Fwd: Cool Wars May Be Heating Up Soon

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From: reallyveryradical <reallyveryradical@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 1:48 AM
Subject: Cool Wars May Be Heating Up Soon
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Cool Wars May Be Heating Up Soon
Next Hizbullah War May Be Over Israel's Gas and Oil Fields
Published: 06/15/10, 10:13 AM / Last Update: 06/15/10, 10:34 AM

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Follow Israel news
Hizbullah has laid claim to a huge oil and gas field that Israel
discovered off its northeastern Mediterranean Coast --  and which
Lebanon already has claimed as well.
The terrorist organization warned that it will not allow Israel to
take possession of the offshore fields, which could make the Jewish
State energy self-sufficient for the first time in history.
The As-Safir Lebanese newspaper told its readers that the gas field
"was located between Israeli and Cypriot territorial waters and
stretches toward the Lebanese coast."Lebanese newspapers also reported
that previous Israeli gas finds "were either taking place in areas
stretching to Lebanese territorial waters or other spots far away from
the Israeli coast."
Hizbullah's claims were stated by the party's executive council chief
Hashem Safieddine, who was quoted by the Tehran Times as saying it
would not allow Israel to "loot" Lebanese gas resources.
Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri previously said, " Israel
is racing to make the case a fait accompli and was quick to present
itself as an oil emirate, ignoring the fact that, according to the
maps, the deposit extends into Lebanese waters. Exploring our options
in this field is our best bet to pay off Lebanon 's debts."
The Israeli government immediately responded to the Lebanese claims,
saying they are totally unfounded and that all of the gas and oil
fields are off the coast of Israel and not Lebanon .
Dr. Yaakov Mimran, director of energy exploration for the National
Infrastructures Ministry, called the claims "nonsense." He added,
"These noises occur when they smell gas. Until then they sit quietly
and let the other side spend the money."
Marine law expert Amir Cohen-Dor told the Globes business news service
that the Dalit and Tamar gas fields are within Israel 's contiguous
economic zone, and that United Nations regulations clearly state that
Israel can develop them.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137865
Jack B. Moore is Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Cameron. He joined Cameron's Drilling & Production Systems group in
July 1999 as Vice President and General Manager, Western Hemisphere ,
and was named President of this group in July 2002. He became
Cameron's President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2007, and
was named to his current position in April 2008. Mr. Moore has been a
Director of Cameron since 2007. Moore was previously with Baker Hughes
Incorporated for twenty-three years. While there, he held numerous
positions in Manufacturing Management, Market Research, Human
Resources and Worldwide Operations. Moore holds a B.B.A. degree from
the University of Houston and is a graduate of the Advanced Management
Program at Harvard Business School . He serves on the board of
directors of the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association,
Spindletop, the University of Houston Bauer College of Business, and
Memorial Drive United Methodist Church .
http://resources.bnet.com/topic/cameron+international+corp..html
Board of Directors
Royal Dutch Shell has a single-tier Board of Directors chaired by
Jorma Ollila. The executive management is led by the Chief Executive
Officer, Peter Voser. The members of the Board of Royal Dutch Shell
plc meet regularly to discuss reviews and reports on the business and
plans of Royal Dutch Shell. Jorma Ollila
Jorma Ollila
Chairman
Born August 15, 1950. A Finnish national, appointed Chairman of the
Company with effect from June 2006. He started his career at Citibank
in London and Helsinki , before moving in 1985 to Nokia, where he
became Vice President of International Operations of Nokia.
In 1986 he was appointed Vice President Finance of Nokia. Between 1990
and 1992 he served as President of Nokia Mobile Phones. Between 1992
and 1999 he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Nokia and
from 1999 to June 2006 he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He
is Chairman of the Board of Nokia.
http://www.shell.com/home/content/aboutshell/who_we_are/leadership/the_board/board_of_directors_09112006.html
Nokia, Verizon Plan Exclusive 4G Device
By Scott Moritz 03/05/09 - 01:02 PM EST
Two wireless giants—Nokia (NOK) and Verizon (VZ) -- have decided to
set aside their differences and work together to create a touchscreen
device for the upcoming 4G LTE network. Burned by AT&T (T) and Apple's
(AAPL) exclusive deal with the popular iPhone, Nokia and Verizon are
determined to lead the next stage of wireless technology through what
probably will be an exclusive partnership, say people familiar with
the companies.
The pact would be a huge restart for Nokia in the U.S. , where it has
seen its market share all but vanish. And for Verizon, the Nokia
device would help it trump AT&T's iPhone by giving it a special
product designed to take advantage of its new high-speed network and
enable services like HD video.
The move would mark a significant departure for Nokia, which has
resisted efforts by U.S. telcos to control the features on its phones.
The lack of cooperation has caused Nokia, the world's largest
smartphone maker, to miss out on the high-end gadget boom here in the
U.S.
For Verizon, Nokia represents a capable technology partner that could
help fashion a device that delivers a next generation of media and
data services. Verizon told a gathering at a recent trade show that it
plans to get its LTE network started earlier than originally planned,
largely in an effort to get a one- or two-year jump on AT&T's
upgrade.
"They want to get back in the leadership role," says Telecom
Pragmatics analyst Sam Greenholtz, referring to Nokia and Verizon's
newfound common interest. "My guess is that Verizon will insist that
this be an exclusive," says Greenholtz.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10468078/nokia-verizon-plan-exclusive-4g-device.html
Mike Schaffner is the Director of Information Technology for Cameron's
Valves & Measurement Group. Mike joined Cameron in April, 2007.
Previously Mike worked for oilfield equipment suppliers Lone Star
Steel and Dresser-Rand with leadership roles in engineering,
accounting/finance, manufacturing operations and IT. Mike has a
Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Dayton , a Master
of Science in Engineering from Northwestern University and a Master of
Management from Northwestern University 's Kellogg School of
Management and is a registered Professional Engineer.
http://resources.bnet.com/topic/cameron+international+corp..html
"It has been roughly three years since BP agreed to take over US
Amoco, officially kicking off what would become known as the "era of
the super major." Exxon's subsequent acquisition of Mobil not only
confirmed this trend, but also set in motion a fierce rivalry between
the oil industry's three largest companies. Each implementing their
own unique strategy, BP, Exxon, and Royal Dutch/Shell have competed
for investors' attention-and dollars—since late 1998. Only now are the
results of this contest emerging, as all three display their strengths
and weaknesses. BP's acquisition of Amoco in August 1998 triggered the
series of industry mega-mergers…"
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-97252308.html
Batelco, PCCW, and Verizon Awarded Saudi Fixed-line Business

April 24, 2007-Consortia led by Bahrain Telecommunications Co.
(Batelco), Hong Kong's PCCW, and the U.S.-based Verizon Communications
have won initial approval to operate Saudi Arabia 's new fixed-line
phone network. The three new firms, who were short listed from ten
applicants for licenses to end the monopoly of the state-owned Saudi
Telecom Co. (STC), are expected to sell shares in initial public
offerings (IPOs) before the end of 2008.
The Verizon-led consortium has paid a license fee of SR5 million to
operate a cable network in the Kingdom, while the two other consortia
seek to use radio spectrum technology to offer landline phone
services. Spectrum bids in the more populous regions reached up to
SR69 million, a bid submitted by the Batelco consortium. The three
firms are expected to start commercial operations a year after
receiving their licenses. However, all of them must offer a 25 percent
stake of their capital to the public and a 10 percent stake to state
pension funds before the start of commercial operations
http://www.us-sabc.org/custom/news/details.cfm?id=119
Will 100 yrs of ruthless rivalry end with ExxonMobil buying Shell?
Posted on January 9th, 2009
by John Donovan in All News, Breaking News, Business News
Read 2,237 times.
By John Donovan of royaldutchshellplc.com
2009 kicked off with a forecast in BusinessWeek that because of the
meltdown in oil prices and the resulting financial pressures, "two or
more mergers" are likely among the oil giants.
The BusinessWeek article predicted: "Royal Dutch Shell will buy BP".
(2 January 2009)
Their article ignited speculation of a reshuffle in the ranks of the
supermajors, with one likely possibility being that ExxonMobil may buy
the Royal Dutch Shell Group to acquire its oil and gas reserves.
New York Daily News: Analysts think ExxonMobil will buy Royal Dutch
Shell (5 January 2009)
Blogger News Network: How will Shell respond to the threat of an
ExxonMobil takeover? (5 January 2009)
CNNMoney.com: Waiting for the tiger to pounce (5 January 2009)
Houston Chronicle: A year of merger mania for the majors? (6 January
2009)
FT Article: Conditions ripe for a reshuffle of energy sector pack (6
January 2009)
Wall Street Journal: Feeling Flush, Exxon Fuels Speculation Deal Is on
Tap: Shell spokesman declined to comment: 12 January 2009
Dow Jones Newswires: Exxon-Mobil Has Mega Cash and Capital Ideas: 12
January 2009
BNET ENERGY: Exxon Goes Shopping?: 12 January 2009
27/7 WALLst: Will Big Oil Go Shopping: 16 January 2009
The Observer: Mergers in pipeline as oil industry's fairytale era
ends: 18 Jan 2009
Independent (Uganda): Exxon to acquire Shell?: 22 Jan 2009
New York Times: Analyst Sees Energy M&A Heating Up: 22 Jan 2009
Seeking Alpha: Speculation on Exxon Acquisition of Royal Dutch Shell
growing: 25 Jan 2009
CNNMoney.com article correctly pointed out that Standard Oil and Royal
Dutch Shell have been arch-rivals since the early days of the oil
business. It would therefore be a remarkable development for
ExxonMobil to merge with Royal Dutch Shell, its principle global
competitor for over a hundred years.
The military tone of articles published 90 years ago in the New York
Times provide insight into the depth of intense rivalry between the
oil giants which sometimes descended into open warfare.
The opening salvo was fired in an article published on 16 January 1928
under the dramatic headline:
"N.Y. STANDARD OIL DECLARES WAR UPON DUTCH SHELL GROUP".
The military tone continued in the sub-headlines:
"FIGHT TO FINISH LOOMS";
"Conflict already on in India and Is Expected to spread to Other World
Markets";
New York Standard Oil (NY SO) was one of the "baby standards" which
emerged from the breakup by US regulators of the original Standard Oil
Company under anti-monopoly legislation. New York Standard Oil later
became Mobil Oil Corporation, which eventually merged with Exxon
(Standard Oil of New Jersey), resulting in the ExxonMobil Corporation,
the worlds largest company by revenue.
The opening paragraph of the New York Times article said:
The Standard Oil Company of New York broke a long silence in the
controversy over the purchase of Russian oil products by issuing
yesterday what amounts to an open declaration of war against the
powerful Royal Dutch-Shell group of Europe .
Basically NY SO accused Royal Dutch-Shell Group of seeking a monopoly
of Russia 's oil products and engaging in price-cutting tactics in
India . The article said that Sir Henri Deterding, Managing Director
of Royal Dutch Shell, had accused NY SO of purchasing "stolen oil" and
had announced his intentions "of invading the markets which have been
more or less controlled by Standard of New York ".
According to the same news report, Burmah Oil Company (subsequently
swallowed by BP) and Standard Oil of New Jersey, (now known as Exxon
in the USA and Esso elsewhere), were both supporting Royal Dutch
Shell's position. Walter C. Teagle, President of Standard Oil New
Jersey , was said to be adopting a peacemaker role.
The military tone was also apparent in an uncompromising statement
issued the following day by Royal Dutch-Shell saying it would "carry
its fight against the Standard Oil Company of New York to any country
in which that company attempts to dispose of Russian oil". A New York
Times article published on 18 January 1928 under the headline "ROYAL
DUTCH READY TO BATTLE STANDARD" commented on the statement:
"In language as emphatic as that in which the Standard of New York set
forth its position in the Russian oil controversy, the Royal Dutch
announced its intention to continue the competitive struggle that has
started in the oil markets of India and which threatens to spread
elsewhere."
The statement repeated the allegation made by Sir Henri Deterding that
NY SO was "trafficking in stolen goods".
The NY Times article included an Associated Press report that the
price-cutting war between SO NY and Royal Dutch-Shell "will continue
without quarter…"
Just a few weeks later peace moves were underway by interests not
directly involved in the Royal Dutch - SO NY fight.
By July 1928 the New York Times was reporting "STANDARD ENDS WAR WITH
SHELL OIL". SO NY and Royal Dutch Shell had agreed to bury their
differences in relation to Russian oil products. On 8 July an article
quoted the remarks made by Viscount Bearsted, Managing Director of the
Shell Transport and Trading Company at the annual general meeting in
London in which he acknowledged that the "Russian question" had "given
rise to many heated arguments which led to further misunderstandings".
By 14 July, focus had turned to a plan by American interests for an
international oil conference to "prevent further overproduction".
Representatives from Royal Dutch and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
(owned by the British government and later to become BP) were invited
to attend the setting up of an oil cartel similar to OPEC. The
publicly stated objective was an international accord on oil
conservation. The end of the war between SO NY and Royal Dutch-Shell
removed a block to the cartel plan.
By August of 1928 the war between SO NY and Royal Dutch Shell was over
without either protagonist emerging as a clear winner.
The conflict had ended in a draw.
It would be ironic if the various parties jockeying for position in
the 1928 Russian oil products war ended up some 90 years later, all
rolled into one mega oil company of American, Dutch, Anglo origin,
facing a larger and equally ruthless Russian government owned and run
competitor: Gazprom.
Personally, I would not be surprised if Saudi Aramco ends up buying
Shell. As I have previously pointed out, it is already Shell's
business partner in many major markets around the world. Shell and
Aramco jointly own Motiva Enterprises, an American company operating
nearly 7,700 Shell-branded gasoline stations and three U.S.
refineries. Motiva also has an ownership interest in 41 U.S. refined
product storage terminals. Former Royal Dutch Shell Group Chairman,
Sir Mark Moody-Stuart is a director of Saudi Aramco. Royal Dutch Shell
is also closely associated with the Saudi Royal family:
Shell, Saudi Arabia, Arms-for-Oil, Corruption, & Radioactive
Contamination: 5 December 2008
ARTICLE ENDS
http://www.bloggernews.net/119345

