Refining and Trading (Oil Products)

Refining

We have interests in 21 refineries worldwide. They have the capacity to process a total of around 2.9 million barrels of crude oil a day (Shell share) into a wide range of products, including gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, lubricants, LPG, sulphur and bitumen. Approximately 36% of our refining capacity is in Europe and Africa, with 40% in the Americas and 24% in Asia and Oceania.

Efficiency improvements have contributed to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from our refineries and petrochemicals plants. Achieving even greater efficiency and operational reliability will also help us improve profitability. The average availability of our refineries, a measure of their operational performance, was some 91% in 2017, an improvement over 2016.

In May 2017, we separated the assets, liabilities and businesses of Motiva. Upon completion of the transaction, Shell assumed sole ownership of the Norco and Convent refineries in Louisiana, 11 distribution terminals and Shell-branded markets in various regions of the USA. Saudi Refining Inc. assumed full ownership of the Motiva Enterprises LLC name and legal entity, including the refinery at Port Arthur, Texas and 24 distribution terminals. Motiva retains the right to exclusively sell Shell-branded gasoline and diesel in other regions in the USA.

In 2018, Shell and Dansk Olieselskab ApS determined the conditions had not been met for the sale of A/S Dansk Shell, which includes the Fredericia refinery and local trading and supply activities. Shell stopped the overall A/S Dansk Shell divestment process, and will not actively market the business for the foreseeable future.

Trading and Supply

Shell Trading and Supply is one of the largest energy trading operations in the world. This global organisation combines our network of trading companies, industry-leading shipping and maritime capabilities, and an integrated network of supply and distribution activities to act as the central nervous system for Royal Dutch Shell. Our trading capability, deep market knowledge, global portfolio and end-to-end integration within Shell effectively creates opportunities to deliver value for our customers and for Shell across our Upstream, Downstream and Integrated Gas businesses.

Through our main trading offices in London, Houston, Singapore, Dubai and Rotterdam, we trade crude oil, natural gas, LNG, electricity, refined products, chemical feedstocks and environmental products. We have the experience and international scope to capitalise on trading opportunities inherent in Shell’s asset and market positions around the world to deliver sustained and growing cash returns.

Operating in around 25 countries, with more than 125 Shell and joint venture terminals, we believe our supply and distribution infrastructure is well positioned to make deliveries around the world. This includes supplying feedstocks for our refineries and chemical plants and finished products such as gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel to our Marketing businesses and customers.

Our shipping and maritime business has a high level of expertise and decades of experience. It is responsible for ensuring that all of our global maritime activities are safely managed, including a fleet of around 40 LNG carriers and 10 oil tankers. In addition, we have more than 240 oil and LNG vessels on time charter. There are around 2,000 vessels associated with Shell on the water on any given day, including the ships, barges, drilling rigs, supply boats, FPSOs, floating storage and regasification units, single buoy moorings, and the related operations that take place in ports and terminals.

Refining and Trading

Fully integrated and highly dynamic global system

Read a textual description of the above chart.