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Shell Plays Hot Potato with Solar Assets: A Tale of Strategic ‘Enlightenment’

Posted by John Donovan: 29 Feb 24

In an astonishing turn of events that will surely leave us all basking in the warm glow of irony, Shell, the poster child for fossil fuel philanthropy, has decided to play a round of hot potato with approximately a quarter of its US solar business, Savion. That’s right, folks, the same company that’s been drilling its way into our hearts (and the planet) is now making a strategic pivot so bold, it might just qualify for an Olympic gymnastics routine. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

“How to Pollute and Piss Off Your Neighbors” starring Shell

Posted by John Donovan: 20 Feb 24

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the latest episode of “How to Pollute and Piss Off Your Neighbors,” starring Shell, the ever-gracious host of Beaver County’s most talked-about bash. It’s not your average garden party, folks. This is a shindig where the aroma of ethane cracker emissions fills the air, and the ambiance is set by the gentle glow of flaring accidents and the melodious sounds of industrial clamor. Who needs Spotify playlists when you have the symphony of Shell’s ethane cracker plant serenading you?

In a twist that surprised absolutely nobody, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been playing party pooper, citing Shell for being the life of the pollution party a tad too enthusiastically. Shell, in a moment of magnanimity, didn’t bother to argue and agreed to a nearly $10 million “party fund” in fines and “contributions” to the community. But the hangover from this fête is far from over.

Enter John Flynn, a local resident who, unlike Shell, doesn’t think toxic emissions make for a great neighborhood ambiance. Flynn and his legal squad are aiming to turn this solo complaint into a class-action extravaganza, claiming the plant’s “substantial and unreasonable noxious odors, fugitive dust, and light emissions” have turned the area into the ultimate “private, public nuisance.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Splurges $14 Billion on a Plant That’s Practically a Comedy of Errors

Posted by John Donovan: 14 Feb 24

In a jaw-dropping display of financial gymnastics, Shell, the beloved titan of environmental stewardship (wink, wink), has officially admitted to dropping a cool $14 billion on their Beaver County ethane cracker plant. That’s right, folks—more than double their initial fairy tale estimate of $6 billion. It seems someone at Shell’s been playing a little too fast and loose with the abacus.

Shell CEO Wael Sawan, possibly while polishing his crystal ball, shared this financial marvel during a recent earnings call. Sawan, who stepped into the CEO spotlight last year, presumably without a magician’s hat, stated, “The fundamental is making sure that the $14 billion so or so of capital employed in Shell Polymers Monaca are generating the return.” Ah, the sweet sound of optimism or delusion? You decide.

As if the plot couldn’t thicken any further, Sawan confessed that the plant, which started its comedic opera of mechanical mishaps from day one, won’t be belting out its full earnings aria until the 2025-26 season. But wait, there’s more! Out of the three polyethylene trains meant to serenade us with plastics, one decided to go off the rails due to “equipment issues,” delaying the grand finale of plastic production. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Bids Adieu to California’s Hydrogen Dreams

Posted by John Donovan: 12 Feb 24

Oh, what’s this? Shell, the ever-so-loving caretaker of our fragile planet, has decided to throw a wrench into California’s green dreams by pulling out of the hydrogen fuel game for passenger cars. Surprise, surprise! In a move that screams “We’re here for a good time, not a long time,” Shell has officially declared, “Hydrogen cars? Not our jam anymore,” in sunny California, the only place in the U.S. where driving a hydrogen car doesn’t feel like a treasure hunt. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s Pennsylvania Petrochemical Plant Costs Inflate to a Jaw-Dropping $14 Billion

Posted by John Donovan: 8 Feb 24

In a plot twist that no one saw coming (except maybe everyone), Shell has admitted that its petrochemical plant is more of a money pit than a cash cow, with costs ballooning to a comically oversized $14 billion. That’s right, folks – in what can only be described as a financial facepalm, Shell has managed to overshoot its initial guesstimate by a mere 130%, proving that when it comes to budget management, they’re as reliable as a chocolate teapot. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell CEO Cries Over Biden’s LNG Timeout, Fears for Big Oil’s Fragile Confidence