BP oil disaster puts spotlight on small Texan firm BP claims Cameron
International blowout preventer failed to stem Gulf oil spill
• Andrew Clark
• guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 June 2010 19.43 BST
Article history
BP oil disaster puts spotlight on small Texan firm
• This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 19.43 BST on Friday
18 June 2010. A version appeared on p40 of the Main section section of
the Guardian on Saturday 19 June 2010.
A controlled burn of BP oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A
blowout preventer made by Cameron International apparently failed.
Photograph: KeystoneUSA-ZUMA/Rex Features
A low-profile Texan company specialising in esoteric equipment for the
mining industry has been thrust into the spotlight over the Deepwater
Horizon disaster as BP persistently points to a failed "blowout
preventer" as a key factor behind the catastrophic spill in the Gulf
of Mexico .
Cameron International, a 177-year-old US firm based in Houston that
employs 18,000 staff globally, made the blowout device that was
supposed to be a "failsafe" mechanism, shearing through the doomed oil
rig's drilling pipe and slamming the well shut to prevent any gush of
oil in the event of an emergency.
Under questioning by a US congressional committee on Thursday, BP's
chief executive, Tony Hayward, repeatedly cited the blowout device
when asked for the cause of the accident. He said the 450-tonne piece
of equipment was supposed to have an exceptionally high integrity
rating with a failure rate of "one in a hundred thousand and one in a
million". But the BP boss said it was "clear" that the design was "not
as failsafe as we'd believed it to be".
Hayward said the device failed three times. It did not work when staff
on the rig tried to activate it, fearing a build-up of gas in the
well. Then when the rig caught fire and was separated from its
undersea drilling pipe, it failed to kick in as it was supposed to
automatically. Later, when BP sent robots to try to manually operate
the device, it still did not cap the well.
David Summers, a professor of mining technology at Missouri University
of Science and Technology, said blowout preventers were ubiquitous in
the mining industry: "Virtually every well has one – when something
goes wrong, that's what you use. In 99 cases out of a hundred or even
higher, if it's used, it works."
Cameron boasts that it invented blowout preventers in the 1920s and
its devices are now in use on 400 offshore rigs, including 130
operating in deep water. Since the Deepwater Horizon platform caught
fire and plunged into the ocean on 20 April, shares in Cameron have
sunk by 18%.
A spokesman for Cameron declined to comment on Hayward 's testimony.
Cameron's chief executive, Jack Moore, told a congressional committee
last month that his firm's blowout devices had "a very long history of
reliable performance, including performance in some of the harshest
operating conditions in the world".
The Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer is still a mile underwater and
is yet to be examined. But congressional investigators have questioned
whether it may have sprung a leak in hydraulic fluid, sapping power
from shears intended to slice through the drill pipe.
Lawmakers heard testimony that a battery in the device's control pod
was flat and that the rig's owner, Transocean, may have "modified"
Cameron's equipment. Another theory is that it may have been
positioned at a joint in the drill pipe, giving its shears a thicker
volume of material to cut through.
BP, which has been obliged to set up a $20bn (£13.5bn) fund to pay for
clean-up and compensation from the spill, has reserved the right to
seek recompense from other firms that it believes share liability for
the disaster. Cameron made a pre-tax profit of $642m last year and its
slogan is "raising performance together".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jun/18/bp-oil-disaster-cameron-international


"Mike Schaffner directs information technology for the Valve and
Measurement Group of oil and gas products and services company Cameron
in Houston . He also blogs regularly at Beyond Blinking Lights and
Acronyms.Follow him on Twitter at mikeschaffner"

Cameron CEO Jack Moore's University of Houston Bauer College
Commencements fellow speaker:  Fran Keeth ,is a member of the Boards
of Directors of Verizon Communications, Inc.
"Both Keeth and Moore are Bauer College of Business and University of
Houston alumni. Keeth received her bachelor's degree in '77 followed
by her masters in accountancy in '80 and finished her doctorate of
jurisprudence in '88, while Moore received his bachelor's in '77."
Keeth and Moore serve on the  University of Houston C. T. Bauer
College of Business Dean's Executive Board
http://bauerticker.uh.edu/ticker/events/prominent-alumni-faculty-join-dean%E2%80%99s-executive-board/

M. Frances Keeth     Return to VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC
Executive Vice President of Shell Chemicals, Royal Dutch Shell plc

65
65
Age Total Annual Compensation This person is connected to 65 board
members in 4 different organizations across 7 different industries.
62 --
BACKGROUND*
M. Frances Keeth serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President
of Verizon Communications Inc. Ms. Keeth serves as an Executive Vice
President of Shell Chemicals UK Ltd. She has a wealth of international
energy and business experience. She served as an Executive Vice
President of Chemicals at Shell Oil Company from January 2005 to July
2006. Ms. Keeth served as an Executive Vice President of Shell
Chemicals from January 2005 to July 2006. She served as an Executive
Vice President of Shell Chemicals at Royal Dutch Shell plc from
January 2005 to December 2006. She joined Shell Oil Company in 1970
where she held positions of increasing responsibility in the Head
Office Finance and Tax departments. In 1988, she assumed the position
of Assistant General Counsel of Litigation & Research. She served as
the General Manager of Auditing since 1989 and General Manager of
Products Finance since 1991. In 1992, she moved to London to handle a
series of assignments in Shell International Petroleum Company as
Deputy Group Controller, Area Coordinator for the Far East and Finance
Manager of Oil Products. In 1996, Ms. Keeth left Shell to join Mobil
Corporation as Controller and Principal Accounting Officer. A year
later, she returned to Shell and assumed the position of Chief
Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Finance and Business
Systems for Shell Chemicals Limited. She served as Chief Executive
Officer and President of Shell Chemicals Limited. She served as Deputy
Chief Executive Officer of Shell Chemicals Limited at Shell Oil
Company since 2001 and also as its Executive Vice President, Customer
Fulfillment. She served as Executive Vice President of Customer
Fulfillment and Product Business Units at Shell Oil Company since 2001
and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Shell Chemical
LP, a US operating company, from July 2001 to July 2006. Ms. Keeth has
been a Director of Verizon Communications Inc. since December 7, 2006
and also serves as its Member of Advisory Board. She has been a
Director of Arrow Electronics, Inc. and Peabody Energy Corp. since
August 2004 and March 2, 2009 respectively. Ms. Keeth serves on the
board of the International Council of Chemical Associations. Ms. Keeth
serves as a Member of Executive Advisory Board at C.T. Bauer College
of Business. Ms. Keeth is on the Board of the American Chemistry
Council. Ms. Keeth holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business
Administration, an MBA and a JD degree from the University of Houston
in Texas
http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=11097496&ticker=RDSA:LN&previousCapId=415798&previousTitle=VERIZON%20COMMUNICATIONS%20INC
See Board Relationships
BOARD MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH M. Frances Keeth *
M. Frances Keeth
Jack B. Moore
Cameron International Corporation
Board Affiliations
C.T. Bauer College of Business

http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/relationship.asp?personId=11097496
http://mapper.nndb.com/start/?id=170328
http://mapper.nndb.com/start/?id=178015
" Venezuela " Venezuela sales volume for Paso Diablo mine of which
Peabody owns a 25.5% interest"
http://www.peabodyenergy.com/Operations/default.asp
Wounded Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo facing intense pressure to
challenge Apple iPhone's dominance
Reuters
Friday, April 30th 2010, 11:12 AM

Nukari/AP
Nokia's CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo
•
Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo will next week face
shareholders who are frustrated more than ever before.
The share price of the world's largest cellphone maker has missed the
market recovery. The firm will be one of the few to miss profit growth
in 2010, the year of economic recovery, and software problems continue
to haunt its smartphone lineup.
It means Kallasvuo, who has spent more than half of his life at the
company, could give his last speech to shareholders if Nokia cannot
roll out a serious challenger to Apple's iPhone for the key holiday-
sales season at end of the year.
The track record shows the chances are slim—Nokia's last hit
smartphone model was unveiled in 2006, the year when Kallasvuo, a long
time company lawyer, took over at the helms of the Europe 's top
technology firm.
One year after iPhone's 2007 launch most smaller rivals have rolled
out similar models. Last week Nokia delayed Symbian 3, its software
platform revamp seen as a first step to make its smartphones
competitive again, triggering a sell-off in its shares.
Analysts say there is more downside likely ahead.
"We are waiting for Wall Street to swing into panic mode regarding
Nokia sometime during this spring or summer - this happened over the
earlier platform transition screw-ups in 1997, 2001 and 2004," said
MKM Partners' Tero Kuittinen.
After a blogger in Russia unveiled a critical review of the first
phone using the new software, the company this week rushed out details
of its new flagship N8 model, which failed to impress the market.
TIME FOR NEW BLOOD?
Analysts say Nokia could in the near future replace Kallasvuo—who
himself has done a reasonable job—to soothe investors.
"It feels like it would please the investors," said Gartner's Carolina
Milanesi.
Analysts at Jefferies cut Nokia's rating to "underperform" last week
after the earnings report, saying: "Much appears amiss still with Nokia
—pressure on management may yet precipitate changes, a potential crumb
of relief amidst the gathering gloom."
Alan B. Lancz, president of wealth management firm Alan B. Lancz &
Associates, which holds Nokia stock, says investors are frustrated.
"Symbian 3 really concerns me," Lancz said. "If next quarter we see
these delays and declines in margins—the management will feel more and
more pressure."
Lancz, and remaining analysts with buy recommendations, base their
rating on Nokia's valuable assets.
The company has strong assets in manufacturing and it is well
positioned across emerging markets. Its brand—built in the 1990s on
easy-to-use, durable, relatively simple mobile terminals—is among the
highest valued globally.
CONNECTING SOME PEOPLE IN U.S. , ON THE WEB
When taking over the company Kallasvuo made one big promise—he would
focus fully on fixing Nokia's problems in the United States , spending
a week each month on the problem.
At a time Nokia was struggling in the single largest phone market—its
market share there was just 20 percent, compared to global market
share of around 35 percent. Now Nokia has just 7 percent of the U.S.
market, according to Strategy Analytics.
"After a decade of continuous decline in the U.S. , investors are
right to ask whether Nokia really has the desire to fix the problem,"
said Neil Mawston, analyst at Strategy Analytics.
The big strategic shift under Kallasvuo's management—to build up
Internet services offering—has so far cost more than $10 billion to
shareholders, but signs of payback are limited.
Some of the new services have failed to gain traction, some other
Nokia has ended or outsourced. None have come close to matching the
success of Apple's App store.
Analysts doubt Nokia will reach its 2011 targets of 300 million users
or annual revenues of 2 billion euros, and the company has admitted
most of revenues would likely come from smartphone unit, which has to
internally pay for services installed on the phones.
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/04/30/2010-04-30_wounded_nokia_ceo_facing_intense_pressure_to_challenge_apple_iphones_dominance.html
C. T. Bauer College of Business is the business school of the
University of Houston and is fully accredited by the AACSB
International. It offers B.B.A., M.B.A., MS Accountancy, MS Finance,
and the Houston's only Ph.D. program in business
administration.Notable alumni (list includes quite a few folks in the
energy business.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauer_College_of_Business

C. Greg Harper (MBA, 1997), President, CenterPoint Energy Pipelines
and Field Services
James C. Houck (MBA, 1972), President and CEO, Western Oil Sands
Fran Keeth (BBA, MSAcy, JD), Former Executive VP, Shell Chemical, LP

Rich Kruger (MBA ), Vice President, President , Exxon Mobil, Exxon
Mobil Production Company
Kenneth Lay (PhD, Economics 1970), Former CEO, Enron
David McClanahan (MBA, 1976), President and CEO, CenterPoint Energy
Gerald W. McElvy (BBA, 1975), President, Exxonmobil Foundation
Joseph A. Mills (MBA, 1992), Chairman and CEO, Eagle Rock Energy
Partners
Jack B. Moore (BBA, 1977), President and CEO, Cameron (company)
Marvin Odum (MBA, 1982), President, Shell Oil Company
Gregory J. Rizzo (MBA), President and CEO, Spectra Energy Partners
Lane Sloan (MSAcy 1979, MBA 1983), Former CFO, Shell Oil Company,
Former President and CEO, Shell Chemical Company

Bruce Vincent (MBA, 1976), President, Swift Energy Company, Chairman,
Independent Petroleum Association of America
Kenneth R. Trammell (BBA, 1984), Executive Vice President and CFO,
Tenneco
Dongjin Wang (MBA, 2009), Corporate Vice President, China National
Petroleum Corporation
Bruce Williamson (MBA, 1995), Chairman, CEO, and President, Dynegy
Robert A. Wilson (MBA, 2008), President and CEO, GDF Suez Energy
Resources NA
List directly  above is partial list of folks from that educational
institution who have managed to forge careers in the energy sector
Bill Gates and Prince Alwaleed bin Talal in Four Seasons deal
By David Litterick in New York
Published: 7:00AM GMT 12 Feb 2007
Bill Gates is going into the hotel business. The Microsoft chairman
has joined with Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to back a management
buy out of the luxury hotel group Four Seasons for $3.8bn (£1.95bn).
The hotel business has been enjoying a boom as global travel increases
while the availability of hotel rooms fails to keep pace. Four Seasons
operates 75 up-market hotels in 31 countries, as well as owning a
number of timeshare properties.
Prince Alwaleed is already Four Seasons' biggest holder, with 22pc of
the company. The Gates Foundation is the fifth-biggest holder with a
stake of around 5pc. Mr Gates will purchase his share of the company
through his Cascade Investment vehicle. This is not the first time Mr
Gates and the Saudi prince have collaborated. Following a dinner at Mr
Gates' home in Washington state in early 2004, Prince Alwaleed agreed
to explore ways to assist Microsoft's expansion in Saudi Arabia .
Blackstone Group has also been a major force behind deals in the
sector, acquiring MeriStar Hospitality, Extended Stay America , Prime
Hospitality, Boca Resorts, Wyndham International and La Quinta.
Mr Gates and Prince Alwaleed are paying $82 a share for the company.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/4655209/Bill-Gates-and-Prince-Alwaleed-bin-Talal-in-Four-Seasons-deal.html

Batelco, PCCW, and Verizon Awarded Saudi Fixed-line Business

April 24, 2007-Consortia led by Bahrain Telecommunications Co.
(Batelco), Hong Kong's PCCW, and the U.S.-based Verizon Communications
have won initial approval to operate Saudi Arabia 's new fixed-line
phone network. The three new firms, who were short listed from ten
applicants for licenses to end the monopoly of the state-owned Saudi
Telecom Co. (STC), are expected to sell shares in initial public
offerings (IPOs) before the end of 2008.
The Verizon-led consortium has paid a license fee of SR5 million to
operate a cable network in the Kingdom, while the two other consortia
seek to use radio spectrum technology to offer landline phone
services. Spectrum bids in the more populous regions reached up to
SR69 million, a bid submitted by the Batelco consortium. The three
firms are expected to start commercial operations a year after
receiving their licenses. However, all of them must offer a 25 percent
stake of their capital to the public and a 10 percent stake to state
pension funds before the start of commercial operations
http://www.us-sabc.org/custom/news/details.cfm?id=119

Court: Aramco at fault for beauty camel's demise |
ArabianOilandGas.com
Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia 's state oil company, has been ordered to
pay 1 million Saudi Riyals, (roughly US$266,000) for causing the death
of a prized beauty camel.
The rare black camel fell into a hole in the desert that Aramco had
dug and filled with oil, the Saudi Gazette reported on Thursday.
Heartbroken owner, Abdullah Al-Sairi, sued the company last year for
failing to put a protective fence around it, and on Wednesday the
general court in Khobar found in his favour.
According to the report, Aramco's lawyer said the firm intends to
appeal the verdict in the Court of Cassation.
The three-year-old camel had been entered into the Camel Beauty
Contest, a popular gathering for the kingdom's camel breeders.source:
http://www.arabianoilandgas.com/article-7397-court-aramco-at-fault-for-beauty-camels-demise/
http://current.com/news/92455644_court-aramco-at-fault-for-beauty-camels-demise-arabianoilandgas-com.htm

Commentary
"Ending Apple's AT&T Problem
BY Mike Schaffner, 06.23.10, 06:00 AM EDT
Steve Jobs needs to get other phone carriers on board—fast.
Mike Schaffner directs information technology for the Valve and
Measurement Group of oil and gas products and services company Cameron
in Houston . He also blogs regularly at Beyond Blinking Lights and
Acronyms.Follow him on Twitter at mikeschaffner.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/22/iphone-mobile-internet-technology-cio-network-apple.html?boxes=Homepagechannels

University of Houston Bauer College Commencements
Feature Alumni Turned Corporate Leaders

UH alumna and former Shell executive Fran Keeth inspires students at
the Graduate Programs Commencement.

