Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell Royal Dutch Shell is a global, publically traded Public Limited Company, whose main focus is on the energy and petrochemicals business. Royal Dutch/Shell officially formed in 1907, with the merger of a London based Transportation Company called Samuel Shell transport and trading company ltd., and a recently formed oil company from the Netherlands, the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company. This merger facilitated the transportation of oil throughout the world, giving Royal Dutch Shell a global presence in the then emerging market of oil. Until 2005, Royal Dutch and Shell were two entities, with a 60/40 profit sharing mix, Royal Dutch and Shell respectively. The two companies officially merged into one entity, eliminating the slash after Royal Dutch. They have a principal listing in the London Stock exchange and their official headquarters are located in The Hague in The Netherlands. Shell as it is notably abbreviated as, began with the vision of its first operating manager Henry Deterding. H enry Deterding, provided the growing company with a strong backbone, taking Shell from a small player in the oil exporting business to a major competitor. Royal Dutch Shell, took control of Mexican Eagle Petroleum Company in 1919, and in 1932 formed an alliance with British Petroleum, and was Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd until 1975. Its last major acquisition was in 2007 of the Ukrainian oil company Regal Petroleum. Today, Shell is based in over 140 countries, and is engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, transportation and marketing of natural gas and electricity, and marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals. They also have interests in renewable energy, like wind, solar and hydrogen based energy. Royal Dutch Shell has come a long way since its inception and has become a world leader in the oil and gas market. This is in large part due to the companys leadership, since the formation of the company strong leadership has brought Shell into a well-built company. Roya l Dutch Shell through their strong leadership, ethics and corporate social responsibility; and their business environment have become according to fortune 500, the largest Corporation in the world. Leadership and Managemen The Management of Royal Dutch Shell, like other major oil companies BP, Amoco, Exxon and Mobil is highly complex. Controlling and efficiently profitably running an organization that is active in over 140 countries is not an easy job. Each country and region has its own difficulties and limitations that put the managements strategy in challenge and force it to change regarding the political, economical and social situations. This is the challenge that Shell accepts and moulds itself according to the situation. Strengths Shell is one of the largest oil companies in the world and has a strong market position. Its operations include upstream and downstream operations in over 100 countries. The company has interests in oil production operations in 37 countries and majority interest in 40 refineries worldwide. Shell operates the worlds largest single-brand retail network, with more than 45,000 service stations. The cornerstone of the company is its leadership position in various fields such as oil products, deep-water production, Natural gas, and polyolefin. The company has established a strong brand image operating for over 100 years worldwide. Shell is ranked second in 2009 Forbes Global 2000, up from sixth in 2008. It was ranked eighth in 2007. The company is ranked First in 2009 Fortune Global 500 ranking. The companys strong market position gives it significant bargaining power in the global oil industry. Shells business operations are vertically integrated with presence in both upstream and downstream businesses. In upstream, the company is engaged in the exploration and production of oil and gas. In 2008, the companys total hydrocarbon production totaled 3,170 thousand barrels of oil per day. During 2008, the company participated in 224 successful exploratory wells. The company is also involved in the natural gas supply, storage, transport, distribution activities, and marketing of natural gas and electri>city. The companys gas and power business operates in 35 countries around the world. In downstream, the company produces and markets refined petroleum products. Its refining and marketing division operates 40 refineries with an installed capacity of 4 million barrels per day. The company conducts its operations through an extensive distribution network comprising 9,000 miles of pipeline in about 70 countries, over 300 distribution facilities, and 3,000 storage tanks. Shell is one of the largest single branded retailers with more than 45,000 service stations spanning 90 countries. The companys vertically integrated operations give it significant competitive advantage in the global market in terms of economies of scale, synergies, and cross-marketing opportunities. Weaknesses The company has been witnessing a consistent decline in its hydrocarbon production in the recent past. The hydrocarbon production totaled 3,170 thousand barrels per day in 2008. This was 2% lower than the production in 2007 and 7% lower than in 2006. The decline in production is attributed to field declines, lower volumes, price impacts of