Posted by John Donovan: 4 Feb 24

Oh, the horror, the absolute tragedy! Shell’s CEO, Wael Sawan, has sounded the alarm bells, folks. It seems that President Joe Biden’s audacious pause on approvals for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals is causing a bit of a kerfuffle among the oil elites. Sawan, leading the charge with a violin so small you’d need a microscope to see it, warns that this move will “erode confidence” in the sacred halls of the fossil fuel industry, that bastion of stability in our ever-changing world. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s Magical Mystery Tour Convinces Pennsylvania to Fork Over $1.6 Billion for Plastic Paradise

Exceeding pollution limits faster than you can say “Abracadabra,” the plant has turned Beaver County into anything but the promised land of milk and honey.

Posted by John Donovan: 3 Feb 24

Once upon a time in 2012, the wizards at Shell, known for their love affair with all things oily and plastic, waved their wands (and wallets) to enchant Pennsylvania lawmakers into giving them a fairy-tale tax break. In this spellbinding saga, Shell promised to build a kingdom of polymer—a.k.a. an “ethane cracker”—capable of churning out single-use plastics galore, in exchange for a treasure chest worth $1.6 billion in tax incentives. Because what’s more enchanting than a mountain of plastic? read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s Pennsylvania Plant: A Not-So-Smooth Start in the World of Ethylene Cracking

Posted by John Donovan: 7 Jan 2024

Welcome to the tale of Shell’s Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex, an ethylene cracker plant nestled in Potter Township, Pennsylvania.

This story begins with controversy, as most good stories do, which was so elegantly highlighted in an alarming New York Times article – “A Giant Factory Rises to Make a Product Filling up the World: Plastic” – published on August 2, 2019.

Fast forward to its first full year post a decade of planning and building, and oh boy, it’s been a rollercoaster! The plant had to press pause on production now and then for what they call ‘maintenance and adjustments.’ But wait, there’s more! It also caught the eye of state agencies, and not in a good way, racking up several citations for emissions and other trivial matters. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s CEO Ponders Joining the Fossil Fuel Fiesta in the U.S.

Posted by John Donovan: 6 Jan 24

Wael Sawan, the CEO of Shell, a corporation worth a whopping $214 billion, seems to be eagerly warming the bench as he watches Exxon Mobil and Chevron have all the fun in the Permian, a hotspot for oil that’s as profitable as it is controversial. In 2024, Sawan faces a thrilling dilemma: let his U.S. rivals hog all the glory or jump back into the oil bonanza himself, turning his back on that pesky renewable energy trend.

Rewinding to 2021, when green pressures were all the rage, Sawan’s predecessor, Ben van Beurden, was coaxed into selling assets in the Permian. But fast forward to the present, where the Ukraine war has conveniently dampened Shell’s enthusiasm for reducing oil output. Sawan, playing it cool, has also slyly dropped most of those green targets, and guess what? Investors are loving it. Since Sawan took the helm in 2023, Shell’s stock has soared by 15%, leaving U.S. and European rivals eating its dust. Meanwhile, BP, which took the high road away from oil, is barely keeping pace amid its CEO-hunting saga. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s Pocket Change: A $2.85 Million ‘Cleanup Fee’ for Illinois Refinery Mess

Posted by John Donovan: 21 Dec 2023

In an awe-inspiring display of generosity, Shell USA Inc. and their BFF, Equilon Enterprises LLC, have heroically agreed to cough up a whopping $2.85 million. This princely sum is intended to clean up the trifling mess of hazardous substances they left behind at an oil refinery in Illinois. Talk about breaking the piggy bank!

Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel, no doubt dazzled by this act of corporate largesse, has given the thumbs-up to this deal. She described it as “in good faith” and “procedurally and substantively fair.” Fair, indeed! After all, what’s a few million in the grand scheme of Shell’s pocket change? read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Latest Allegations and Litigation Relating to Warring Spymasters in Shell’s Corporate Security Department 

These filings contain serious allegations that, if substantiated, could negatively affect Shell’s reputation and, consequently, its share value. 

Posted by John Donovan: 15 Dec 2023

On 13 December I supplied a senior official at Shell Centre with copies of two legal motions filed in the U.S. courts earlier this month.