UH alum and Cameron CEO Jack Moore shares his leadership lessons with
Bauer students in the Undergraduate Programs Commencement.

Bauer students walk into Hofheinz Pavilion, ready to become UH Cougar
alumni and college graduates, during the Undergraduate Programs
Commencement.
The University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business welcomed two
of the country's foremost business professionals at its Spring 2008
commencement ceremonies. Fran Keeth, retired CEO of Shell Chemicals,
Inc., gave the keynote address at the graduate commencement ceremony
on May 9, and Cameron CEO Jack Moore addressed undergraduates on May
10.
Both Keeth and Moore are Bauer College of Business and University of
Houston alumni. Keeth received her bachelor's degree in '77 followed
by her masters in accountancy in '80 and finished her doctorate of
jurisprudence in '88, while Moore received his bachelor's in '77.
Additionally, both speakers honed in on a similar subject in their
addresses, one that has become an integral part of curriculum at Bauer
– leadership.
"You can be a leader," Keeth told graduates. "A leader is not just a
CEO or head of a company. It can be anyone at any level. Let your love
of your work and what you do in life define your success and nobody
else. It's the positive difference that you make in the lives of
others that is the most important part of leadership."
Moore echoed that sentiment and identified the characteristics of
great leaders as being willing to take risks, having passion, being
successful and having a strong character. "It's OK to take risks," he
said. "One thing all leaders have in common is the lack of fear of
failure. If you pursue your dreams, they will become your passions.
Great leaders realize that while failure can be contagious, success
can be infectious."
The leader of Bauer College embodies those characteristics, Moore
pointed out to students. Dean Arthur D. Warga has guided the college
through its greatest successes despite having been diagnosed with
brain cancer in 2005. "For most of us, that would have forced
retirement, but not Arthur. He never skipped a beat in his
determination to make Bauer a great business school," Moore added.
Both speakers also noted the importance of family in graduates' lives.
"My father taught me honesty, integrity and how to do the right
thing," Moore said. "Those are principles I apply every day in leading
my business. Look no further than this room to find those people in
your lives. Listen to them, and learn from them. Today is your time.
Begin your journey as a leader."
Keeth and Moore were the perfect choices to provide words of wisdom to
graduating students, Warga said. "With Fran and Jack we are again
fortunate to have two exemplary individuals in our commencement
ceremonies," he added. "They are both not only very passionate about
the experience they had at the University of Houston and at Bauer, but
they are also strong supporters of the University. That level of
commitment always translates into an inspiring message for our soon-to-
be alumni. Further, Fran and Jack are an embodiment of exemplary
leadership qualities in their professional and personal lives."
Moore joined Cameron's Drilling and Production Systems in 1999 and was
appointed to his current position in April 2008. He is also a longtime
friend of Bauer, serves on the Dean's Executive Board and is former
chairman of the University of Houston Alumni Association . Keeth spent
37 years with Royal Dutch Shell, plc, and was the first female CEO of
a petrochemical company. She is a member of the Boards of Directors of
Verizon Communications, Inc., and Arrow Electronics, Inc., and gives
back to the community through her work with Child Advocates, Inc., and
participation in the ARP Taxaide Program, both in Houston .
Students were also recognized at both commencement ceremonies for
their outstanding work. Outstanding student awards were given to
Robert Wilson, Outstanding Executive Master of Business Administration
Student; Kristen Senechal, Outstanding Master of Business
Administration Student; Marsha Dhingra, Outstanding Master of Science
in Accountancy Student; and Ron Kremer, Outstanding Master of Science
in Finance Student. Accounting and management undergraduate Jessica
Fung was honored as the Outstanding Undergraduate for Spring 2008.
UH President and UH-System Chancellor Renu Khator congratulated
graduates at both ceremonies on their achievements and encouraged them
to become active alumni. "Cougars are everywhere," she said. "They
make Houston one of the greatest international cities of the 21st
century. You represent the 'can do' spirit of Houston ."
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and
teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and
institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH , the most diverse research
university in the country, stands at the forefront of education,
research and service with more than 35,000 students.
About the Bauer College of Business
The C.T. Bauer College of Business has been in operation for more than
60 years at the University of Houston main campus. Through its five
academic departments, the college offers a full-range of
undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in business. The Bauer
College is fully accredited by the AACSB International - the
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In August 2000,
Houston business leader and philanthropist Charles T. (Ted) Bauer
endowed the College of Business with a $40 million gift. In
recognition of his generosity, the college was renamed the C.T. Bauer
College of Business.

http://www.bauer.uh.edu/news-center/ticker/2008/apr/commencement08.asp
Royal Dutch Shell BP Merger?
May 28th, 2010
by John Donovan.
Spill Could Make BP Vulnerable
By ROB COX and CHRISTOPHER SWANN: MAY 27, 2010
BP is likely to eventually stop the flow of oil from its explosion in
the Gulf of Mexico . After that happens, the autopsy of the spill will
begin in earnest. But if the information dribbling into the public
domain proves correct, the British energy giant will be a weakened
creature — so weak it will be vulnerable to a takeover.
Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil are almost certainly running the
numbers. Government leaders ought to be plotting their strategy, too.
The fiasco in the gulf, which killed 11 workers, has shined a new
light on BP's poor safety track record. The current disaster is the
company's third American offense in recent years, coming shortly after
the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 workers and the
2006 Prudhoe Bay spill that leaked more than 200,000 gallons into
Alaskan waters.
The list of problems reflects poorly on management and furthers the
impression of a corner-cutting culture that the chief executive, Tony
Hayward, had, until recently, been widely credited with improving. The
response by BP's board has been somewhat tepid, with little public
support offered to management or guidance provided to shareholders.
Add these factors up, fold in the potential cost of cleanup, and it is
little wonder that investors have wiped as much as $46 billion off the
company's market value since mid-April. At $141 billion on Thursday,
BP's capitalization is half of Exxon's and less than the $165 billion
value of Shell, which has traditionally traded at a discount to BP.
Even before BP's latest troubles, the arguments for a deal were
compelling, largely because of the cost savings that could accrue. Mr.
Hayward's predecessor, John Browne, wrote in his memoirs that BP had
aimed for $9 billion in annual synergies from a possible merger with
Shell a few years ago. Those would in theory be worth some $60 billion
to investors.
And though a combination with Shell or BP would be huge, the antitrust
implications might not be. The company would control no more than
about 6 percent of the world's proven oil reserves.
At a time when nearly 90 percent of the planet's crude oil is
controlled by even larger national energy groups — including Saudi
Aramco and Russia 's Gazprom — that kind of scale seems defensible. It
might even be viewed as a positive factor in securing Western energy
independence from potentially unfriendly oil-rich governments.
Some operations in the United States and Britain would probably need
to be sold, including refineries and service stations. That was
envisioned in the discussions the companies held a few years ago,
according to Mr. Browne's book. But these would account for only a
small fraction of the deal's value.
Such wrinkles are tiny compared with BP's other attractions for a
Shell or an Exxon. Though BP has operations worldwide, it has a big
footprint in the politically stable areas that the major oil firms
increasingly crave. It is the largest producer in the Gulf of Mexico
and Britain 's North Sea . And its Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska is
still the largest in North America .
So what's stopping Exxon or Shell from pouncing? For starters, there
is still no clear indication of what happened on Deepwater Horizon,
who was at fault and what it will cost to clean up things.
Any responsible acquirer would probably wait for greater clarity on
these contingent liabilities before making a move. That could be
months away.
And though antitrust concerns could be assuaged, the politics could
prove trickier. For one, Britain 's new government might object to
seeing a former national champion sold to a Texas corporation — even
though BP was permitted by American authorities to buy Amoco and
Atlantic Richfield in years past.
Washington , too, might fear the creation of a company so big it would
be difficult for the government to put its "boot on their neck," to
use the language of the interior secretary, Ken Salazar, in relation
to BP's cleanup efforts. A merged BP-Exxon would effectively
reconstitute a substantial part of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil.
But times have changed. In 1911, when the government broke up
Standard, oil was a domestic business. Today, private Western members
of the oil fraternity operate on a global stage facing well-off
competitors.
A weakened BP could struggle in that environment anyway. If rivals
start circling, the company — and interested governments — may need to
contemplate even bigger oil giants.
ROB COX and CHRISTOPHER SWANN
New York Times Article
May 27, 2010
Spill Could Make BP Vulnerable
By ROB COX and CHRISTOPHER SWANN
BP is likely to eventually stop the flow of oil from its explosion in
the Gulf of Mexico . After that happens, the autopsy of the spill will
begin in earnest. But if the information dribbling into the public
domain proves correct, the British energy giant will be a weakened
creature — so weak it will be vulnerable to a takeover.
Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil are almost certainly running the
numbers. Government leaders ought to be plotting their strategy, too.
The fiasco in the gulf, which killed 11 workers, has shined a new
light on BP's poor safety track record. The current disaster is the
company's third American offense in recent years, coming shortly after
the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 workers and the
2006 Prudhoe Bay spill that leaked more than 200,000 gallons into
Alaskan waters.
The list of problems reflects poorly on management and furthers the
impression of a corner-cutting culture that the chief executive, Tony
Hayward, had, until recently, been widely credited with improving. The
response by BP's board has been somewhat tepid, with little public
support offered to management or guidance provided to shareholders.
Add these factors up, fold in the potential cost of cleanup, and it is
little wonder that investors have wiped as much as $46 billion off the
company's market value since mid-April. At $141 billion on Thursday,
BP's capitalization is half of Exxon's and less than the $165 billion
value of Shell, which has traditionally traded at a discount to BP.
Even before BP's latest troubles, the arguments for a deal were
compelling, largely because of the cost savings that could accrue. Mr.
Hayward's predecessor, John Browne, wrote in his memoirs that BP had
aimed for $9 billion in annual synergies from a possible merger with
Shell a few years ago. Those would in theory be worth some $60 billion
to investors.
And though a combination with Shell or BP would be huge, the antitrust
implications might not be. The company would control no more than
about 6 percent of the world's proven oil reserves.
At a time when nearly 90 percent of the planet's crude oil is
controlled by even larger national energy groups — including Saudi
Aramco and Russia 's Gazprom — that kind of scale seems defensible. It
might even be viewed as a positive factor in securing Western energy
independence from potentially unfriendly oil-rich governments.
Some operations in the United States and Britain would probably need
to be sold, including refineries and service stations. That was
envisioned in the discussions the companies held a few years ago,
according to Mr. Browne's book. But these would account for only a
small fraction of the deal's value.
Such wrinkles are tiny compared with BP's other attractions for a
Shell or an Exxon. Though BP has operations worldwide, it has a big
footprint in the politically stable areas that the major oil firms
increasingly crave. It is the largest producer in the Gulf of Mexico
and Britain 's North Sea . And its Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska is
still the largest in North America .
So what's stopping Exxon or Shell from pouncing? … Washington , too,
might fear the creation of a company so big it would be difficult for
the government to put its "boot on their neck," to use the language of
the interior secretary, Ken Salazar, in relation to BP's cleanup
efforts. A merged BP-Exxon would effectively reconstitute a
substantial part of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil.
But times have changed. In 1911, when the government broke up
Standard, oil was a domestic business. Today, private Western members
of the oil fraternity operate on a global stage facing well-off
competitors.
A weakened BP could struggle in that environment anyway. If rivals
start circling, the company — and interested governments — may need to
contemplate even bigger oil giants.
ROB COX and CHRISTOPHER SWANN
For more independent financial commentary and analysis, visit
www.breakingviews.com
Former Shell chief Bookout rejects U.S.-Saudi oil plot. (John F.
Bookout Jr.)
The Oil Daily | October 1, 1992 | Parker, Susie T.
WASHINGTON—Under heavy questioning from Senate lawmakers in his quest
to become U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia , John F. Bookout Jr. denied
ever having any personal knowledge of the Middle East nation
conspiring with the U.S. officials to fix world oil prices.
"I have no knowledge that the implied cooperations between Saudi
Arabian and United States ' officials ever occurred," Bookout, former
president and chief executive officer of Shell Oil Co., said.
The response was included in his written responses to questions put to
him by members of the Senate
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-12741257.html
The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is pleased to invite you
to the
17th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Transitioning the White House:
Challenges and Opportunities for Arab-U.S. Relations
October 30 - 31, 2008 Washington , D.C.