production-sharing contracts, the effects of the hurricanes in the US Gulf of Mexico, and the planned maintenance turnarounds in the UK related to the shutdown gas processing facilities. The field declines affected oil production in the Australia, Brunei, Denmark, Nigeria, Norway, the UK, and the US during 2008. In addition, natural gas production was affected by declining fields in Brunei, Germany, Malaysia, the US, and the UK. Declining production would adversely affect the companys revenue growth. Shell faced an administrative action in 2008. Shell was fined $109,600 by Washingtons Department of Labor and Industries, in June 2008. The company was fined for multiple safety violations in its Anacortes refinery. The refinery is the second largest of the four major facilities supplying gasoline and other petroleum products to the Puget Sound region. The department cited 23 violations ranging from inadequately instructing operators on how to deal with emergencies to faulty inspections. Shell paid $120 million in June 2008, to settle a class action lawsuit led by the Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement Board and the Public School Employees Retirement Board. There was an allegation against Shell of overstating oil and natural gas reserves and artificially inflating stock prices over a five-year period from April 1999 to March 2004. In 2004, Shell admitted to have overstated its oil reserves by about 20%, 3.9 billion barrels. Many of the companys executives lost their jobs, including chief financial officer Judy Boynton. In April 2007, Shell agreed to pay $352.6 million, plus administrative costs, to settle a lawsuit with investors outside the US who purchased the companys shares. In May of 2009 Shell settled a $15 million dollar civil rights lawsuit in Nigeria. They were accused of paying soldiers to abuse locals in predominantly oil rich regions in Nigeria. Such huge penalties can have negative effects on the companys profitability as well as Shells overall rep utation. Opportunities Shell announced a proposal by Shell Canada for the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Duvernay Oil Corp, in July 2008. The acquisition was completed in August 2008. Duvernay, based in Alberta, is engaged in the exploration and development of natural gas and crude oil in the deeper, western portion of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta and Northeastern British Columbia. The company owns about 450,000 acres in two large gas project areas. Duvernay owns and controls the natural gas processing and delivery infrastructure in both the project areas. The company produces over 25,000 barrels oil equivalent per day predominantly in natural gas. The company plans to increase production to about 70,000 barrels per day by 2012. Shell has a strong presence in North America tight gas activities. With the acquisition of Duvernay, Shell could strengthen its portfolio through enhanced technology and scale. Duvernays acreage together with Shells operating expertise and fina ncing capabilities provide a strong platform for future growth. Increasing demand for liquefied natural gas, the demand for liquid fuels is expected to increase to 108 million barrels per day by 2030, an increase of 30% from 2005. The demand for global liquefied natural gas is expected to more than triple in volume from 2005 to 2030, driven by the demand in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific markets. Currently, Shell is participating in the Liquefied Natural Gas projects in major projects, Pearl GTL and Qatar gas 4 LNG in Qatar. The company is also participating in LNG projects in Australia. The companys focus on LNG projects implies it is well positioned to venture into opportunities in the growing market worldwide. Threats Shells business is subject to numerous laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. With rising awareness of the damage to the environment caused by industry, especially regarding global warming, regulatory standards have been continuously tightened in recent years. One of the most important developments in this area has been the introduction of the Kyoto Protocol for the reduction of greenhouse gases. The protocol calls on industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions level by 5.2% on an average annual basis during the 2008-2012 periods. The company has a significant presence across the US and the European markets. A weak economic outlook for these regions could depress industrial development and impact the demand for the companys products. Related threats to Shell include its major competitors, domestically and worldwide. These major competitors include and are not limited to: Exxon Mobil, British Petroleum, Conoco Phillips, PETRONAS, Total, Chevron and CITGO. These companies are vital threats to Royal Dutch Shells bottom line because they, for the most part, offer the same types of products and services sometimes at a substantial price discount. There are some main problems and issues inside Royal Dutch Shell that are evidently highlighted and should be resolved so the company can keep their competitive advantage when analyzed and compared to other corporations. The predominant problem is the higher than normal employee turnover rate which can be contributed by the employees to the company. In recent years namely there was a large increase of employees that were