Extract from my email:

Enclosed with this email, you’ll find two filings submitted earlier this month to U.S. authorities by a former U.S. Federal Agent, Mr. Walied Shater. These filings contain serious allegations that, if substantiated, could negatively affect Shell’s reputation and, consequently, its share value. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell in Hot Water for Playing Dumb in Rhode Island’s ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ Lawsuit

Posted by John Donovan: 9 Dec 2023

Over in Rhode Island, the courtroom’s getting hotter than a summer day in the Sahara, and Shell Oil is the star of the show. In a dazzling performance of corporate amnesia, Shell’s lawyers are shrugging off basic questions about the company’s involvement in its terminal at the Port of Providence. It’s like they’ve suddenly forgotten who’s in charge of not turning the area into an environmental disaster zone.

The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), not to be outdone by Shell’s memory loss, filed a lawsuit back in 2017. They’re accusing Shell of basically rolling out the red carpet for flooding and other climate change-related party crashers at its petroleum storage terminal. CLF isn’t new to this rodeo; they’ve been roping in big oil facilities across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Oil Titans on Trial: Big Energy Companies Grapple with Climate Deception Lawsuit in California Showdown

Grab your popcorn, folks. This legal drama is about to reveal whether these energy companies are just misunderstood giants or masterminds of eco-deception. Stay tuned!

Posted by John Donovan:

27 November 2023   

Well, well, well, if it isn’t our favorite energy giants back in the spotlight, but this time they’re not drilling oil – they’re drilling themselves into a bit of a legal quagmire. BP PLC, Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil Corp., and Royal Dutch Shell PLC are about to play a high-stakes game of courtroom chess in sunny California. And guess what? It’s not about who struck oil, but who played a little too fast and loose with the truth about climate change. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Happy Birthday, Shell Cracker Plant! Beaver County Wishes for a Less Polluted Future

Posted by John Donovan: 16 November 2023

Beaver County’s Shell cracker plant just celebrated its first birthday, and boy, did it get some gifts! A whopping 13 notices of violation and at least 26 malfunctions. It’s like the plant’s trying to set a new high score in the environmental harm game. The local community marked this “special” occasion by reminding everyone that Shell might not be the best neighbour.

Anaïs Peterson of Earthworks dropped some fun facts at the party: a nine-day benzene release and a 65-hour carbon monoxide emission event. Talk about party favours! And the guests of honour? Residents like Skyler Brimmeier, who can smell Shell’s operations before they even see their house, and others who have moved out because the Shell party just never ends.

But don’t worry, Shell’s been a good sport, doling out $10 million in fines for their environmental oopsies. Daniel Rossi-Keen of RiverWise gave a heartfelt toast, pointing out that good neighbours don’t typically pollute your air, water, and soil. Shell, however, reassured everyone that safety is their “top priority.” They’re probably just working on a different definition of safety than the rest of us. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

US Supreme Court Snubs Shell’s ‘Timeout’ Request in Coastal Caper

Posted by John Donovan: 9 November 2023

In the latest episode of ‘Oil Titans vs. The World’, the US Supreme Court, in its majestic indifference, has denied a pause to the legal theatrics of BP Plc and Shell Plc units. These plucky underdogs were just asking for a little breather before a Louisiana trial that could see them forking over billions for their alleged role in a coastal vanishing act.

It seems that the companies, in a display of courtroom gymnastics, tried to vault the case out of Cameron Parish, arguing that a fair trial there would be as elusive as an honest emissions report. Their plea? That every local juror is too personally and financially intertwined in the coastal loss saga to judge the case without bias. The audacity of the community for being affected by the issue at hand! read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Whispers of a BP-Shell super merger

Posted by John Donovan: 31 October 2023

Once upon a time in a land far, far away from the reality of climate change, the noble knights of Big Oil gallantly rebranded their annual jamboree to “Energy Intelligence,” because, as we all know, changing your name changes your impact on the planet. Meanwhile, our heroes of the hour, Fossil Free London, were throwing a bit of a festive blockade party at the Intercontinental. You might’ve heard of Greta Thunberg? Yeah, she was there, got a badge of honor in the form of a public disorder charge. So large was the fiesta that Shell’s head honcho Wael Sawan had to resort to Zoom to address his oil-loving subjects. How… quaint. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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