America 's global oil and gas leaders have once again agreed to
address a featured session on the energy component of U.S.-Arab
relations. Come experience this one-of-a-kind opportunity to interact
with the most senior representatives of the world's largest energy
companies. (L to R) The Hon. Clay Sell, United States Department of
Energy; Dr. Mohammed Y. Al-Qahtani, Aramco Services Company;
Mr. Michael J. Dolan, ExxonMobil; Mr. John D. Hofmeister, Shell Oil
Company; Mr. Gary R. Heminger, Marathon Oil Company;
and Mr. Sigmund L. Cornelius, ConocoPhillips;, discuss the energy
dimension of the Arab-U.S. relationship
at the National Council's 2007 Policymakers Conference

Additional Confirmed Conference Speakers Include:

Ms. Muna AbuSulayman
Executive Director, HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Kingdom Foundation

Ms. Muna AbuSulayman is a leading media personality in the Middle
East . She is a co-host of Kalam Nawaem, a social television program
broadcast on Middle East Broadcasting Company (MBC) over satellite to
tens of millions of Arab households worldwide.
Ms. AbuSulayman also serves as Executive Director of the HRH Prince
Alwaleed Bin Talal Kingdom Foundation. In this capacity she is
developing and implementing the Foundation's mission, vision, and
operations for strategic philanthropy and humanitarian assistance. She
is responsible for philanthropic activities, projects, and donations
that reach around the globe.
Since 1997, Ms. AbuSulayman has served as lecturer on American
literature at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia . In 2004, Ms.
AbuSulayman was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic
Forum. In 2005, she became the first Saudi woman to be appointed by
the United Nations Development Program as a Saudi Goodwill
Ambassador.



http://www.ncusar.org/email_graphics/announcements/08-auspc-announcement5.html
HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Receives Chairman of Shell Company in
KSA Mr. Robert W. Weener
21 December 2005
HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Chairman of
Kingdom Holding Company received at his office Chairman of Shell
Company in Saudi Arabia , Mr. Robert W. Weener and Public Relations
Manager, Mr. Abdulrahman M. Alghulaigah.
Following the warm exchange of greetings, the meeting began with a
discussion about economic issues with a focus on the economy in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia .
Renowned for its international presence, Shell Company, has for the
past 16 years, been successful completing several significant projects
in Saudi Arabia . Shell Company aims to accomplishing much more in the
region. The company plans to focus on exploiting Saudi Arabia 's
untapped natural resources and economic wealth.
The meeting was also attended by Kingdom Holding Company's Mr. Talal
Al Maiman, Executive Director of Domestic Investments, Mr. Ahmad F.
Altobaishi, Assistant Executive to HRH the Chairman, and Ms. Lana Al
Saleh from the Protocol Division.
The meeting ending on a positive note and HRH bid his guests a kind
farewell.


http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20051221114537/HRH%20Prince%20Alwaleed%20bin%20Talal%20Receives%20Chairman%20of%20Shell%20Company%20in%20KSA%20Mr.%20Robert%20W.%20Weener
New York Times: "REICH OIL MONOPOLY SOUGHT BY DETERDING": 26 October
1934 ("LONDON, Oct. 25.-It is reported confidentially from Berlin that
the object of Sir Henry Deterding's recent visit to Chancellor Hitler
at Berchtesgaden, where he stayed for four days, was to discuss the
conditions for granting a monopoly to the Royal Dutch and Shell
Companies of petrol distribution in Germany for a long period of
years.)
http://www.shellnews.net/wikipedia/NewYorkTimesNazi26October1934.pdf
THE TIMES: DUTCH HELP FOR GERMANY: 30 December 1936
Extract
Sir Henri Deterding has drawn up a scheme by which the entire surplus
of Dutch agricultural products is to be bought and transported to
Germany . There it will be sold in marks and the revenue will be
handed over to the German Winter Help organization.
http://www.shellnews.net/wikipedia/Shell%20Nazi%20Connection.html
The Times: Sir Henri Deterding Obituary: 6 February 1939
In the last few years he had spent much of his time in Germany , where
he showed himself to be in sympathy with the German government
THE TIMES: SIR HENRI DETERDING'S FUNERAL: 11 FEBRUARY 1939
Extract
Herr Hitler and Field-Marshal Goring, and the Dutch Government, sent
wreaths to the funeral to-day of Sir Henri Deterding at his estate at
Dobbin, Mecklenburg . A private memorial service in the house was
followed by a public service and the interment. Simultaneously
memorial services were held in all offices in Germany of the Royal
Dutch-Shell group.
Henri Deterding
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Henri Wilhelm August Deterding KBE (Hon), (19 April 1866, Amsterdam -
4 February 1939, St Moritz ) was one of the founders of the Royal
Dutch Petroleum Company and for 36 years (1900 - 1936) its chairman
and the chairman of the combined Royal Dutch/Shell oil company. He
made it to the runner up against John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil
and it is still one of the world's largest petroleum companies. He was
made an honorary KBE in 1920, ostensibly for service to Anglo-Dutch
relations, but mainly for his work supplying Allies with petroleum
during World War I.
Called the "Napoleon of Oil", Deterding was responsible for developing
the tanker fleet that let Royal Dutch compete with the Shell company
of Marcus Samuel. He led Royal Dutch to several major mergers and
acquisitions, including a merger with Samuel's "Shell" Transport and
Trading Company in 1907 and the purchase of Azerbaijan oil fields from
the Rothschild family in 1911. In the last years of his life,
Deterding became controversial when he became an admirer of the German
Nazi party. In 1936, he discussed with them the sale of a year's oil
reserves on credit; the next year, he was forced to resign from the
company's board.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Deterding

Shell, Aramco May Develop Saudi's Kidan Gas Field
28/Jul/2009
Bloomberg
Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Saudi Aramco are conducting a study to
develop the Kidan gas field in the kingdom, Al-Hayat reported, citing
an interview with Aramco's Chief Executive Officer Khalid al-Falih.
Shell, Europe 's largest oil company, drilled four wells without any
result, al-Falih said. Drilling in the Kidan field showed the presence
of gas that's high in sulfur and also the presence of liquid
hydrocarbons, the newspaper cited al-Falih as saying.
South Rub' al-Khali Co., a venture between Aramco and Shell, is one of
four ventures searching for natural gas in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom
seeks to replace domestic use of crude oil as fuel for power. Natural
gas currently represents about 46 percent of the country's energy use,
and Aramco expects half of the country's energy demand to come from
the fuel, al- Falih said.
OAO Lukoil, which has a joint venture with Aramco, had promising
results from two of seven wells it drilled and received permission to
continue drilling to assess the reserves and their commercial
viability, al-Falih told the newspaper.
Capacity Increase
Aramco reached 12 million barrels a day of production capacity in
June, when the Nuayyim oilfield started pumping 100,000 barrels a day,
Shaybah expanded production by 250,000 barrels a day, and Khurais
added 1.2 million barrels a day, al- Falih said.
The kingdom, which aims to maintain spare oil capacity of 1.5 million
to 2 million barrels a day, now has spare capacity of about 4 million
barrels a day as oil demand falls, he said. The decline in oil
consumption is temporary and growth will return in the long-term, as
Aramco's refineries are ready in the next three to four years, al-
Falih said, according to the newspaper.
Aramco agreed with Dow Chemical Co. to spend $200 million on
engineering work for the world's largest oil refinery and
petrochemicals complex, and will make a final investment decision on
the project next year, al-Falih said.
Costs for a joint refinery with Total SA dropped $3 billion to $9.6
billion and a similar drop is expected for a refinery with
ConocoPhillips, Al Hayat cited al-Falih as saying.
http://www.gulfbase.com/site/interface/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?n=105744
News & Media releases
Saudi Aramco acquires additional shares in Showa Shell
21/06/2005
Aramco Japan Holdings Company B.V., a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Oil
Company ("Saudi Aramco", the national oil company of Saudi Arabia)
today acquired an additional 18,840,000 shares in Showa Shell from
Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Saudi Aramco acquired a 9.96% strategic
shareholding in Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. ("Showa Shell") from Royal
Dutch/Shell Group pursuant to an Agreement signed in July 2004. At
that time, Saudi Aramco agreed in principle to acquire the additional
shareholding (subject to satisfaction of certain commercial
conditions), to enhance its longstanding partnership with the
company's largest shareholder, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, and strengthen
Showa Shell's refining and marketing business in Japan .
As a result of completion of this share transfer, Saudi Aramco now
holds 14.96% of Showa Shell shares, while Royal Dutch/Shell Group
holds 35.04%.
Rob Routs, Shell Executive Director Downstream said,
"We have been very pleased with the progress of this agreement and our
growing partnership with Saudi Aramco."
"Showa Shell has the long term commitment and support of two strong
global energy shareholders, Saudi Aramco and Royal Dutch/Shell Group,
from which it draws a combination of crude supply, refining and
marketing strengths, to bolster its future opportunities and
contribution to Japanese industry," added Mr Routs.
Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal, Saudi Aramco Senior Vice President of
Refining, Marketing & International, said that the transaction is
consistent with Saudi Aramco's global strategy of investing in
commercially viable downstream joint ventures with world-class
partners in key markets. "With increasing growth in global oil demand,
this transaction strengthens a very promising partnership with Royal
Dutch/Shell Group and Showa Shell, and enables us to better serve the
Japanese market through long-term supply of Saudi crude," said Mr. Al-
Khayyal.

http://www.shell.com/home/content/media/news_and_library/press_releases/2005/aramco_acquires_shares_21062005.html
The Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery Company SASREF is at the very heart of
Saudi Arabia 's petrochemical industry, Jubail Industrial City .
It is acknowledged as an industry pacesetter and was specifically
designed as an export refinery
http://www.sasref.com.sa/EN/index.asp
Reserves
The World's Biggest Oil Reserves
Christopher Helman, 01.21.10, 12:00 PM ETHOUSTON -
This month Iraq will finalize contracts with the likes of ExxonMobil ,
Royal Dutch Shell and BP to develop some of its biggest oil fields.
These giants are among the world's last remaining pockets of so-called
"easy oil." They don't require ultradeep drilling or innovative
production techniques, just the application of Big Oil know-how. No
wonder the oil companies agreed to develop Iraq 's fields without even
getting an ownership stake in the fields and collecting as little as
$1.15 per barrel recovered.
Given the size of Iraq 's undeveloped giants there are no technical
reasons why within 10 years the country can't supplant both Iran and
Russia to become the world's No. 2 oil producer after Saudi Arabia .
No wonder Iraq holds three of the top 10 fields of the future.
In Depth: The Top 10 Oil Fields Of The Future
The world gets its daily ration of 85 million barrels of oil from more
than 4,000 fields. Most of these are small, less than 20,000 barrels
per day. Giants, producing more than 100,000 bpd, account for just 3%.
Then there's the megafields that gush out 1 million bpd. These are the
most important sources of energy in the world—fields worth fighting
over. In figuring the top 10 fields of the future, we're not
interested in most of the giants of yesteryear, and not necessarily
even the giants of today. Just the giants of tomorrow—those fields
that might not even be producing yet, but will likely be doing better
than 1 million bpd a decade from now.
The once and future king of the world's oil fields, Ghawar, in Saudi
Arabia , ranks first on our list. It is thought to have had more than
100 billion barrels of recoverable oil in place. At 160 miles long and
16 miles wide it confounds even the most experienced geologists. With
something on the order of 60 billion produced over the past 60 years,
you'd be excused for thinking that Ghawar was sliding into its
twilight years. Yet the Saudis insist that Ghawar is still going
strong, producing 4.5 million bpd from six main producing areas with
the ability to do 5 million bpd if called upon.
The secret to Ghawar's longevity is water injection. Starting in the
1960s Saudi Aramco began injecting water underneath the oil around the
outer borders of the field. Today the water flood is up to millions of
barrels a day, with the oil floating up to the top of the reservoir on
sea of water. In conversations with Forbes in 2008 Aramco executives
insisted that by continuing to treat Ghawar with kid gloves they'll be
able to coax 4 million bpd out of her for many years to come.
Coming in second is West Qurna, in Iraq , home to an expected 21
billion barrels of oil. This month a joint venture between ExxonMobil
and Royal Dutch Shell was awarded the contract to develop the 9
billion barrel first phase of the West Qurna oil field. They will aim
to raise output from 300,000 bpd to 2.3 million bpd. It's tough to
make the case that the two biggest oil companies from the countries
that invaded Iraq in 2003 are getting a sweetheart deal. The contract
calls for the government of Iraq to retain ownership of the field and
the oil. Exxon and Shell, as contractors, are to be paid just $1.90
for each a barrel they produce.
Third is Majnoon, also in Iraq . At 13 billion barrels, these massive
reserves are in a relatively small area near the Euphrates River in
southern Iraq . The field's abundance was so mind-boggling that it was
named Majnoon, Arabic for "crazy." This easy oil hasn't been developed
in part because of its location so close to the Iranian border. In the
1980s, during the Iran-Iraq war, managers reportedly buried the wells,
concerned that they might be targeted by Iranian forces. The field
produces just 50,000 bpd now, but has the potential to do 1.8 million
bpd.
The Rumaila field in Iraq , with 17 billion barrels, is the fourth-
largest field. In November, British giant BP and China National
Petroleum Corp. won the first oil contract of the post-Saddam era to
redevelop Rumaila. Located on the border with Kuwait , the field is
already producing 1 million bpd, half of Iraq 's total production. The
partners intend to spend some $15 billion to treble that to 2.85
million bpd. That output would be enough to put Rumaila in second
place worldwide after Saudi Arabia 's Ghawar.
So what won't you see on this list? Mexico 's Cantarell is nowhere to
be seen. It used to be the second-biggest producer in the world,
giving more than 2 million bpd; it's now in terminal decline, slipping
below 400,000 bpd. Likewise Russia 's Samotlor. It was the monster
field of the Soviet Union , with production peaking at 3.5 million bpd
in the 1970s. Today it's doing more like 350,000 bpd. No respect for
China 's biggest field Daging either; it still produces roughly
800,000 bpd but is in serious decline.
As for Canada 's heralded oil sands region—sure it's a massive
resource, but easy oil it ain't. Oil sands require monstrous amounts
of water and natural gas to recover and process. A barrel of oil sands
oil costs roughly 20 times more to produce than one from Iraq . And
environmentalists think it's dirty.
Lots of oil provinces didn't quite make the cut. West Africa could see
the biggest growth of all across Nigeria , Angola and Ghana —but so
far no individual fields look big enough on their own. Same for
Siberia, which has most of Russia 's production, but from mature
fields.
Saudi Arabia could have been better represented. Its 750,000 bpd
Shaybah field was a runner-up. Iraq too. The government didn't receive
any bids to redevelop the 8 billion barrel East Baghdad field because
much of it lies under residential neighborhoods. And Kirkuk , in
northern Iraq , has something like 8 billion barrels remaining, but it
was damaged by overproduction in the latter years of Saddam's rule and
won't likely regain its peak of 700,000 bpd. But it could.

http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/21/biggest-oil-fields-business-energy-oil-fields_print.html
DOHA : The Board of Directors of Royal Dutch Shell plc has met in
Doha , underlining the importance of the country as a new heartland
for Shell.
Chairman Jorma Ollila, Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser and other
senior Board members were received during their visit by Deputy
Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry, H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al
Attiyah.
The Board of Directors which consists of three Executive Directors,
nine Non-Executive Directors and the Company Secretary meets around
eight times a year, usually in Shell's headquarters in The Hague , to
discuss Shell's business and plans. Once a year the Board visits a key
location for Shell's global business and in 2010 they decided to come
to Qatar .
The Board meeting was held at the Qatar Shell Research & Technology
Centre at the Qatar Science & Technology Park . During a break in
their meetings the Directors were briefed on progress in some of the
research programmes being undertaken by Shell at the science park,
where the company is investing $100m over 10 years.
The Board also visited the Pearl Gas to Liquids (Pearl GTL) and
Qatargas 4 construction sites in Ras Laffan Industrial City and was
briefed on progress on these projects.
Pearl GTL, which Shell is building with Qatar Petroleum (QP), is
Shell's largest single investment worldwide. Over 50,000 workers are
currently employed on the construction site, which is the largest in
the oil and gas industry.
At the project site, the Board members met with employees,
acknowledging them first-hand for their achievements, particularly in
safety, where the onshore project has just reached 60 million hours
without an injury involving lost time.
Qatargas 4 combines Shell's global leadership amongst private energy
companies in liquefied natural gas (LNG) with Qatar 's vision to
become the world's leading LNG exporter. QP is a 70 per cent
shareholder in Qatargas 4, with Shell holding 30 per cent.
Jorma Ollila, Chairman of Shell, said, "Shell is proud to have been
chosen by the State of Qatar as its partner in Pearl GTL and Qatargas
4 and we intend to live up to that trust."
Peter Voser, Chief Executive Officer of Shell, noted that Shell is
developing a long-term, trusting and mutually-beneficial relationship
with the State of Qatar. "This country is vital for the future of
Shell and I believe we are making a valuable contribution to the
achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030. Holding the Board meeting
here underlines the importance of Qatar to Shell," he said.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/business-news/55194-royal-dutch-shell-holds-board-meeting-in-doha.html
Shell saved Hitler and the Nazi Party
Apr 26th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet
 How Royal Dutch Shell saved Hitler and the Nazi Party. Same motive
then, as for Shell dealing with the terrorist Gaddafi, the corrupt
Saudi regime and the fanatical Iranian mullahs now: access to oil. We
have gathered much more evidence of Shell's evil relationship with the
Nazi.