leaving Shell, in exchange for other employment positions in oil and petroleum companies that are direct competitors of Shell. Although this phenomenon did and does not impact all global operations, there is still a negative impact on the performance of this business organization since these events happens in customer rich areas such as Asia, India and the Middle East. Another major problem that is being faced by the company is its eroding supply base in the Middle East and other oil producing regions due to the ongoing friction between the United Kingdom and oil producing countries in the Middle East such as Iran with regards to topics such as the war on terror, the occupation of Iraq and the ongoing negotiations on the nuclear ambitions of Iran. Since Shell Company is partly British owned, these contemporary issues and news can directly affect the supply and logistical train of the company. Due to the support given by the British government to the United States with regards to the occupation of Iraq and the war on terror, the company has been losing the influence and prestige when it is viewed by Arabian and Middle East producing companies. This animosity against the corporation stem from the fact that it is a British company in the Middle East. This company has also supplied fuel, oil and other petroleum based products to the occupying forces in Iraq and Afghanistan which are wholly composed of the British and American Armed forces. To remedy these pressing problems, certain issues and concerns must be addressed. To combat the negative publicity that is being shed against Shell in the Middle East countries and the loss of the preferential treatment previously offered by Middle East countries to the company, an appropriate campaign must be launched to erase this negative perception about the company. This publicity campaign will not only be geared towards oil producing countries but will also focus on other Middle East countries. Reconciliatory talks and discussions must be established with the members of the OPEC in relation to the current prices of oil and petroleum based products. To further reinforce these steps, the company must assign area/regional managers in these countries who have a significant understanding and immersion in the local culture and thinking to reduce the probability of misunderstanding and miscommun ication that would add another injury to the present situation. The CEO must also have leadership qualities and characteristics to inspire his/her subordinates to respect Arabic customs and traditions. He must exude motivation, self confidence and necessary skills that are suitable for the job at hand. Lastly, the company must set up two programs so that it can remedy the last problem mentioned in this paper. First, to capture the new market, it must redefine its products to comply with strict government and environmental standards. The process of using, mining and manufacturing its products must be free from any pollution and contamination. These vital steps will not only please a government and a lobby group but would also earn the sympathy and recognition by the public. The company must also take steps in reengineering its internal structure to accommodate renewable sources of energy. It must train personnel and employees so that they would be ready to research, experiment and to test various sources of energy that is being developed by the oil industry. Similar to most global companies, Royal Dutch Shell has many strengths and weaknesses that affect the overall performance of the company. However, Royal Dutch Shell, through the companys commitment to strive for excellence combined with their upstream and downstream revenue streams, their leadership structure and corporate and social values have become the largest corporation in terms of revenue in 2009.

Marcus Garvey Essay -- essays papers

Marcus Garvey â€Å"Final Exam† Marcus Garvey, was born in Jamaica in 1887 and is considered to be the father of the Black Nationalism Movement. During the early 1900’s, after reading Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery, Garvey pledged to organize Blacks throughout the world with an agenda of Black unity and pride. Moreover, Garvey achieved his greatest influence in the Untied States where there was a growing ambition among Blacks for justice, wealth, and a sense of community. From the time of World War I, up until the mid-1920’s, Gravey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association(UNIA) was the largest Black organization in African-American history. An estimated million men and women from the United States, the Caribbean, and Africa belonged to it. When Garvey arrived in the United States in March 1916, the Black populace was about to suffer a severe blow that would make them ideal candidates for Gravey’s movement. During the Reconstruction period that followed the American Civil War, many African-Americans lost faith in the American political process. They were promised many reforms and reparations that were never realized. However, World War 1 bought a new sense of prosperity to blacks because they felt they had a second chance to prove themselves as well as attain their piece of the proverbial American pie. Implementing Alger’s philosophy which states â€Å"...heroes prove themselves through inspired acts of heroism and devotion,† many blacks believed if they foug...

