Shell holds crisis talks with Niger Delta community over threat to operations
Extract from an article published by Platts on 24 July 2014
Shell has opened talks with leaders of the Nembe community in the Niger Delta to stave off potential unrest that could disrupt the company’s operations, a Shell spokesman said Thursday. The talks come after the Nembe community in Brass Local Government Area of southern Bayelsa State Wednesday issued a 30-day ultimatum to Shell to shut down its operations for failing to abide by the terms of a General Memorandum of Understanding reached between the two parties last year.
The world is being held hostage
Extract from a NewsDay article by MARTIN SCHRAM published 23 July 2014 by McClatchy-Tribune News Service under the headline: “Schram: The world is being held hostage”
Europe’s shame could be seen as a retreat inside its own protective Shell – in this case, Shell Oil, the huge Dutch-British oil company. Shell has vast gas investments in Russia’s Siberia. And the fact that 193 Dutch citizens (including four Shell employees) were blown out of the sky by that Russian missile didn’t cause Shell to end its opposition to further sanctions.
Shell secretly recorded telephone calls to 888-GO-SHELL
Californians: Are you entitled to a share in Shell $2M settlement?
By John Donovan
Equilon Enterprises, a fully owned subsidiary of Shell Oil, secretly recorded calls from U.S. customers contacting 888-GO-SHELL – a call centre. This included calls originating from California. Customers disclosed private information without being aware of the surreptitious recording of their calls being answered overseas.
Following a class action lawsuit, Shell has agreed to pay nearly $2 million in settlement for violations of California’s Invasion of Privacy Act.
EXTRACT FROM COMPLAINT
Defendants’ policy and practice of recording and intercepting telephone conversations without the consent of all parties violates California’s Invasion of Privacy Act (PenalCode§§ 630,etseq.). Specifically, Defendants’ policy and practice violate Penal Code § 632.7, which prohibits the recording or intercepting (i.e., monitoring) of a communication made from a cellular or cordless telephone without the consent of all parties to the communication. As a result of Defendants’ violations, all individuals who called 888-GO-SHELL and were recorded or monitored by Defendants surreptitiously and without disclosure are entitled to an award of statutory damages and injunctive relief…
Details of how to apply for a share of the settlement monies can be found here, along with access to court documents and other information, including the following extract:
You are a Class Member if you are or were a California resident and you called 888-GO-SHELL (888-467-4355) between May 1, 2008 and September 12, 2012 from a cellular or cordless telephone while you were located within the State of California, your call was transferred to Defendant’s Manila, Philippines call center, and you spoke to a customer-service representative. There are three types of Class Members: Settlement Class 1 Members, Settlement Class 2 Members and persons who are members of both Settlement Class 1 and Settlement Class 2.
Customers resident in other U.S. states may investigate whether class actions can be brought against Shell arising from calls made to 888-GO-SHELL and secretly recorded by Shell.
Europe’s ‘ghost town’ refineries spook oil company results
Extracts from a Reuters article by Christopher Johnson published Wednesday 23 July 2014
LONDON, July 23 (Reuters) – Europe is coming under increasing pressure to close oil refineries as chronic over-capacity hits processing margins, dragging down group profits and hitting share prices.
Poland’s PKN Orlen and Czech processor Unipetrol both announced unexpected large losses on Wednesday after impairment charges at processing plants.
Larger oil peers Royal Dutch Shell, BP and Eni will report next week and refining is expected to weight heavily on the results.
Stephen George, principal consultant at KBC Advanced Technologies and a specialist in global refining economics, says many European refiners will have to close eventually, no matter how strong the political pressure to save jobs.
“I don’t like to play the grim reaper,” George told Reuters’ Global Oil Forum, “But when you consider the market, there are challenges both to scale and product/market alignment.”
“Some sites will certainly close.”
The TRUTH will set you FREE.