Posts under 'Saudi Aramco'
Royal Dutch Shell BP Merger?
May 28th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet

THE NEW YORK TIMES
Spill Could Make BP Vulnerable
By ROB COX and CHRISTOPHER SWANN: MAY 27, 2010
BP is likely to eventually stop the flow of oil from its explosion in
the Gulf of Mexico . After that happens, the autopsy of the spill will
begin in earnest. But if the information dribbling into the public
domain proves correct, the British energy giant will be a weakened
creature — so weak it will be vulnerable to a takeover.
Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil are almost certainly running the
numbers. Government leaders ought to be plotting their strategy, too.
The fiasco in the gulf, which killed 11 workers, has shined a new
light on BP's poor safety track record. The current disaster is the
company's third American offense in recent years, coming shortly after
the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 workers and the
2006 Prudhoe Bay spill that leaked more than 200,000 gallons into
Alaskan waters.
The list of problems reflects poorly on management and furthers the
impression of a corner-cutting culture that the chief executive, Tony
Hayward, had, until recently, been widely credited with improving. The
response by BP's board has been somewhat tepid, with little public
support offered to management or guidance provided to shareholders.
Add these factors up, fold in the potential cost of cleanup, and it is
little wonder that investors have wiped as much as $46 billion off the
company's market value since mid-April. At $141 billion on Thursday,
BP's capitalization is half of Exxon's and less than the $165 billion
value of Shell, which has traditionally traded at a discount to BP.
Even before BP's latest troubles, the arguments for a deal were
compelling, largely because of the cost savings that could accrue. Mr.
Hayward's predecessor, John Browne, wrote in his memoirs that BP had
aimed for $9 billion in annual synergies from a possible merger with
Shell a few years ago. Those would in theory be worth some $60 billion
to investors.
And though a combination with Shell or BP would be huge, the antitrust
implications might not be. The company would control no more than
about 6 percent of the world's proven oil reserves.
At a time when nearly 90 percent of the planet's crude oil is
controlled by even larger national energy groups — including Saudi
Aramco and Russia 's Gazprom — that kind of scale seems defensible. It
might even be viewed as a positive factor in securing Western energy
independence from potentially unfriendly oil-rich governments.
Some operations in the United States and Britain would probably need
to be sold, including refineries and service stations. That was
envisioned in the discussions the companies held a few years ago,
according to Mr. Browne's book. But these would account for only a
small fraction of the deal's value.
Such wrinkles are tiny compared with BP's other attractions for a
Shell or an Exxon. Though BP has operations worldwide, it has a big
footprint in the politically stable areas that the major oil firms
increasingly crave. It is the largest producer in the Gulf of Mexico
and Britain 's North Sea . And its Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska is
still the largest in North America .
So what's stopping Exxon or Shell from pouncing? For starters, there
is still no clear indication of what happened on Deepwater Horizon,
who was at fault and what it will cost to clean up things.
Any responsible acquirer would probably wait for greater clarity on
these contingent liabilities before making a move. That could be
months away.
And though antitrust concerns could be assuaged, the politics could
prove trickier. For one, Britain 's new government might object to
seeing a former national champion sold to a Texas corporation — even
though BP was permitted by American authorities to buy Amoco and
Atlantic Richfield in years past.
Washington , too, might fear the creation of a company so big it would
be difficult for the government to put its "boot on their neck," to
use the language of the interior secretary, Ken Salazar, in relation
to BP's cleanup efforts. A merged BP-Exxon would effectively
reconstitute a substantial part of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil.
But times have changed. In 1911, when the government broke up
Standard, oil was a domestic business. Today, private Western members
of the oil fraternity operate on a global stage facing well-off
competitors.
A weakened BP could struggle in that environment anyway. If rivals
start circling, the company — and interested governments — may need to
contemplate even bigger oil giants.
ROB COX and CHRISTOPHER SWANN
New York Times Article
Shell's Statement on the President's Offshore Announcement
May 28th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet

HOUSTON , May 27 /PRNewswire/ – The Deepwater Horizon accident in the
Gulf of Mexico is a terrible tragedy for the families of those who
lost their lives or were injured, as well as our neighbors in the Gulf
region.
Immediately following the on-set of this incident, we undertook a
number of proactive steps to reinforce our top priority, safety, by
conducting a comprehensive review of our operating practices, testing
frequencies and training protocols. We have an unwavering commitment
to safe operating practices and will actively seek to understand the
causes of the Deepwater Horizon incident.
We respect and understand today's decision in the context of the
tragic spill in the Gulf of Mexico , but we remain confident in our
drilling expertise, which is built upon a foundation of redundant
safety systems and company global standards. In Alaska , our drilling
plans have undergone an unprecedented level of review, including
scrutiny from the courts, regulators and stakeholders. We welcome this
scrutiny and will work closely with the government and other experts
during this suspension in drilling activities.
About Shell
Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Company, is a leader
in the refining, transportation and marketing of fuels, and has a
network of approximately 6,100 branded gasoline stations in the
Western United States . Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Shell
Group [(NYSE: RDS.A) and (NYSE: RDS.B)]. Shell Oil Company is a 50
percent owner of Motiva Enterprises LLC, along with Saudi Refining,
Inc. Motiva Enterprises LLC refines and markets branded products
through more than 8,300 Shell-branded stations in the Eastern and
Southern United States .
Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales , has its
headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London , Amsterdam ,
and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more
than 100 countries with businesses including oil and gas exploration
and production; production and marketing of Liquefied Natural Gas and
Gas to Liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products
and chemicals and renewable energy projects including wind and solar
power. For further information, visit www.Shell.com.
SOURCE ARTICLE
Slick engulfs oil industry's sense of optimism
May 1st, 2010
by John Donovan.
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
At the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in January there was
standing room only at the session on the future of oil. Peter Voser,
the chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, sat alongside the head of
the Saudi oil giant Aramco, Khalid al Falih, and the chairman of
Total, Thierry Desmarest. In the middle was Tony Hayward, the chief
executive of BP. The session was so popular, Davos staff had to turn
people away at the door.
By Kamal Ahmed
Published: 9:02PM BST 01 May 2010
Mr Hayward spoke about the pressures the industry was under as it
struggled to keep up with ever rising demand from the emerging
economies. Such was the "supply challenge" companies would have to
explore more and more difficult environments from which to gain oil –
the lifeblood of markets around the world. A 40pc increase in demand
would create the need for 15m barrels per day (bpd) increased
production over the next two decades.
Mr Hayward was excited about the future. Iraq was developing as a
major oil producer and new methods of extracting oil from tar sands
across North America revealed that the business was keeping pace with
demand. There was a third element to Mr Hayward's narrative – deep
drilling in the Gulf of Mexico .
That is the backdrop to the catastrophic rig collapse off the coast of
Louisiana two weeks ago. Eleven people were killed and estimates of
how many barrels are leaking into the sea vary from 5,000 to 25,000 a
day. Such is the depth of the drilling site – 4,500ft – that no one
really knows what is going on down there.
As BP, alongside Transocean, struggles to contain the spiralling costs
of the clean-up operation following the explosion and destruction of
the $500m (£327m) Deepwater Horizon rig, it is becoming clear that the
whole of the oil industry is holding its breath.
Until now, the oil companies have been greatly advantaged by a
relatively benign environment surrounding exploring in the oil-rich
shelf off Louisiana and Florida . Local politicians and regulators
welcomed the employment and wealth the industry bought. Even the
shrimp fishers who are now launching multi-million dollar class
actions against BP and Transocean often doubled as oil workers.
That is all now changing. Florida governor, Charlie Crist, said last
week that he believed there should be clampdown on drilling in the
Gulf. When President Barack Obama arrives in the area today he may
well go further than the temporary suspension of new drilling already
announced. Just as with the banks, the President is up for a fight
with BP – "they must pick up all the costs" – ahead of the crucial mid-
term elections.
Reading the long list of oil-spill incidents on the Minerals
Management Service safety register it is clear that Deepwater Horizon
had previous. All quite minor, but revealing, nevertheless, that
working in deep water in an area prone to hurricanes engenders
enormous risk.
In Febuary 2002, 103 barrels leaked; in June 2003, 994 barrels of oil
leaked after a pipe disconnected in bad weather; in August the same
year, 74 barrels leaked, three days later 138 barrels leaked after
"equipment failure"; November 22 and 23 2005, 212 barrels leaked
following "equipment failure and human error". Interestingly, the last
incident involved problems with a cement plug on the well, an issue
that has been raised this time as a possible cause of the accident.
This is now not just a question limited to its impact on BP – one of
Britain 's most successful companies, but to the whole of the sector.
An analyst note from Goldman Sachs on the possible impact sums it up:
"The tide of oil from the collapsed Horizon deepwater drilling
platform threatens to disrupt shipping in the US Gulf of Mexico and
inflict extensive environmental damage along the Gulf Coast ," it
said.
"While the most substantial impact of the oil spill will likely be
environmental and the impact it might have on future legislation
around offshore drilling, the potential disruption of oil tanker
traffic in the Gulf is already having an impact on oil prices."
Mr Hayward appeared to enjoy Davos – and his message was positive.
Now, as he contemplates the growing disaster of the spill in the Gulf
of Mexico this weekend, he cannot be so sure.
SOURCE ARTICLE
Shell saved Hitler and the Nazi Party
Apr 26th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet
 How Royal Dutch Shell saved Hitler and the Nazi Party. Same motive
then, as for Shell dealing with the terrorist Gaddafi, the corrupt
Saudi regime and the fanatical Iranian mullahs now: access to oil. We
have gathered much more evidence of Shell's evil relationship with the
Nazi.
Saudi Aramco CEO Visits Port Arthur Refinery Expansion
Mar 10th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
MARCH 9, 2010
[Dow Jones] While visiting Houston , his "adopted second home," Khalid
Al-Falih, the chief executive of Saudi Aramco, made a trip out to the
Motiva Port Arthur refinery. The refinery, which is jointly owned by
Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) is undergoing a major
expansion project which will make it the largest refinery in the U.S.
with a capacity of 600,000 barrels a day. It will be "the most
sophisticated refinery in the U.S only fitting for Texas ,' Al-Falih
said during a speech at the IHS-CERA Energy Conference in Houston .
(susan.daker@dowjones.com)
Contact us at 713 547-9208
WSJ ARTICLE
Saudi Aramco, Shell sign contract with Japan 's JGC
Feb 1st, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet
KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Feb 1 (Reuters) – State-run oil firm Saudi
Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) said on Monday they signed a
contract with Japan's JGC Gulf International (1963.T) to build two
units at their joint refinery, in a bid to improve the refinery's
environmental performance.

Posts under 'Saudi Aramco'
Royal Dutch Shell BP Merger?
May 28th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet

THE NEW YORK TIMES
Spill Could Make BP Vulnerable
By ROB COX and CHRISTOPHER SWANN: MAY 27, 2010
BP is likely to eventually stop the flow of oil from its explosion in
the Gulf of Mexico . After that happens, the autopsy of the spill will
begin in earnest. But if the information dribbling into the public
domain proves correct, the British energy giant will be a weakened
creature — so weak it will be vulnerable to a takeover.
Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil are almost certainly running the
numbers. Government leaders ought to be plotting their strategy, too.
The fiasco in the gulf, which killed 11 workers, has shined a new
light on BP's poor safety track record. The current disaster is the
company's third American offense in recent years, coming shortly after
the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 workers and the
2006 Prudhoe Bay spill that leaked more than 200,000 gallons into
Alaskan waters.
The list of problems reflects poorly on management and furthers the
impression of a corner-cutting culture that the chief executive, Tony
Hayward, had, until recently, been widely credited with improving. The
response by BP's board has been somewhat tepid, with little public
support offered to management or guidance provided to shareholders.
Add these factors up, fold in the potential cost of cleanup, and it is
little wonder that investors have wiped as much as $46 billion off the
company's market value since mid-April. At $141 billion on Thursday,
BP's capitalization is half of Exxon's and less than the $165 billion
value of Shell, which has traditionally traded at a discount to BP.
Even before BP's latest troubles, the arguments for a deal were
compelling, largely because of the cost savings that could accrue. Mr.
Hayward's predecessor, John Browne, wrote in his memoirs that BP had
aimed for $9 billion in annual synergies from a possible merger with
Shell a few years ago. Those would in theory be worth some $60 billion
to investors.
And though a combination with Shell or BP would be huge, the antitrust
implications might not be. The company would control no more than
about 6 percent of the world's proven oil reserves.
At a time when nearly 90 percent of the planet's crude oil is
controlled by even larger national energy groups — including Saudi
Aramco and Russia 's Gazprom — that kind of scale seems defensible. It
might even be viewed as a positive factor in securing Western energy
independence from potentially unfriendly oil-rich governments.
Some operations in the United States and Britain would probably need
to be sold, including refineries and service stations. That was
envisioned in the discussions the companies held a few years ago,
according to Mr. Browne's book. But these would account for only a
small fraction of the deal's value.
Such wrinkles are tiny compared with BP's other attractions for a
Shell or an Exxon. Though BP has operations worldwide, it has a big
footprint in the politically stable areas that the major oil firms
increasingly crave. It is the largest producer in the Gulf of Mexico
and Britain 's North Sea . And its Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska is
still the largest in North America .
So what's stopping Exxon or Shell from pouncing? For starters, there
is still no clear indication of what happened on Deepwater Horizon,
who was at fault and what it will cost to clean up things.
Any responsible acquirer would probably wait for greater clarity on
these contingent liabilities before making a move. That could be
months away.
And though antitrust concerns could be assuaged, the politics could
prove trickier. For one, Britain 's new government might object to
seeing a former national champion sold to a Texas corporation — even
though BP was permitted by American authorities to buy Amoco and
Atlantic Richfield in years past.
Washington , too, might fear the creation of a company so big it would
be difficult for the government to put its "boot on their neck," to
use the language of the interior secretary, Ken Salazar, in relation
to BP's cleanup efforts. A merged BP-Exxon would effectively
reconstitute a substantial part of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil.
But times have changed. In 1911, when the government broke up
Standard, oil was a domestic business. Today, private Western members
of the oil fraternity operate on a global stage facing well-off
competitors.
A weakened BP could struggle in that environment anyway. If rivals
start circling, the company — and interested governments — may need to
contemplate even bigger oil giants.
ROB COX and CHRISTOPHER SWANN
New York Times Article
Shell's Statement on the President's Offshore Announcement
May 28th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet

