Our businesses and organisation

Business model

Shell is an international energy company with expertise in the exploration, development, production, refining and marketing of oil and natural gas, as well as in the manufacturing and marketing of chemicals. We are one of the world’s largest independent energy companies in terms of market capitalisation, cash flow from operating activities, and production levels.

We seek to create shareholder value through the following activities:

We explore for crude oil and natural gas worldwide, both in conventional fields and from sources such as tight rock, shale and coal formations. We work to develop new crude oil and natural gas supplies from major fields. We also extract bitumen from oil sands, which we convert into synthetic crude oil.
We cool natural gas to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) that can be safely shipped to markets around the world, and we convert gas into liquids (GTL).
We transport and trade oil, gas and other energy-related products, such as electricity and carbon-emissions rights.
We have a portfolio of refineries and chemical plants which enables us to capture value from oil and gas production, turning them into a range of refined and petrochemical products which are moved and marketed around the world for domestic, industrial and transport use. The products we sell include gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, LNG for transport, lubricants, bitumen and sulphur. We also produce and sell ethanol from sugar cane in Brazil, through our Raízen joint venture.
We invest in low-carbon energy solutions such as biofuels, hydrogen, wind and solar power, and in other opportunities linked to the energy transition.

The integration of our businesses is one of our competitive advantages, allowing for optimisations across our global portfolio. Our key strengths include the development and application of innovation and technology, the financial and project management skills that allow us to safely develop large and integrated projects, the management of integrated value chains and the marketing of energy products. The distinctive Shell pecten, a trademark in use since the early part of the 20th century, and trademarks in which the word Shell appears, help raise the profile of our brand globally.

Integrated Gas and New Energies

Integrated Gas manages LNG activities and the conversion of natural gas into GTL fuels and other products. It includes natural gas exploration and extraction, and the operation of upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. It markets and trades natural gas, LNG, electricity and carbon-emission rights and also markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels.

In New Energies, we are exploring emerging opportunities and investing in those where we believe sufficient commercial value is available. We focus on new fuels for transport, such as advanced biofuels, hydrogen and charging for battery-electric vehicles; and power, including from low-carbon sources such as wind and solar as well as natural gas.

Upstream

Our Upstream organisation manages the exploration for and extraction of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. It also markets and transports oil and gas, and operates infrastructure necessary to deliver them to market.

Downstream

Downstream manages different Oil Products and Chemicals activities as part of an integrated value chain, that trades and refines crude oil, and other feedstocks into a range of products which are moved and marketed around the world for domestic, industrial and transport use. The products we sell include gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen and sulphur. In addition, we produce and sell petrochemicals for industrial use worldwide. Our Downstream organisation also manages Oil Sands activities (the extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands and its conversion into synthetic crude oil).

Projects & Technology

Our Projects & Technology organisation manages the delivery of our major projects and drives research and innovation to develop new technology solutions. It provides technical services and technology capability for our Integrated Gas, Upstream and Downstream activities. It is also responsible for providing functional leadership across Shell in the areas of safety and environment, contracting and procurement, wells activities and greenhouse gas management.

Segmental reporting

Our reporting segments are Integrated Gas, Upstream, Downstream and Corporate. Upstream combines the operating segments Upstream (managed by our Upstream organisation) and Oil Sands (managed by our Downstream organisation), which have similar economic characteristics. Integrated Gas, Upstream and Downstream include their respective elements of our Projects & Technology organisation. The Corporate segment comprises our holdings and treasury organisation, self-insurance activities, and headquarters and central functions.