Foreign Direct Investment Disadvantages Essay

There is a lot to be said for big retail to come to India, but we cannot simply be taken in and mimic something which is being pushed down our throats because those who make the policy appear to not have the faintest clue on how retail really works in India If there were clear answers in black and white to the question, there would really be no need for any debate on the issue, but the truth is that it is simply not that simple. On a philosophical and emotional level, the answer could be that any form of foreign participation in a domestic market is rife with dangers of the colonialism sort, but in this day and age, while the core concept of being wary of foreign dominance may still be true, the fact remains that there are plenty of ways to ensure that it works on a win-win basis for all concerned. The main problem with the current status of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail in India is that it does not provide a level playing field to other players of the domestic and small sort. In addition, it appears to take a rather naive and simplistic view on certain aspects, which like myths being repeated, tend to become urban legends. On the other hand, no country can afford to take on an isolationist approach. To start with, it may help to go through the background and policy note on the Cabinet decision on FDI in retail, as put up on various places on the internet. Facebook, PIB) As this writer sees it, with a holistic view of the subject and not just based on jingoism of the â€Å"burn down the malls† (right view) and â€Å"bad for farmers† (left view) sort, but on rational evaluation of larger issues, there are some points which need to be straightened out. Large retail is inevitable, and that is a simple truth, but there has to be larger perspective for public good which seems to be missing from this policy. The people of India come first, including those who want a better product or service buying or selling experience, and at the end of the day i t is their wallets which will decide where they go. But at the same time, the government, with the policy as outlined above, cannot sell the baby with the bath-water, and make things worse. Some suggestions: 1) The present Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act requires urgent revamp if we really want to help the rural and agricultural sectors with a better go to market scenario. This, along with rapid introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) as well as ease of inter- and intra-state movement of foodgrain, agri products and fresh produce, would do more to improve matters, as well as do wonders for our conomy in a variety of ways—most of all in terms of controlling prices as well as reducing storage and transit losses. 2) The policy shown above makes a case that â€Å"brands† by big FDI retailers need to be carried across borders without in any way making it clear that the quality of those brands needs to be same across borders, too. As of now we see that with these manufacturers and retailers there is on e lower quality for sale in India and there is a better quality for sale in developed countries—case in point being soft drinks, processed foods, confectionery, electronics, motor vehicles and others. If anything is by way of a different quality for India for price or other reasons, then let it be clearly marked as such. 3) Specifically in the case of packaged and processed foods, the policy does not say anything about adherence to best case scenarios in terms of labelling of ingredients and avoiding misleading marketing ploys, thereby leading to a situation where outright dangerous products are foisted on Indian consumers. The amount of product detail available for consumers in developed countries must be matched for India, too. India cannot become a vast chemistry lab for processed foods or anything else. 4) More empirical data needs to be provided on subjects like â€Å"improvement in supply chain†. India is the country where the passenger rail ticket deliveries, fresh hot cooked food by dabbawallas and diamonds as well as other precious stones by angadias have set better than global standards in supply chains, so the same standards need to be quantified and applied to those seeking 100% FDI in retail. It is not too much to ask for them to match the Indian standards—unless those who made the policy are ashamed of our prowess. ) The investments in retail by the FDI route, when they come, should come only through a short-list of recognised tax adherence countries. The misused option of FDI coming in through known or suspect tax havens needs to be blocked—firmly. Likewise, full disclosures of the strictest sort need to be made on who the investors are—again, these cannot be suitcas e corporate identities hiding behind consultants and banks in shady tax havens or other countries. Unlike what happened in, for example, airlines, Indians need to know who is investing and from where. And in case there are legal issues, then we need to know who the faces are who will go through the Indian legal system, unless those who made the policy are ashamed of our legal system. 6) The payment processing and cash management as well as tax adherence part of this industry, both in terms of procurement and sale, need to be through the Indian banking system. And by fully transparent methods, so that float as well as control remains in India at all times, as is the case in developed countries.

Interview Report My Mother Essay - 945 Words