HOUSTON , May 27 /PRNewswire/ – The Deepwater Horizon accident in the
Gulf of Mexico is a terrible tragedy for the families of those who
lost their lives or were injured, as well as our neighbors in the Gulf
region.
Immediately following the on-set of this incident, we undertook a
number of proactive steps to reinforce our top priority, safety, by
conducting a comprehensive review of our operating practices, testing
frequencies and training protocols. We have an unwavering commitment
to safe operating practices and will actively seek to understand the
causes of the Deepwater Horizon incident.
We respect and understand today's decision in the context of the
tragic spill in the Gulf of Mexico , but we remain confident in our
drilling expertise, which is built upon a foundation of redundant
safety systems and company global standards. In Alaska , our drilling
plans have undergone an unprecedented level of review, including
scrutiny from the courts, regulators and stakeholders. We welcome this
scrutiny and will work closely with the government and other experts
during this suspension in drilling activities.
About Shell
Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Company, is a leader
in the refining, transportation and marketing of fuels, and has a
network of approximately 6,100 branded gasoline stations in the
Western United States . Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Shell
Group [(NYSE: RDS.A) and (NYSE: RDS.B)]. Shell Oil Company is a 50
percent owner of Motiva Enterprises LLC, along with Saudi Refining,
Inc. Motiva Enterprises LLC refines and markets branded products
through more than 8,300 Shell-branded stations in the Eastern and
Southern United States .
Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales , has its
headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London , Amsterdam ,
and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more
than 100 countries with businesses including oil and gas exploration
and production; production and marketing of Liquefied Natural Gas and
Gas to Liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products
and chemicals and renewable energy projects including wind and solar
power. For further information, visit www.Shell.com.
Thursday, 13 May 2010 – 02:31
Motiva Reports Early Power Snag At Port Arthur Refinery
May 13th, 2010
by John Donovan.
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Motiva Enterprises LLC (RDSA, RDSA.LN)
Wednesday filed an emissions event report to Texas state environmental
regulators stating that an early-day power outage slowed or shut
several processing units.
The power interruption occurred just after 3:00 a.m. CDT and was
caused by a fire at an electrical pole, the report to the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality said.
"Individual units followed start-up, shutdown and maintenance
procedures to safely stabilize unit operations, and minimize
emissions," the filing said, but it was unclear whether operations had
returned to normal.
A company representative wasn't immediately available to comment.
Separately, Motiva reported its plan to restart a delayed coking unit
following two weeks of maintenance earlier Wednesday. The start-up was
scheduled to begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. CDT.
The Motiva Port Arthur refinery, 50% joint venture between units of
Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA, RDSA.LN) and Saudi Aramco, has the
capacity to process 275,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
-By Rose Marton-Vitale, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2146;
rose.marton@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 12, 2010 19:31 ET (23:31 GMT)
Copyright © 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
SOURCE ARTICLE
Slick engulfs oil industry's sense of optimism
May 1st, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
At the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in January there was
standing room only at the session on the future of oil. Peter Voser,
the chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, sat alongside the head of
the Saudi oil giant Aramco, Khalid al Falih, and the chairman of
Total, Thierry Desmarest. In the middle was Tony Hayward, the chief
executive of BP. The session was so popular, Davos staff had to turn
people away at the door.
By Kamal Ahmed
Published: 9:02PM BST 01 May 2010
Mr Hayward spoke about the pressures the industry was under as it
struggled to keep up with ever rising demand from the emerging
economies. Such was the "supply challenge" companies would have to
explore more and more difficult environments from which to gain oil –
the lifeblood of markets around the world. A 40pc increase in demand
would create the need for 15m barrels per day (bpd) increased
production over the next two decades.
Mr Hayward was excited about the future. Iraq was developing as a
major oil producer and new methods of extracting oil from tar sands
across North America revealed that the business was keeping pace with
demand. There was a third element to Mr Hayward's narrative – deep
drilling in the Gulf of Mexico .
That is the backdrop to the catastrophic rig collapse off the coast of
Louisiana two weeks ago. Eleven people were killed and estimates of
how many barrels are leaking into the sea vary from 5,000 to 25,000 a
day. Such is the depth of the drilling site – 4,500ft – that no one
really knows what is going on down there.
As BP, alongside Transocean, struggles to contain the spiralling costs
of the clean-up operation following the explosion and destruction of
the $500m (£327m) Deepwater Horizon rig, it is becoming clear that the
whole of the oil industry is holding its breath.
Until now, the oil companies have been greatly advantaged by a
relatively benign environment surrounding exploring in the oil-rich
shelf off Louisiana and Florida . Local politicians and regulators
welcomed the employment and wealth the industry bought. Even the
shrimp fishers who are now launching multi-million dollar class
actions against BP and Transocean often doubled as oil workers.
That is all now changing. Florida governor, Charlie Crist, said last
week that he believed there should be clampdown on drilling in the
Gulf. When President Barack Obama arrives in the area today he may
well go further than the temporary suspension of new drilling already
announced. Just as with the banks, the President is up for a fight
with BP – "they must pick up all the costs" – ahead of the crucial mid-
term elections.
Reading the long list of oil-spill incidents on the Minerals
Management Service safety register it is clear that Deepwater Horizon
had previous. All quite minor, but revealing, nevertheless, that
working in deep water in an area prone to hurricanes engenders
enormous risk.
In Febuary 2002, 103 barrels leaked; in June 2003, 994 barrels of oil
leaked after a pipe disconnected in bad weather; in August the same
year, 74 barrels leaked, three days later 138 barrels leaked after
"equipment failure"; November 22 and 23 2005, 212 barrels leaked
following "equipment failure and human error". Interestingly, the last
incident involved problems with a cement plug on the well, an issue
that has been raised this time as a possible cause of the accident.
This is now not just a question limited to its impact on BP – one of
Britain 's most successful companies, but to the whole of the sector.
An analyst note from Goldman Sachs on the possible impact sums it up:
"The tide of oil from the collapsed Horizon deepwater drilling
platform threatens to disrupt shipping in the US Gulf of Mexico and
inflict extensive environmental damage along the Gulf Coast ," it
said.
"While the most substantial impact of the oil spill will likely be
environmental and the impact it might have on future legislation
around offshore drilling, the potential disruption of oil tanker
traffic in the Gulf is already having an impact on oil prices."
Mr Hayward appeared to enjoy Davos – and his message was positive.
Now, as he contemplates the growing disaster of the spill in the Gulf
of Mexico this weekend, he cannot be so sure.
SOURCE ARTICLE
Shell saved Hitler and the Nazi Party
Apr 26th, 2010
by John Donovan.  How Royal Dutch Shell saved Hitler and the Nazi
Party. Same motive then, as for Shell dealing with the terrorist
Gaddafi, the corrupt Saudi regime and the fanatical Iranian mullahs
now: access to oil. We have gathered much more evidence of Shell's
evil relationship with the Nazi.
Saudi Aramco CEO Visits Port Arthur Refinery Expansion
Mar 10th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
MARCH 9, 2010
[Dow Jones] While visiting Houston , his "adopted second home," Khalid
Al-Falih, the chief executive of Saudi Aramco, made a trip out to the
Motiva Port Arthur refinery. The refinery, which is jointly owned by
Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) is undergoing a major
expansion project which will make it the largest refinery in the U.S.
with a capacity of 600,000 barrels a day. It will be "the most
sophisticated refinery in the U.S only fitting for Texas ,' Al-Falih
said during a speech at the IHS-CERA Energy Conference in Houston .
(susan.daker@dowjones.com)
Contact us at 713 547-9208
WSJ ARTICLE
Saudi Aramco, Shell sign contract with Japan 's JGC
Feb 1st, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet
KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Feb 1 (Reuters) – State-run oil firm Saudi
Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) said on Monday they signed a
contract with Japan's JGC Gulf International (1963.T) to build two
units at their joint refinery, in a bid to improve the refinery's
environmental performance.

Mon Feb 1, 2010 11:53am GMT
KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Feb 1 (Reuters) – State-run oil firm Saudi
Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) said on Monday they signed a
contract with Japan's JGC Gulf International (1963.T) to build two
units at their joint refinery, in a bid to improve the refinery's
environmental performance.
The units will help reduce sulphur dioxide emissions to less than 250
part per million on start up, the joint company, Sasref, said in an
emailed statement.
This will not improve the profitability of the company, which operates
a 305,000 barrels per day (bpd) crude refinery in Jubail on the Gulf
coast, the company said.
(Reporting by Reem Shamseddine, Editing by Anthony Barker)
http://royaldutchshellplc.com/category/saudi-aramco/
Motiva Reports Early Power Snag At Port Arthur Refinery
May 13th, 2010
by John Donovan.
No comments yet
Thursday, 13 May 2010 – 02:31
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Motiva Enterprises LLC (RDSA, RDSA.LN)
Wednesday filed an emissions event report to Texas state environmental
regulators stating that an early-day power outage slowed or shut
several processing units.
The power interruption occurred just after 3:00 a.m. CDT and was
caused by a fire at an electrical pole, the report to the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality said.
"Individual units followed start-up, shutdown and maintenance
procedures to safely stabilize unit operations, and minimize
emissions," the filing said, but it was unclear whether operations had
returned to normal.
A company representative wasn't immediately available to comment.
Separately, Motiva reported its plan to restart a delayed coking unit
following two weeks of maintenance earlier Wednesday. The start-up was
scheduled to begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. CDT.
The Motiva Port Arthur refinery, 50% joint venture between units of
Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA, RDSA.LN) and Saudi Aramco, has the
capacity to process 275,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
-By Rose Marton-Vitale, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2146;
rose.marton@dowjones.com
 US funds criticise Shell for Iran activities
_________________________________________
Royal Dutch Shell has been criticised by a group of US pension funds
over its activities in Iran , home to the world's second-largest gas
reserves.
A group of the largest public pension funds in the US , including the
California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers), the New York
State Common Retirement Funds and New York City Pension Funds, have
written to Shell emphasising the risks of doing business in Iran .
The funds have also written to several other energy companies with
activities in Iran , including Total of France, Eni of Italy, Repsol
of Spain, Gazprom of Russia and ONGC of India.
The letter, sent on Tuesday and seen by the Financial Times, says the
funds are "deeply concerned" that the companies' involvement in Iran
poses "significant risks" to the companies, their reputations and
their shareholders.
The funds say growing tension between the US and Iran could lead to
"tightening economic sanctions" and "will negatively impact companies
doing business there". The letter asks the companies to outline "the
policies and safeguards you have in place" to mitigate the risks of
operating in Iran .
American oil and gas companies are barred from investing in Iran but
other energy groups have been venturing into the country, attracted by
the large gas reserves available.
In January Shell and Repsol signed a controversial agreement with the
Iranian government to look into developing the huge South Pars gas
field. Shell and Repsol would each own 25 per cent of the project,
which would be worth billions of dollars, with the National Iranian
Oil Company holding 50 per cent.
Shell, whose chief executive, Jeroen van der Veer, will Thursday
unveil second-quarter results, said it had not decided whether to
proceed with the South Pars project. "Any decision is at least a year
or so away," said Shell. "When we come to deciding, we will take
political considerations into account."
July 25, 2007- Financial Times
By Rebecca Bream
http://www.iranalmanac.com/news/lastnews.php?newsid=5054

OSAMA'S MENTOR PRINCE TURKI - BROTHER OF PRINCESS HAIFA
FIRST SECTION IMMEDIATELY BELOW IS
EXCERPTED FROM: "CNN CONNIE CHUNG
TONIGHT Aired November 25, 2002 - 20:00
ET
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0211/25/cct.00.html
"SEN. RICHARD SHELBY ®, ALABAMA : We
need to know what kind of ally we
have here. I'm suspicious. ANNOUNCER:
The U.S. government and
relatives of the 9/11 victims want
answers. Could money from the Saudi
government have bankrolled al Qaeda?
*** CHUNG: Prince Turki al-Faisal
from Riyadh is not only former chief of
Saudi intelligence; he's the
brother of the princess, Princess Haifa
al-Faisal, wife of the Saudi
ambassador to Washington, whose checks are now under investigation." (
NOTE, NOT PART OF ARTICLE BEING QUOTED, NOTE THE NAME OF THE SAUDI
PRINCESS: HAIFA AL FAISAL, HAIFA , AS IN THE CITY IN ISRAEL !!!
CLEARLY
SHE WAS NAMED WITH THE INTENT OF NOT RECOGNIZING HAIFA AS BEING AN
ISRAELI CITY !!! HAIFA !!!!) ARTICLE BEING QUOTED CONTINUES: " PRINCE
TURKI AL-FAISAL, FORMER CHIEF OF SAUDI INTELLIGENCE: *** in my view,
ludicrous and unfair media hype on my sister.*** her contributions to
children's welfare and children with educational disabilities are
well-registered and reported in the Washington area.***CHUNG: And
joining me now from Washington is the man who broke this story on
Saudi money; "Newsweek"'s Michael Isikoff. Michael, I'm sure you just
heard what Prince Turki said. He said that your report was ludicrous
and-quote-"unfair media hype." MICHAEL ISIKOFF, "NEWSWEEK": ***And
here's what we know. What we know is, the two individuals who ended up
as the recipient of the money-or at least it was through-or their
families ended up as the recipients of the money-are these two Saudi
students in San Diego , Mr. Omar al-Bayoumi and Mr. Osama Basnan. Now,
they turn out to be not your run-of-the-mill Saudi students. Mr.
Bayoumi, under his own account, just happened to run into the two
hijackers, al-Midhar and al-Hazmi, right after they landed in LAX,
straight from an al Qaeda terrorist summit in Kuala Lumpur in January
2000. By his account, he just happened to overhear them speaking
Arabic at an L.A. restaurant and just happened to offer to take care
of them and bring them to San Diego . He welcomes them in a welcoming
party. He opens up a bank account for them. He arranges for an
apartment right next door to his. And he fronts them two months rent
for the first two months, $1,500. Mr. Basnan, as we report in this
week's "Newsweek," was a known al Qaeda sympathizer, according to a
federal law enforcement official, had openly expressed his admiration
for the events of September 11, and talked about what a wonderful,
glorious day it had been, and, as we further report, according to a
U.S. intelligence source, showed up in Houston earlier last April,
when the Crown Prince Abdullah was in town and met with a high-ranking
member of the crown prince's entourage, who deals with intelligence
matters. And we did find a Houston police report that placed him in
Houston that day, April 25. He was reporting $400 in stolen cash.***
In fact, Mr. Bayoumi left the country two months before September 11.
He was picked up by the British in New Scotland Yard a couple of days
after 9/11, then released after a week, and is now believed back in
Saudi Arabia. I can tell you for a fact that, as we report in
"Newsweek," that witnesses in San Diego have been grilled intensively
in the last couple of weeks about Mr. Bayoumi and his whereabouts and
his activities. And the FBI, which is conducting this investigation,
would not be asking those questions if they were fully satisfied that
all the questions about Mr. Bayoumi's activities had been answered.
CHUNG: The new questions about the role of Saudi Arabian money and the
September 11 attacks are not the first time Saudis have been
implicated. Almost 3,000 September 11 victims and relatives have
joined a massive lawsuit seeking as much as $1 trillion from members
of the Saudi royal family. Kevin Schaeffer is one of those victims.
And Ron Motley is the attorney pursuing this lawsuit. Ron, I'm told
that you have just returned from Kabul , that your investigators were
there looking into links between the hijackers and the Taliban and al
Qaeda. Were they able to find any link to the Saudi royal family? RON
MOTLEY, ATTORNEY FOR 9/11 VICTIMS AND RELATIVES: Yes, ma'am. We were
able to establish, by sworn testimony, the act of participation of
Prince Turki in the facilitation of the funding of al Qaeda directly
in Afghanistan . CHUNG: Are you saying that Prince Turki, with whom I
just spoke and who claims no one in the royal family is in any way
connected to or funding al Qaeda, are you saying that he is indeed not
only a funder, but a facilitator for al Qaeda? MOTLEY: There is
absolutely no question about it. We spoke with senior Taliban
officials who were in the room when he indeed did facilitate the
transfer of large sums of money directly to al Qaeda in Afghanistan .
CHUNG: Who was present and how can you verify that Prince Turki was
involved? MOTLEY: Well, Prince Turki hasn't appeared in the suit yet.
But when he does, if he does, we will be able to take his testimony
under oath. But Prince Turki was in Afghanistan on numerous occasions
facilitating the transfer of funds and equipment to al Qaeda. And the
people who gave us these sworn statements were in the room when it
occurred. And these were senior Taliban, former Taliban officials.
CHUNG: Prince Turki is named in your lawsuit, is he not? MOTLEY: He
indeed is a primary target. CHUNG: Do you have any information that
would suggest that the story today, which involves Princess Haifa, is
an accurate one? MOTLEY: Well, I think the story is accurate. The
conclusions you can draw from that story may not be soundly footed
right now, although my investigator has reported-maybe another
coincidence-but another link between the princess and an al Qaeda
figure who has turned state's evidence and is testifying against three
other al Qaeda members in Michigan ."
END OF CONNIE CHUNG EXCERPT

