Non-operated ventures

More than half of Shell’s joint ventures are not operated by Shell. We do not have direct control over how these ventures embed sustainability in their operations. We seek instead to offer our support and exert a positive influence on their operations.

We expect a joint venture not operated by Shell to apply standards and processes, or principles, that are substantially equivalent to our own, specifically our:

• Shell General Business Principles;
• Shell Commitment and Policy on Health, Safety, Security, the Environment and Social Performance; and
• Statement on Risk Management (or a materially equivalent approach to risk and internal control).

In 2023, as part of our efforts to enhance transparency and the robustness of our methane emissions data reporting, we held sessions with several joint-venture partners to discuss the importance of methane emissions management, technical knowledge transfer and the benefits of the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0 reporting framework, of which we are a founding signatory. Several of our joint-venture partners subsequently joined the OGMP 2.0 programme. During the year, we were awarded Gold Standard status for our OGMP 2.0 reporting for the third consecutive year.

Shell is a non-operating partner in Basrah Gas Company (BGC, Shell interest 44%), an Iraqi joint venture that is one of the largest flare reduction projects in the world. BGC’s sole purpose is to capture gas that would otherwise be flared from three giant oil fields operated by other companies. Since it started operations in 2013, BGC’s gas capture has tripled to more than 1 billion cubic feet per day, which is 63% of the gas produced from the fields. The aim is to capture more than 90% of the gas by 2028.

For more information about how we work with our joint ventures, see www.shell.com/sustainability/integrating-sustainability-into-our-activities/working-with-nonoperated-ventures.