Shell

Shell describes itself as "a global group of oil, gas and petrochemical companies with a broad portfolio of hydrogen, biofuels, wind and solar power interests." [1] Shell operates in "more than 140 countries and territories, employing approximately 109,000 people," according to its website (accessed February 2007). [2]

Repositioning after 1995

Following the execution of Nigerian environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and its attempt to dump the Brent Spar oil platform in the ocean, Shell appointed a dozen people to oversee its image overhaul. A decade later, Simon Longstaff, one of Shell's twelve and the director of Sydney's St. James Ethical Centre, lashed out at Shell. "The process we went through was thorough and exhaustive, but what concerned me was seeing the marketing arm of the company turn it into a PR exercise as soon as we had finished," he said.

"It was a process that should have happened slowly and been led from the top for real change to occur. Leveraging it for advertising and then having the process betrayed by the man at the top sent a very confused message to everyone in the company that wanted real change." Longstaff's comments echo critiques of Shell's operations in Nigeria and apartheid South Africa. [3]

Royal Dutch Shell

The Royal Dutch Shell oil company "has evacuated four oil facilities in Nigeria in response to a sudden intensification in the militia violence which plagues the western delta," Simon Freeman reported in the January 16, 2006, Times Online (UK).

"The withdrawal of 326 staff and contract workers from the remote flow stations in the swampy region comes after the centres were shut down following a bomb attack on the pipeline linking them to the main export terminal last week," Freeman wrote, and the "evacuation will delay repairs to the pipe which carries 106,000 barrels a day, around 10 per cent of Shell's oil output from Nigeria. The move has raised fears that international companies may permanently quit the turbulent delta area if the Government, a key Western oil ally, fails to rein in the militias."

Driving Around (Some of) the World

"In a bid to underline its 'green' credentials, Shell is currently sending a fleet of Volkswagen Golfs in [Around the World in 80 Days' protagonist Phileas] Fogg's footsteps, on an expedition 'around the world in 50 fill-ups'," reports The Independent. The goal is "to win a place in the Guinness Book of Records for circumnavigating the globe in the most fuel-efficient manner possible," using "Shell's specially customized vehicles." However, unlike Fogg, Shell's journey will avoid Africa. Guy Adams writes, "Shell has a - shall we say? - dodgy record in those parts, as a result of its ongoing operations in Nigeria." Environmental, social and human rights concerns - including the 1995 murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa - have resulted in Shell boycotts. Shell spokespeople have called Nigeria the company's "worst public relations nightmare," according to the Multinational Monitor. But the company insists that its "strange itinerary" is simply due to "difficulties taking all the cars through customs" in Africa. [4]

Shell on Tour

"As an industry, we have not done a good job about educating people and talking about how gas prices are set," explained Shell's senior media relations specialist, Darci Sinclair. So, over the next two years, Shell "will send its senior leaders on a 50-city 'tour'," reported PR Week in June 2006. Shell president John Hofmeister and other executives will hold "one-on-one and group meetings, receptions, speeches, and other events with local chambers of commerce, rotary clubs, educational institutions, media members, environmental groups, government officials, Shell employees themselves, and others." The goal is to reach 10,000 people in total, in cities including Dallas, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Seattle, Charlotte and Honolulu. Like other oil companies and the industry group American Petroleum Institute, Shell is trying to counter public anger at high oil prices and "windfall profit" tax proposals. [5]

Fudging Oil Reserves

In March 2004, the controversy over the exaggeration of the oil and gas reserves of Shell resulted in the resignation of the then chairman, Philip Watts, and Walter van de Vijver, who was responsible for exploration and production. In an attempt to manage the crisis Shell hired the Brunswick Group to help it manage the crisis. "Brunswick has recently come on board, but we don't really say much more about what they do," Corrigan told PR Week.

PR Week also reported that for several years Shell had - and continued to - use the London-based Finsbury to handle financial PR for the company and was also advising on managing the crisis on the overstated reserves. [6]

Executive Committee

From Shell's website (accessed February 16, 2007): [7]

• Jeroen van der Veer, Chief Executive of Royal Dutch Shell,
• Linda Cook, Executive Director Gas & Power
• Malcolm Brinded, Executive Director Exploration & Production,
• Peter Voser, Chief Financial Officer
• Rob Routs, Executive Director Downstream Oil Products & Chemicals

Contact Information

Website: http://www.shell.com

Case Studies

• Race-baiting Strategy Helps Keep Shell Pumping in Nigeria

SourceWatch Resources

• Coalition for Southern Africa (describes Shell's "Neptune" strategy for engagement with apartheid in South Africa)
• Edelman, the PR firm that helped Shell "bring the gasoline experience home to consumers in a hands-on fashion" in 2007 [8]
• Oil industry
• Pax Americana, Africa
• Peter Sandman who advised Shell at the time of the sentencing and execution of Ken Saro Wiwa.
• Terrorism
• Venezuela's oil industry

External Links

• Michael Renner, The New Oil Order. Washington's War on Iraq is the Lynchpin to Controling Persian Gulf Oil, Foreign Policy in Focus at CorpWatch, February 14, 2003.
• Katherine Griffiths and Danielle Rossingh, "Shell non-execs hire advisers as van de Vijver speaks out," Independent (UK), April 15, 2004.
• Katherine Griffiths, "Lies, cover-ups, fat cats and an oil giant in crisis. Shell admits deceiving shareholders; Sacked chairman savaged in report", Independent (UK), April 20, 2004.
• Tom Acitelli, "Royal Dutch/Shell enlists Brunswick amid audit, exits", PR Week, April 26, 2004.
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development, "IUCN & Shell collaboration for biodiversity", December 6, 2004.
• Julie Macken, "Step lightly in fields of dreams", Australian Financial Review, July 6, 2005. (Sub req'd.)
• Angelique Chrisafis, "Jailing of Irish villagers sparks anger as farmers defy Shell in Battle of the Bog: Support swells for opponents of gas pipeline imprisoned for contempt of court", Guardian (UK), July 18, 2005.
• Ian Hall, "Edelman, Burson land global deals with unified Shell", PR Week, Oct 3, 2005.
• Andy Rowell, "Is Nigeria The Next Persian Gulf?", AlterNet, November 10, 2005. ("In the 10 years since Ken Saro-Wiwa's execution, oil remains the curse of the Niger Delta. And as the U.S. relies more heavily on the region's oil, tensions continue to rise.")
• Guy Adams"'Fogg' rewritten as Shell steers clear of Africa", The Independent, February 10, 2006.
• Rory Carroll, "Shell told to pay Nigerians $1.5bn pollution damages: Oil giant will appeal against court decision; Kidnap and sabotage cripple production", Guardian, February 25, 2006.
• Ted McKenna, "Shell to tour US," PR Week (sub req'd), June 8, 2006.
• George Monbiot, "Shell and BP: Still Drilling", The Guardian, June 13, 2006.
• Complexxon Stephan Tychon, heir european energy agenda '66 on the cheap oil disorder due to abusive industrial dominance following the world's first energy transition from coal to gas: Gasgate 1963, now renamed 'Gasroot' [9]
• Hamilton Nolan, "Shell mobile marketing effort drives home its fuel message," PR Week (sub req'd), February 15, 2007.
• David J. Lynch, "Shell Oil tries different path to engage public opinion," USA Today, May 11, 2007.