Turkish Rally for Flotilla Raises Flag with Nazi Symbol
Published: 06/27/10, 9:11 AM / Last Update: 06/27/10, 9:17 AM

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Follow Israel new
Turkish supporters for flotillas aimed at breaking Israel's maritime
embargo on Hamas-controlled Gaza recently raised the Nazi flag with an
expression of gratitude. The Turkish language slogan on the flag is a
common expression of gratitude, according to the [Islam] Religion for
Peace.com website.
Turkey was not allied with the Nazi regime but retained important
trade agreements that allowed Nazi Germany to import key materials
until the pact was broken one year before the end of World War II.
The web site states that Muslim jihadists have committed 15,533
attacks around the world since the September 11, 2001 aerial suicide
bombings on the United States .
Turkey and the terrorist-linked IHH organization organized the last
flotilla May 31, when IHH members, many of them with training by
terrorist groups, attacked Israeli Navy commandos who prevented the
Mavi Mamara ship from continuing on course to Gaza .
The clash sparked another crisis in Turkish Israeli relations, which
have rapidly deteriorated since last year's three-week Operation Cast
Lead war against the Hamas terrorist infrastructure.
"For a sovereign state, giving up on a matter like this requires
giving up on its statehood," a senior government official told
journalists, as reported by Turkey 's Today's Zayman. "Turkish-Israeli
ties appeared headed for a collapse if Israel refuses, as it does now,
to offer a formal apology," for the clash.
The official also alleged that the Mavi Mamara was headed for Egypt 's
El-Arish port and not to Gaza . (IsraelNationalNews.com)

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138274

Nazi flag hoisted by Turkish flotilla support
Israel news photo: Religion for peace.com
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138274
JOHN HOUSEMAN as Bartholomew in ROLLERBALL
http://movieclips.com/watch/rollerball-1975/jonathan-stands-up-to-bartholomew/
JOHN HOUSEMAN who plays . Mr. Wabash in THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR
also appears in this clip from THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR
http://www.videodetective.com/titledetails.aspx?PublishedID=1769
Opportunities for Collaborative Applied Research
Graduate students gain applied research experience through projects
with different organizations such as ExxonMobil , U.S. Navy, City of
Houston , Houston Transtar, Saudi Aramco, and local consulting firms.
Applied research projects are supervised by UH faculty in conjunction
with the organization.
Source:
http://www.psychology.uh.edu/GraduatePrograms/iop/
Saudi Aramco Jobs in University of Houston , TX
http://nationaljobs.washingtonpost.com/a/all-jobs/list/q-Saudi+Aramco/l-University+of+Houston,+TX
•  Aramco Careers
Discover the opportunity of a lifetime at Saudi Aramco. Apply now
www.aramco.jobs
Obama Bows To The King Of Saudi Arabia
US President Barack Obama, center, back to camera, greets King
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia , center, before the official G20 leaders
group photo with Britain 's Queen Elizabeth II at London 's Buckingham
Palace , Wednesday, April 1, 2009.
Remember the grief Mr. Bush got for 'holding hands' with this same
potentate?
By the way, in case anybody says that this was just an accident of the
way Mr. Obama appears in the above photo – this YouTube clip shows
otherwise:
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obama-bows-to-king-abdullah-of-saudi-arabia



Adolf Eichmann
(1906-1962)

SS Lieutenant-Colonel who was Chief of the Jewish Office of the
Gestapo during
World War II and implemented the 'Final Solution' which aimed at the
total
extermination of European Jewry, Adolf Eichmann was born in Solingen
on
 19 March
1906.
The declasse son of a solid middle-class Protestant family which had
moved to
Linz , Austria , where Eichmann spent his youth, he failed to complete
his
engineering studies. After working briefly as an ordinary labourer in
his
father's small mining enterprise and then in the sales department of
an
 Upper
Austrian electrical construction company, Eichmann became a traveling
salesman
for the Vacuum Oil Company between 1927 and 1933.
On April 1, 1932 he joined the Austrian Nazi Party at the suggestion
of his
compatriot Ernst
 Kaltenbrunner. Having lost his job he sought employment across
the border in Bavaria in July 1933, joining the exiled Austrian legion
and
undergoing fourteen months' military training.
In September 1934 he found an opening in Himmler's Security Service
(SD) which
provided him with an outlet for his bureaucratic talents. By the
beginning of
1935 he was the official
 responsible for 'Jewish questions' at the Berlin head
office of the SD, specializing in the Zionist movement. He acquired a
smattering
of Hebrew and Yiddish, and briefly visited Palestine in 1937 to
explore the
possibilities of Jewish emigration from Nazi Germany to Palestine .
Appointed assistant to the SD leader of the SS main region,
 Danube , Eichmann's
first big opportunity came after he was sent to Vienna by the Gestapo
to prepare
the ground for the Anschluss.
From August 1938 he was in charge of the Office for Jewish Emigration
in Vienna
set up by the SS as the sole Nazi agency authorized to issue exit
permits for
Jews from Austria , then Czechoslovakia and later the old German
Reich.
Eichmann's acquired expertise in
 forced emigration—in less than eighteen months
approximately 150,000 Jews left Austria —and extortion was to prove an
ideal
training-ground for his later efficiency in forced evacuation, i.e.,
the
registering, assembly and deportation of Jews to extermination centres
in the
East. By March 1939 he was already handling forced deportations to
Poland and,
in October of the same year, he was appointed special adviser on the
evacuation
of Jews and Poles.
In December 1939 Eichmann was transferred to Amt IV (Gestapo) of the
Reich Main
Security
 Office (RSHA) where he took over Referat IV B4 dealing with Jewish
affairs and evacuation. For the next six years Eichmann's office was
the
headquarters for the implementation of the 'Final Solution'; though it
was not
until the summer of 1941 that his 'resettlement' department began the
task of
creating death camps, developing gassing techniques and organizing the
system of
convoys that were to take European Jewry to their
 deaths.
It was in 1941 that Eichmann first visited Auschwitz and in November
of the same
year he was promoted to SS Lieutenant-Colonel. He had already begun to
organize
the mass deportation of Jews from Germany and Bohemia , in accordance
with
Hitler's order to make the Reich free of Jews as rapidly as possible.
The Wannsee Conference of January 20, 1942 consolidated Eichmann's
position as
the Jewish specialist of the RSHA and Heydrich now formally entrusted
him with
implementing the Final Solution. In this task Eichmann proved to be a
model of
bureaucratic industriousness and icy determination even though he had
never been
a fanatical anti-semite and always claimed that personally he had
nothing
against
 Jews. His zeal expressed itself in his constant complaints about
obstacles in the fulfilment of death-camp quotas, his impatience with
the
existence of loopholes such as the free zone in Vichy France or the
unco-
operativeness of the Italians and other German allies in expediting
their Jews.
When even Himmler became more moderate towards the end of the war,
Eichmann
ignored his 'no gassing' order, as long as he was covered by immediate
superiors
like Heinrich Muller and his old friend, Kaltenbrunner. Only in
Budapest after
March 1944 did the desk-murderer become a public personality, working
in the
open and playing a leading role in the massacre of Hungarian Jewry. In
August
1944 the 'Grand Inquisitor' of European Jewry could report to Himmler
 that
approximately four million Jews had died in the death camps and that
another two
million had been killed by mobile extermination units. Though arrested
at the
end of the war, Eichmann's name was not yet widely known and he was
able to
escape from an American internment camp in 1946 and flee to
Argentina . He was
eventually tracked down by
 Israeli secret agents on May 2, 1960, living under an
assumed name in a suburb of Buenos Aires . Nine days later he was
secretly
abducted to Israel , to be publicly tried in Jerusalem . The trial,
which
aroused enormous international interest and some controversy, took
place between
April 2 and August 14, 1961. On December 2, 1961 Eichmann was
sentenced to
 death
for crimes against the Jewish people and crimes against humanity. On
May 31,
1962 he was executed in Ramleh prison.
Source: Wistrich, Robert S. Who's Who in Nazi Germany , Routledge,
1997. USHMM
photo.
Vacuum Oil Company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to:navigation, search
Vacuum Oil Company was an American oil company known for their
Gargoyle 600-W
Steam Cylinder Oil. Vacuum Oil merged with Socony Oil to form Socony-
Vacuum Oil
Company, and is now a part of ExxonMobil.
History
Vacuum Oil was founded in 1866 by Matthew Ewing and Hiram Bond
Everest, of
Rochester , NY . The lubrication oil was an accidental discovery while
attempting to distill kerosene. Everest noted that the residue from
the
extraction was suitable as a lubricant. Soon after, the product became
popular
for use by steam engines and the internal-combustion engines. Ewing
sold
 his
interest to Everest, who carried on the company.[1]
Vacuum Oil and Standard Oil of New York (Socony) merged in 1931, after
the
government gave up their attempts to prevent it. Their union, creating
Socony-Vacuum Corp. made them the third largest (at the time) world
oil company.
Everest was given a salary job as President and remained with the
company. [2]
In 1931, Socony and Vacuum Oil
 merged, and in 1955, the company became Socony
Mobil Oil Company. In World War II, the Tschechowitz I & II subcamps
of
Auschwitz in Czechowice-Dziedzice provided forced labor for Vacuum Oil
Company
facilities in Nazi Germany.[3] In 1963 it became Mobilgas then just
Mobil.
Legal Problems
In 1887, founder Hiram Bond Everest and son Charles M. Everest were
charged with
conspiracy to destroy competitor Buffalo Lubricating Oil Co. It is
said that
they were attempting to destroy the buildings, preventing them from
manufacturing petroleum products, as well as acquiring their skillful
employees.
One said employee included Albert A. Miller who was being bribed to
construct
defective
 machinery so that it would explode. Hiram Everest and Charles Everest
were both found guilty. [4]
In 1907 the Vacuum Oil, Standard Oil, New York Central Railroad, and
Pennsylvania Railroad were all indicted for violations in Inter-State
Commerce
laws. Vacuum Oil was charged for shipping 228 cars of petroleum and
petroleum
products to Standard Oil at unlawful rates via
 the New York Central RR and
Pennsylvania RR. [5]
References
Vacuum Standardized (html). Time Magazine, 1930.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,738772,00.html.
Retrieved
2009-12-01.
Business & Finance: Socony-Vacuum Corp.. Time Magazine, 1931.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,882045,00.html.
Retrieved
2009-12-01.
Sub-Camps of Auschwitz Concentration Camp (html). Auschwitz-Birkenau:
 Memorial
and Museum. auschwitz.org.pl.
http://en.auschwitz.org.pl/h/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid\
3. Retrieved
 2009-05-21.
^ The Everests Convicted. New York Times, 1887.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9404E6DD1730E633A25755C1A9639C\
94669FD7CF. Retrieved
 2009-12-01.
^ Standard Indicted By New York Jury. New York Times, 1907.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9D05E0DD1F30E233A25753C1A96E9C\
946697D6CF. Retrieved 2009-12-01.


August 16, 2006  -  Islamic Meditation Practices

When:  Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Time:  12 pm - 1 pm
Where:  The Rothko Chapel, 1409 Sul Ross at Yupon, Houston, Texas
(713-524-9839)

Dr. Basheer Khumawala will explain the significance of the five daily
prayers in the context of the teachings of Islam. He will explain
their divinely chosen times during the day, provide the meaning of the
call to prayer and what is said in these prayers and demonstrate the
form of the prayer. He will also lead the audience in prayer and
answer any questions from the guests.

Dr. Basheer Khumawala is a member of the Islamic Society of Greater
Houston and is very active with Interfaith work in the city. He is
past board member of the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and
is a frequent speaker on Islam at various religious, educational and
social organizations. He has participated in several open houses at
area mosques and has hosted a number of groups from churches,
synagogues, temples, schools, colleges, etc. Dr. Khumawala is a John &
Rebecca Moores Professor in the C.T. Bauer College of Business
Administration at the University of Houston .

