $8 billion in shares in the third quarter after recording their respective highest quarterly profits while keeping their dividends steady, which might disappoint some investors. read more

BBC News

Energy rationing cannot be ruled out, warns Shell

Rationing of energy in Europe cannot be ruled out, the boss of energy giant Shell has warned, due to worries over the supply of gas from Russia.

Speaking at an energy conference, Ben van Beurden said a “really tough winter in Europe” was ahead, with energy prices set to see “significant” rises.

Energy prices jumped earlier this year after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russia has also been accused of using gas “as a weapon” by limiting supplies in response to EU sanctions. read more

REUTERS

Europe faces tough winter, may need to ration energy, Shell CEO says

Thu, 14 July 2022, 11:18 am

OXFORD, Britain (Reuters) – Europe faces a “really tough” winter in the face of soaring energy costs which might require fuel rationing, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said on Thursday.

“It will be a really tough winter in Europe.. We will all face very significant escalation in energy prices,” van Beurden told the Aurora Spring Conference in Oxford.

In the worst case, Europe will need to ration its energy consumption, he added. read more

yahoo!finance

Shell reverses billions in write-offs as oil prices remain high

August Graham: Thu, 7 July 2022, 9:13 am·

Oil giant Shell is to reverse previous write-offs of up to £3.8 billion this quarter after energy prices soared.

The company said it expects to reverse post-tax impairments of between 3.5 billion dollars (£2.9 billion) and 4.5 billion dollars (£3.8 billion).

It came as the business revised what it thinks it will be paid for its oil and gas over the coming years.

It told shareholders on Thursday: “In the second quarter 2022, Shell has revised its mid- and long-term oil and gas commodity prices, reflecting the current macroeconomic environment as well as updated energy market demand and supply fundamentals.

“This resulted in a review of Shell’s upstream and integrated gas previously impaired assets.”

Shell also said it will produce more gas during the second quarter of the year than previously thought amid the global energy crisis.

The business told investors that it expects to extract between 930,000 and 980,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from its integrated gas operations.

It is an upgrade from its previous estimate of between 910,000 and 960,000, which Shell released in early May.

It also upgraded production from its upstream operations. They had previously been expected to fall from the levels seen in the first quarter due to maintenance in the Gulf of Mexico. read more

‘The foul stench of profiteering rears its ugly head yet again…’

This is MONEY.co.uk

Shell under fire from fuel campaigners as it rakes in extra £1bn as a result of soaring petrol prices

By DAILY MAIL CITY & FINANCE REPORTER

PUBLISHED: 22:28, 7 July 2022 | UPDATED: 22:28, 7 July 2022

Shell suffered a backlash from fuel campaigners after it revealed it could rake in up to £1billion in extra cash as a result of soaring petrol prices.

The FTSE100 energy firm’s refining business, which turns crude oil into different petroleum products such as car fuel, was expected to see earnings rise by £667million to £1billion in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the first. read more

Shell boosts oil and gas asset value as refining soars

REUTERS PUBLISHED THU, JUL 7 20223:26 AM EDT

Shell said on Thursday said it would reverse up to $4.5 billion in writedowns on oil and gas assets after it raised its energy prices outlook following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In an update before second quarter results on July 28, Shell said its refining margins almost tripled over the period, boosted by recovering global demand from the pandemic, a lack of refining capacity and lower fuel exports from Russia.

Earnings from oil and refined products trading were expected to be strong in the quarter but lower than the first quarter of 2022, Shell said.

Shell’s indicative refining margin rose in the second quarter to $28.04 per barrel from $10.23 a barrel in the first quarter and $4.17 a year earlier.

Oil and gas prices remained elevated in the quarter, with benchmark Brent crude averaging about $114 a barrel.

“In the second quarter 2022, Shell has revised its mid and long-term oil and gas commodity prices reflecting the current macroeconomic environment as well as updated energy market demand and supply fundamentals,” it said.

Shell increased its assumed price for Brent to $80 a barrel in 2023, up from $60 in its 2021 annual report. read more

Shell boss Ben van Beurden slammed for reaping more than £18m ahead of possible shareholder rebellion

By FRANCESCA WASHTELL, FINANCIAL MAIL ON SUNDAY

PUBLISHED: 21:51, 21 May 2022 | UPDATED: 11:34, 22 May 2022

Shell boss Ben van Beurden has been slammed for reaping more than £18million ahead of a possible shareholder rebellion this week. 

Calculations by The Mail on Sunday show that the Dutch businessman – who has led Shell since 2014 – has seen the valuations of his shares and other payments soar.  read more

Reuters

Climate-focused Dutch funds to take lead on Shell investor engagement

By Shadia Nasralla and Ron Bousso: MAY 19, 2022

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) – Two climate-focused Dutch pension fund managers have been named to lead climate negotiations with Shell (SHEL.L) on behalf of a major group of investors that helped shape the energy company’s drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

MN and PGGM will officially take the role on behalf of the Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) investor group comprising $68 trillion in assets following Shell’s annual general meeting on May 24, MN said on Thursday. read more

CITYA.M.

Shell suffers blow as investor group withholds approval for energy transition plan

NICHOLAS EARL: MONDAY 16 MAY 2022

Shell’s battle to gain approval for its energy transition plan has suffered a heavy setback, as a major investor announces its intention to abstain on a key resolution at the firm’s upcoming annual general meeting.

Royal London Asset Management (RLAM), which holds a £1.2bn stake in the energy giant, has criticised the oil and gas trader’s climate transition plans. read more