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Highlights 2013

First quarter

Control room at the propylene oxide and derivatives plant on Jurong Island, Singapore. (photo)
Control room at the propylene oxide
and derivatives plant on Jurong Island,
Singapore, where we operate several
chemical manufacturing sites.

Shell completes oil sands debottlenecking project

In Canada, the first debottlenecking project for the Athabasca Oil Sands Project (Shell interest 60%) was completed. The work is expected to add some 10 thousand barrels per day (b/d) of capacity.

Final investment decision on Nigerian deep-water project

In Nigeria, Shell took the final investment decision for the development of the deep-water project Erha North Phase 2 (Shell interest 44%), part of oil mining lease 133, off the Nigerian coast. The project is expected to produce some 60 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) of mainly oil at peak production and improve utilisation of the existing Erha floating production, storage and offloading vessel.

Oman enhanced oil recovery start-up

The Amal Steam enhanced oil recovery project (Shell interest 34%) was brought on stream. The project is expected to ramp up over a number of years and produce some 20 thousand b/d of oil at peak.

Shell announces Elba Island LNG export terminal plans

In the USA, Shell and Kinder Morgan affiliates announced their intent to form a company to develop a natural gas liquefaction plant in two phases at the existing Elba Island LNG terminal to export LNG. The total project is expected to have a liquefaction capacity of approximately 2.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). Shell will own 49% of the entity and subscribe to 100% of the liquefaction capacity. The site construction is subject to regulatory approvals.

Shell sanctions Singapore petrochemicals expansion

Shell announced the final investment decisions for additional capacity at its Jurong Island petrochemicals facility. The investments are expected to add 140 thousand tonnes per annum of high-purity ethylene oxide capacity, 140 thousand tonnes per annum (tpa) of ethoxylation capacity and more than 100 thousand tpa of polyols capacity.

Second quarter

Gas storage tanks at Basrah Gas Company in southern Iraq. (photo)
Gas storage tanks at Basrah Gas
Company. The Shell joint venture
commenced operations in 2013,
capturing gas from three fields in
southern Iraq.

Basrah Gas Company commenced operations

In Iraq, the Basrah Gas Company (BCG), a 25-year incorporated joint venture (Shell interest 44%), officially commenced operations, significantly reducing the amount of gas currently being flared. BGC captures associated gas that is currently being flared from three oil fields in southern Iraq. BGC will rehabilitate and upgrade current facilities as well as building new assets, which is expected to increase the production capacity from currently 0.4 billion scf/d to potentially 2 billion scf/d.

Shell proceeding with Nigerian onshore gas expansion

Shell announced the final investment decision for the Gbaran-Ubie Phase Two project bundle (Shell interest 30%) in the eastern Niger Delta of Nigeria. The Gbaran-Ubie Phase Two project bundle consists of five gas supply and infrastructure projects, with an expected peak production of 215 thousand boe/d, for continued gas supply to Nigeria LNG and the Gbaran-Ubie domestic power plant.

Shell approves Stones project in ultra deep Gulf of Mexico

In the USA, Shell announced the final investment decision for the Stones deep-water project (Shell interest 100%) in the Gulf of Mexico. The first phase of development has an expected peak production of 50 thousand boe/d. The Stones field was discovered in 2005 in the Gulf of Mexico’s Lower Tertiary geologic trend.

Promising Gulf of Mexico discovery adds to earlier find

Shell announced the Vicksburg oil discovery (Shell interest 75%) in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico with around 100 million boe potential. This discovery adds to the nearby Appomattox discovery (Shell interest 80%).

Shell takes final investment decision for BC-10 Phase 3 offshore Brazil

Shell announced the final investment decision for the offshore BC-10 Phase 3 project (Shell interest 50%) in Brazil. The project will include the installation of subsea infrastructure at the Massa and Argonauta O-South fields. The project is expected to reach a peak production of 28 thousand boe/d.

Shell acquires Neste’s Polish fuel stations

In Poland, Shell completed the acquisition of Neste Oil Corporation’s network of 105 retail sites.

Third quarter

A degassing station at the Majnoon oil field in Basrah, Iraq. (photo)
A degassing station at the Majnoon oil
field in Basrah, Iraq, where Shell
successfully restarted operations and
achieved a major production milestone
in 2013.

Success in Iraq with restart at Majnoon

In Iraq, Shell successfully restarted production and Majnoon has reached the milestone of first commercial production of 175 thousand b/d, which triggers the commencement of cost recovery.

North Rankin Redevelopment project on stream in Australia

The North Rankin Redevelopment project achieved start-up in October. The project, which is part of the North West Shelf project (Shell direct and indirect interest 20.5%) in Australia, enables the recovery of low pressure reserves from the North Rankin and Perseus fields.

BC-10 Phase 2 starts production offshore Brazil

Shell commenced production from the BC-10 Phase 2 project in October. At peak, the project aims to add 35 thousand boe/d to the development 120 km off the Brazilian coast.

Shell gives final go-ahead to Carmon Creek project in north Alberta oil sands

In Canada, Shell took the final investment decision for Phase 1 and 2 of the Carmon Creek in situ project (Shell interest 100%). The plan includes central processing facilities and well pads with peak annual production of 80 thousand barrels of bitumen per day, and an expected field life measured in decades.

Fourth quarter

Shell and partners win production-sharing contract for the Libra discovery

A consortium of companies in which Shell holds a 20% interest won a 35-year production-sharing contract to develop the Libra pre-salt oil discovery located in the prolific Santos Basin, offshore Brazil.

Shell acquires Repsol’s LNG portfolio

Shell acquired Repsol S.A.’s LNG portfolio outside of North America, including supply positions in Peru and Trinidad and Tobago, for a net cash purchase price of $3.8 billion, subject to post-closing adjustments. As part of the transaction, Shell also assumed $1.6 billion of balance sheet liabilities relating to existing leases for LNG ship charters. The acquisition adds 7.2 mtpa of directly managed LNG volumes through long-term offtake agreements, including 4.2 mtpa of equity LNG plant capacity.

Shell announces Downstream portfolio moves

In the Czech Republic, Shell agreed to sell its 16.3% interest in Ceska Rafinerska, which includes the Kralupy and Litvinov refineries with a combined capacity of 160 thousand b/d (100%).

Shell sold its 21% interest in the Mongstad refinery (capacity 205 thousand b/d) in Norway and, under the transaction, acquired the remaining 10% outstanding interest in the Pernis refinery (404 thousand b/d capacity) in the Netherlands. The transaction restores Pernis to full Shell ownership.