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
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
SHELL could be close to losing large sums of money from a protected industrial action onboard its Prelude floating LNG vessel from 7am tomorrow when all non-essential staff down tools and refuse to load cargoes.
Australia’s Fair Work Commission has approved the action as unions hammer out a new enterprise bargaining agreement with Shell. The protected industrial action runs until June 21.
The 3.6 million tonne vessel sold four cargoes through May and has varied contracts including with Korea’s Kogas. Other cargoes go into Shell’s wider LNG portfolio. This comes as the global gas market tightens amid far higher demand for LNG from Europe as it tries to swiftly pivot from Russian pipe gas.read more
THE union representing offshore oil and gas workers at Shell Australia’s Prelude FLNG facility have outlined serious safety concerns to the safety regulator, warning employees’ lives are at stake because fire suppression systems are not working.
The Offshore Alliance – part of the Australian Workers Union and Maritime Union of Australia – lodged the complaint yesterday which revealed that over 200 smoke detectors on the facility were not relaying to the control room and workers would not be aware of an explosion or fire at the giant floating gas project.read more
May 30th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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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
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.
Shell initially planned to tap the nearby Concerto field after the initial Prelude reservoir was drained, but later analysis showed Concerto would be less productive than expected, forcing Shell to source gas from Crux, 160 kilometres away.
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
May 28th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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Reuters
Exclusive-Shell in talks with Indian consortium to sell Russian LNG plant stake -sources
By Ron Bousso and Nidhi Verma
LONDON (Reuters) -Shell is in talks with a consortium of Indian energy companies to sell its stake in a major liquefied natural gas plant in Russia, three sources told Reuters, highlighting India’s willingness to step into the space left by Western companies following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer has already stepped up purchases of Russian supplies since the conflict began in February, taking advantage of big discounts at a time when global oil prices have surged.
The sources said Shell has recently entered into talks with a group of Indian companies, including ONGC Videsh and Gail, over its 27.5% stake in the Sakhalin-2 LNG plant on Russia’s eastern flank.
Shell declined to comment. ONGC, Gail and other state-run Indian companies did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The talks follow the British company’s plans to exit all its Russian operations, amid an exodus of Western companies from the country in response to sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. India has not explicitly condemned Moscow’s actions there.
India has snapped up cheap Russian oil, taking its share of Russian oil exports to around 10% from zero since the start of this year, according to the International Energy Agency.read more
May 12th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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REUTERS
Shell sells Russian retail business to Lukoil
May 12 (Reuters) – Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil (LKOH.MM) will buy Shell’s (SHEL.L) Russian retail and lubricants businesses, the companies said on Thursday, as the British oil major moves ahead with its exit from the country following its Ukraine invasion.
The deal includes 411 retail stations, mainly located in the Central and Northwestern regions of Russia, and the Torzhok lubricants blending plant, Shell said in a statement.
“The acquisition of Shell’s high-quality businesses in Russia fits well into Lukoil’s strategy to develop its priority sales channels, including retail, as well as the lubricants business,” said Maxim Donde, a vice-president with Lukoil.
Neither Shell, nor Lukoil would not comment on the value of the deal, which still requires the approval of Russia’s anti-monopoly authorities. read more
“Under this deal, more than 350 people currently employed by Shell Neft will transfer to the new owner of this business,” Shell said.read more
Activist investor Daniel Loeb has revealed he has added to his stake in energy giant Shell despite doubling down on calls for a shake-up to the energy major’s corporate structure.
Loeb, who revealed in October that his hedge fund Third Point had taken $750m stake in Shell, told his investors last week that he had upped his stake in the firm and had held discussions with the firm’s bosses.read more
May 7th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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Bloomberg
Activist Investor Dan Loeb Increases Shell Stake, Reuters Reports
Rachel Morison: ·
(Bloomberg) — Dan Loeb’s Third Point LLC has increased its $750 million stake in the energy giant Shell Plc as the investor seeks to pressure the company to split up its businesses, Reuters reported.
Loeb has held discussions with Shell’s management, board members and other shareholders, according to a letter sent to Third Point investors and seen by Reuters.
The letter described the company’s stock price as cheap but said there could be gains ahead with “proper management,” according to Reuters.read more
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
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
Apr 22nd, 2022
by John Donovan.
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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
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
Listen and read proof in audio and transcript form of Shell CEO Ben van Beurden’s cover-up tactics in the OPL 245 Nigerian corruption scandal. The instruction given by him in the covertly recorded call to CFO Simon Henry was at odds with Shell’s claimed core business principles. Cover-up and obstruction, instead of transparency and integrity, says Shell critic John Donovan
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SHELL EXECUTIVES AT THE CENTER OF A SCHEME TO STEAL $1.3 BILLION FROM NIGERIA’S PEOPLE
SHELL ADMITS DEALING WITH NIGERIAN MONEY LAUNDERER – BBC NEWS
SHELL, ENI AND NIGERIAN OFFICIALS IN OPL 245 CORRUPTION SCANDAL
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DUTCH EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BY SHELL/EXXON
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