Shell details investment plans
19 Mar 2008
London - Shell is "rejuvenating its portfolio for a world of higher and more volatile commodity prices, increased competition, and higher costs," by building over 50 large projects to underpin new cash flows for decades to come, the company has announced.
Upstream, Shell has over 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) resources under construction, which will add around one million boe/d of production. The fuels and lubricants portfolio is being positioned into growth markets, while the company is also building significant new petrochemicals facilities, and new refining and downstream gas-to-liquids (GTL) capacity totaling ~300,000 b/d for Shell.
"This is an unprecedented phase of activity for the company, leveraging our strong brand, technology, integration and scale. We are creating new heartlands for Shell in a new energy landscape." said Jeroen van der Veer, Royal Dutch Shell's chief executive.
A Shell statement listed current major investments as including:
- Investment in some 10 billion boe of resources that will deliver ~1 million boe/d of oil & gas, and are the foundation for long-term growth potential of 2-3%/year
- 60,000 b/d of oil sands capacity, an increase of more than 60% from today's levels
- Over 7 million tonnes per year of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity, an increase of 50%
- New refining and downstream GTL assets, totaling ~300,000 barrels per day of downstream capacity for Shell, an increase of some 8%.
- Positioning Shell's leading fuels and lubricants marketing businesses in new growth markets
- 800,000 tonnes per year of ethylene and 750,000 tonnes per year of mono-ethylene glycol. This is a 13% increase in Shell's ethylene capacity and a ~ 60% increase in its mono-ethylene glycol capacity
- Over 100 MW of new wind power capacity. Renewables investment continues, with particular focus on wind power and next generation biofuels.
Shell also cited its significant additional resources that could be developed for production, and exploration portfolios in some 14 focus basins. Over 20 potential new projects are being designed, that could commercialise over 6 billion boe of discovered resources, and produce ~0.8 million boe/d. There is particular potential in North America heavy oil and tight gas, and LNG in Australia, the company stated.
Group oil and gas resources estimates have been increased to some 66 billion boe, with a resources life of some 55 years. This improvement reflects exploration performance, where, said Shell, it added 1.4 billion boe in 2007, and an update to the portfolio overall.
"We have made considerable progress with access to resources. Canadian heavy oil, where we have some 20 billion barrels of resources, is a classical new technology and integration play that Shell can do well. Alberta has the potential to become a major production heartland for Shell for decades to come," commented Van der Veer.
Van der Veer concluded "Shell has a substantial set of growth opportunities. We have the largest investment programme in the industry today. In a world where there are concerns about energy supply and climate change, we are making real progress with positioning the company into new heartlands. I expect top quartile performance, in a period where delivery is the key. These are exciting times at Shell."