Interview Report I interviewed my mother Jane Million. My brother has Asperger’s. He is ten years old, and in fifth grade. He is Caucasian, and my mother’s household is considered under the poverty line. He is diagnosed with Asperger’s. He I very good with mechanical skills. He can build many things, and loves almost any type of puzzle. Unfortunately he is not very good with reading or writing. He has two siblings at home. His favorite color is red. His favorite hobby is watching TV, coloring, and building things out of Legos. A typical weekday with joseph is very structured. First of all he is woken up at seven. The only person who is allowed to wake joey up is Jane. If anyone else tries to he will throw massive fits until Jane calms him down. Then Jane has to tell him to go to the bathroom or he will forget and will have an incident. Then he gets ready. If he gets ready fast enough Jane will let him play games on her phone until the bus arrives. Then joey goes to school where he spends ninety percent of his time in a special education classroom. Then after school he rides the bus home. Tiffany gets off work around the time he comes home and she watches him until Jane gets home at ten thirty. Jane taught joey how to make sandwiches, use a can opener, and cook mac and cheese, and ramen noodles. She does this because tiffany goes to bed early and doesn’t like to cook for joey so this way he can cook dinner when she forgets. When Jane comes home at ten thirty joey goes toShow MoreRelatedA comparison between a girl of 8 years old and one of 16 years old, talking about who they are1422 Words   |  6 Pagesyour mother how smart you were and you gave different answers, who would be right? Younger children were more likely to rely on another person as the reference point. Only 15 per cent placed the locus of self-knowledge within themselves, comparing with nearly 50 per cent of the older children. The locus of self – knowledge chan ges with age. This suggests that children come to understand that no one else can fully understand their experiences, feelings. Methods Design In this practical report childrenRead MoreParental Involvement1259 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT INTERVIEW Parental Involvement Interview Roseann Mazik Grand Canyon University Parental Involvement Interview Parental involvement includes a wide range of behaviors but generally refers to parents and family members use and investment of resources in their childrens schooling. These investments can take place in or outside of school, with the intention of improving childrens learning. Parental involvement at home can include activities suchRead MoreCriminal Justice Internship At The Yale Child Abuse Programs1640 Words   |  7 PagesValentino). I completed my criminal justice internship at the Yale Child Abuse Programs Department of Pediatrics, in New Haven Connecticut. My internship with the Child Abuse Programs was such an eye opening experience. I not only got to learn about my field of study, but this internship has also aloud me to discover a lot about myself as a person as well. When I walked into the Yale building on my first day as an intern, I did not know what to expect, and I certainly had no idea that my time there wouldRead MoreThe Effects Of Parents And Family Communicati on On Teenage Sexual Activities1130 Words   |  5 Pagesromantic experiences from young women’s pre-teen and adolescent years, and that this information would be used to improve health care and health education services for young people.† If a woman stayed interested in participation, then a private interview could be arranged. A small fee of twenty dollars was their enticement for their time. The ï ¬ nal study model included twenty-eight women between the ages of nineteen and twenty-nine years, with the average age being twenty - four. â€Å"Participants representedRead MoreAssessment Report On Health Issues With Patients And Or Clients Provide Opportunities For Counselors Essay975 Words   |  4 PagesThe purpose of this paper is to provide an assessment report in relation to the various assessment tools, interviews, conclusions, diagnosis, and treatment plans that are specifically relevant for a high school senior. The paper will further examine the utilizati on of these assessment tools and results for the purpose of appropriate diagnosis and treatment. It will also emphasize the selection, interpretation, and communication of psychological test results and highlights the basic principles ofRead MoreChild Maltreatment And Its Effects On Children Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pages Experiencing both physical and social disorders on a regular basis throughout one’s neighborhood because of limited means can release â€Å"toxic stress† which can deteriorate children and families social support. This has been positively related to reports of more frequent physical abuse (Molnar et al., 2016). But not all forms of child maltreatment are purposely practiced amongst those living in poverty. Health and development is an issue that many poor families have to be faced with when there areRead MoreProsocial Behavior : Behavior And Behavior Essay1378 Words   |  6 Pages24-months, mothers were asked to fill out questionnaires and took p art in a laboratory session with their child. These questionnaires measured children’s social-emotional competencies as well as assessed parenting practices. During the assessment at 42-months, both parents and the child took part in three tasks which included free play, structured play, and a cleanup task. These tasks were recorded and researchers rated cooperation during the tasks. Finally, during the 4-year assessment, mothers were againRead MoreMy Aspiration At Work Worth Doing1233 Words   |  5 PagesMy aspiration in life is to earn an honest living by providing health care to those in need of such attention. With this career path, I believe that I will have both an exciting and rewarding occupation. Helping those in need by promoting health and preventing disease I something that I found interesting ever since I was little. For when I was younger, I was in the hospital quite often for countless reasons, and knowing that I was going to be perfectly okay lead my impress ionable self to gainingRead MoreAssignment : Conflict Resolution Interview1264 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment 2: Conflict Resolution—Interview Professional Interviewed The professional I interview acquire a Ph.D. in Human Services/Public Health, with a concentration in: Healthcare Administration. In addition; to obtaining a RN license, as well as a University Professor; also owner of a Healthcare agency. My interviewee was confronted with a Group-to-group conflict: The term group suggests oneness or sameness. In this type of conflict, each group (rather than the individual) has taken anRead MoreChild Development: Prenatal and Neonatal Development Essay example1230 Words   |  5 Pageschildren development and experiences of transition into parenthood, and applies the knowledge learnt from the classes into interviewee’s real life experiences, trough an interview of a parent who has a baby around age 6 months – 2 years old. Background On Feb. 12th, 2013, at 10:30pm, a 30-min on-phone interview of a 23 year-old mother, Mary Doe, was scheduled for this applied project. The interviewee has a female infant, Lime, who is 1 year 3 months old and the first child of the interviewee. As for