For more information, visit www.rothkochapel.org
http://www.arabvoices.net/calendar_2006.htm

World's deepest oil well may rival Alaskan field in production
Published: Thursday, September 03, 2009
CHRIS KAHN
NEW YORK - Nearly seven miles below the Gulf of Mexico , oil company
BP has tapped into a vast pool of crude after digging the deepest oil
well in the world.
The Tiber Prospect is expected to rank among the largest petroleum
discoveries in the United States , potentially producing half as much
crude in a day as Alaska 's famous North Slope oil field.
The company's chief of exploration on Wednesday estimated that the
Tiber deposit holds between 4 billion and 6 billion barrels of oil
equivalent, which includes natural gas. That would be enough to
satisfy U.S. demand for crude for nearly one year. But BP does not yet
know how much it can extract.
The Gulf of Mexico is proving to be a growing oil province, and a
profitable one if you can find the reserves, said Tyler Priest,
professor and director of Global Studies at the Bauer College of
Business at the University of Houston .
The Tiber well is about 250 miles southeast of Houston in U.S. waters.
At 35,055 feet, it is as deep as Mount Everest is tall, not including
more than 4,000 feet of water above it.
Drilling at those depths shows how far major oil producers will go to
find new supplies as global reserves dwindle, and how technology has
advanced, allowing them to reach once-unimaginable depths.
Deep-water operations are considered to be the last frontier for
pristine oil deposits, and the entire petroleum industry is sweeping
the ocean floor in search of more crude.
BP needs to invest years of work and millions of dollars before it
draws the first drop of oil from Tiber . Such long waits are not
uncommon. Three years after announcing a discovery at a site in the
Gulf called Kaskida, BP has yet to begin producing oil there.
Projects like the Tiber well will not reduce U.S. dependency on
foreign oil, which continues to grow. But new technology does permit
access to major oil finds closer to U.S. shores.
BP expects Tiber to be among the company's richest finds in the Gulf
on par with its crown jewel, the Thunder Horse development. Thunder
Horse produces about 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, as
much crude as half of Alaska 's famous North Slope .
Even if Tiber produces that much, it would still be a trickle compared
with the largest oil producers in the world - the Ghawar field in
Saudi Arabia , which produces 5 million barrels per day.
But because it's close to home, Tiber would be especially attractive
to refiners in America , where the government wants to cut down on oil
imports from the Middle East .
Early indications are that it's a significant positive discovery, said
Matt Snyder, lead analyst with Wood MacKinzie's Gulf of Mexico
research team.
Exploration companies recently have been pushing drilling operations
farther from shore because of technological improvements that allow
them to handle extreme depths and pressure, Snyder said.
It's an expensive process. A production platform costs more than $1
billion to build. Drilling a deep-water well can add another $100
million, and if crude is located, it could cost another $50 million to
bring the oil to the surface.
And when they finally get down there, it's very hot, said Leta Smith,
a director with Cambridge Energy Research Associates' Global Oil
Supply Group.
It could be upwards of 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The pressures can be
the most challenging aspect of it. These rocks are over-pressured,
which means you need to have a lot of special equipment.
For an ambitious project like Tiber to pay off, experts say crude must
cost at least $70 to $75 per barrel, though lower prices have never
slowed the industry. When crude prices fell below $20 per barrel in
the late 1990s, exploration and Thunder Horse never slowed.
They're not swayed by daily price swings when it comes to planning
deep-water exploration, Priest said.
BP's discovery is the latest in what's called the lower tertiary
region, an ancient section of rock in the Gulf that is roughly 300
square miles and formed between 24 million and 65 million years ago.
Chevron Corp. drilled one of the first wells in the region in 2001,
followed by more than a dozen others from companies such as Royal
Dutch Shell, Australian oil company BHP Billiton, BP and Total SA,
according to the U.S. Department of Interior's Minerals Management
Service.
In 2006, Chevron estimated that the lower tertiary holds between 3
billion and 15 billion barrels. But it has taken years to develop
wells for commercial use.
Smith said that the first drops of crude from the lower tertiary will
arrive in 2010 with Shell's Perdido operation and Petrobras's Cascade
and Chinook developments.
BP has a 62 percent working interest in the Tiber well. Petrobras owns
20 percent while ConocoPhillips owns 18 percent.
http://lubbockonline.com/stories/090309/bus_489121723.shtml

"Prince al-Waleed, who runs Kingdom Holdings and is one of the
wealthiest men in the world… said to be worth $19bn (£12.75m), is not
afraid of high-profile deals and one of his current projects is to
build the world's tallest tower in Jeddah."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/may/07/qatar-middle-east-manchester-united-bid

Israelis: U.S. Jews Should Fight Obama on Israel
Published: 06/15/10, 10:28 PM / Last Update: 06/15/10, 10:45 PM

by Gil Ronen
Follow Israel news .
Sixty five percent of the Jewish public in Israel – almost two thirds
– believe that Jews in the United States should be critical of
President Barack Obama's policy toward Israel , a poll has found.
Forty-six percent of Israeli Jews believed that the possibility that
U.S. Jews will be accused of double loyalty is what makes them shy
away from criticizing the Obama administration over its Israel policy.
Thirty-six percent thought the double loyalty factor did not influence
U.S. Jews and 18% either did not know or refused to answer.
The statistics are included in the annual Poll of the Israeli Public's
Attitudes Toward Diaspora Jews, which is currently being carried out
by the Kivun Institute for the B'nei Brith World Center. Five hundred
Jewish adults in Israel were polled.
Fifty-four percent of the Jewish public thinks that pro-Israeli Jewish
groups lobbying for Israel in foreign countries should always support
the policy of the elected Israeli government. Twenty-eight percent
believe these groups may oppose the policy overtly, and 18% said they
do not know.
Fifty-seven percent of the Jewish public is opposed to a petition by
European NGO JCall, against 'systematic' support by Jews in the
Diaspora for Israel 's policies. Thirty percent supported the
position, however, and 14% were not sure or did not answer.
Fifty-eight percent of Israeli Jews, the poll found, are worried by
the reports that 2009 was a record year in anti-Semitic incidents.
Forty-seven percent said the prime purpose of the Jewish Agency is to
encourage Aliyah to Israel , and thus disagree with JA head Natan
Sharansky, who determined that the organization's main strategic goal
is deepening Jewish identity among Jews worldwide. Thirty-five percent
agreed with Sharansky's assessment of the JA's primary goal.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)

Investigators: Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Failed Key Tests Ahead of
Explosion
Transcript
AIR DATE: May 12, 2010
JUDY WOODRUFF: Now: the latest on the oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico .
BP and Coast Guard officials said today they were hopeful that a new
containment
dome would
 capture
 some
 leaking oil as early as tomorrow night. BP today
released underwater video of the main oil leak. They show oil gushing
out of a
riser pipe nearly 5,000 feet below sea
 level.
Meantime, there were new questions in Washington today about failsafe
equipment.
NewsHour correspondent Tom Bearden reports.
TOM BEARDEN: Late into the night, workers lowered a second containment
dome into
the Gulf of Mexico , in another attempt to finally cap the blown-out
well.
Engineers worked to configure it today to avoid
 slush buildup that last week
doomed an effort to cap the well with a much bigger dome.
But, in Washington , lawmakers said their patience was waning, as top
officials
from the companies in charge of running and operating the rig appeared
for a
second day on Capitol Hill.
REP. EDWARD MARKEY, D-Mass.: As the result of the BP Deepwater Horizon
 disaster,
lives have been lost, livelihoods have been threatened, and a huge
ocean and
coastal ecosystem endangered. We have a duty and obligation to find
out what
happened here, why it happened, who was responsible, and how we can
ensure that
it never happens again.
TOM BEARDEN: The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
held today's
hearing as part of its own inquiry into the
 spill.
Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak said their investigation found there was
a
critical failure in a device on the seafloor that was designed to
prevent a leak
in an emergency.
REP. BART STUPAK, D-Mich.: The blowout preventer had a significant
leak in a key
hydraulic system. This leak was found in the hydraulic system that
provides
emergency power to the shear—to the shear rams, which are
 the devices that
are supposed to cut the drill pipe and seal the well.
TOM BEARDEN: Jack Moore, the CEO of Cameron, the blowout preventer's
manufacturer, said it was too early to draw any conclusions.
JACK MOORE, president and CEO, Cameron: We don't know what happened. I
think
that's what everyone
 here is trying to learn. And until we know what happens
with this investigation, we will not be able to answer whether the
blowout
preventer that was there was functioning for that particular purpose.
TOM BEARDEN: California 's Henry Waxman, a Democrat, also said the
committee's
investigation found the oil rig failed a pressure test just hours
before the
April 20
 explosion. The CEO of the rig's owner, Transocean, acknowledged that
the test may have been a signal of trouble.
STEVEN NEWMAN, president and chief executive officer, Transocean
Limited: The
significance of the discrepancy between the two pressures would lead—
lead to
a conclusion that there was something happening in the well bore that
shouldn't
be happening.
TOM BEARDEN: Joe Barton, a Republican from Texas , also criticized the
companies, but warned, lawmakers shouldn't overreact.
REP. JOE BARTON, R-Texas: We'll find out the facts, and we'll take
corrective
measures to prevent that from happening in the future, whether it's
legislatively or regulatorily or through best-practices changes by the
industry.
But what we should not do, Mr. Chairman, is make a decision to fence
off
 the
Outer Continental Shelf, to use this as the equivalent of the Three
Mile Island
accident for nuclear power and set back domestic oil and gas
production in the
Outer Continental Shelf for the next 20 or 30 years.
CLICK TO SEE THE VIDEO
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/jan-june10/oil_05-12.html
Left Off Holder's Listby Gerald PosnerNovember 13, 2009 | 9:06amAs
Attorney General Eric Holder brings a group of suspected 9/11
terrorists totrial, Gerald Posner reports on why Abu Zubaydah—poster
child for enhancedinterrogation techniques—is not among them.Attorney
General Eric Holder announced today that five leading Guantánamo
Baydetainees will be sent to New York to face trial in a civilian
federalcourtroom. Included in the group are the self-proclaimed 9/11
mastermind, KhalidSheik Mohammed and four others who helped
orchestrate the attacks.Conspicuously missing from the group of high-
value terror suspects is AbuZubaydah. For those who have been
following Zubaydah's case, his exclusion isn'tsurprising. A senior
intelligence analyst who spoke to The Daily Beast on thecondition of
anonymity said that Zubaydah was
 omitted from the group to be triedin New York because the Obama
administration wanted to prosecute in civiliancourt only those
terrorists with direct ties to the 9/11 operation. Zubaydah didnot
have operational ties to 9/11, the analyst told me. But in 2003, that
sameanalyst told me that Zubaydah, during the course of his
interrogation, hadprovided the "Rosetta Stone" of what really happened
in the run-up to the 9/11terror attacks. The backpedaling he's doing
now is part of a campaign of leaksfrom the U.S. intelligence community
in an effort to downplay Zubayday'ssignificance.With the announcement
this morning that Zubaydah will be left off Holder's list,the Obama
administration follows in the footsteps of its predecessor in
buryingthe Zubaydah leads.There may be another reason why Zubaydah
will not be part of Holder's pressconference. Owing to his treatment
following his March 2002 capture
 by Pakistaniand U.S. special forces and intelligence operatives, he
is considered a key testcase of "enhanced interrogation" techniques
that neither the Bush nor Obamaadministration want to disclose.
Zubaydah's revelations about another Americanally, Saudi Arabia—and
that country's insistence that Zubaydah's allegations notget a public
hearing—might also have influenced today's decision not to bringhim to
New York. ( U.S. authorities have not yet indicated what legal
fateZubaydah might face).This past March, the Obama administration
announced that the CIA had destroyed92 videotapes of the agency's
interrogation sessions with high-ranking capturedal Qaeda suspects.
Most were of Zubaydah's early sessions. In my 2003 book, WhyAmerica
Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11, I disclosed how Zubaydah
initiallyrefused to help his American captors. Summing up my findings
in The HuffingtonPost
 in 2007, I wrote: "I also set forth how U.S. intelligence established
a'fake flag' operation, in which the wounded Zubaydah was transferred
toAfghanistan under the ruse that he had actually been turned over to
the Saudis.The Saudis had him on a wanted list, and the Americans
believed that Zubaydah,fearful of torture and death at the hands of
the Saudis, would start talkingwhen confronted by U.S. agents playing
the role of Saudi intelligence officers."But Zubaydah showed no fear
when confronted by his 'Saudi' interrogators.Instead, according to the
two U.S. intelligence sources who separately gave methe detailed
account, he seemed relieved. The man who had refused even toconfirm
his identity to his U.S. captors began talking animatedly to his
'Saudi'captors. He was happy to see them, he said, because he feared
the Americanswould kill him. He then asked them to call a senior
member of the Saudi
 royalfamily and from memory he gave them a private home number and a
cell phonenumber. 'He will tell you what to do,' Zubaydah assured
them."Those numbers belonged to Prince Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdul-
Aziz, one of KingFahd's nephews, and the chairman of the largest Saudi
publishing empire. Later,American investigators would determine that
Prince Ahmed had been in the U.S. on9/11 and his chartered jet was the
first to leave the country only five daysafter the attack on
America ."In the days after his capture, wounded and still in great
pain, Zubaydah wouldbe subjected by his American interrogators to
techniques used with no otherdetainee. They used painkillers to induce
Zubaydah to talk—they gave him themeds when he cooperated, and
withdrew them when he was quiet. They also utilizeda thiopental sodium
drip (a so-called truth serum). Several hours after he firstfingered
Prince Ahmed, his
 'Saudi' captors challenged him, saying he haddisparaged the royal
family and he would be executed. It was then that some ofthe secrets
of 9/11 came pouring out. Zubaydah laid out details of how he andthe
al Qaeda hierarchy had been supported at high levels inside the Saudi
andPakistan governments."He named two other Saudi princes, and also
the chief of Pakistan 's air force, ashis key contacts. Moreover, he
stunned his interrogators by charging that two ofthe men, the king's
nephew and the Pakistani air-force chief, had advanceknowledge that a
major terror operation was planned for America on 9/11.(Zubaydah would
also be waterboarded 83 times).Unfortunately, the four men identified
by Zubaydah cannot be investigatedbecause they are now dead. As for
the three Saudi princes, the king's43-year-old nephew, Prince Ahmed,
died of either a heart attack or blood clot,depending on which report
you
 believe, after having liposuction in a top Riyadhhospital. The
second, 41-year-old Prince Sultan bin Faisal bin Turki al-Saud,died
the following day in a one-car accident, on his way to the funeral
ofPrince Ahmed. And a week later, the third Saudi prince named by
Zubaydah,25-year-old Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabir, died,
according to theSaudi Royal Court , "of thirst." He passed away
outside the Saudi capital, in hisRolls Royce, of dehydration. "The
head of Pakistan 's air force, Mushaf Ali Mir,was the last to go," I
wrote in my 2007 Huffington Post story. "He died,together with his
wife and 15 of his top aides, when his plane blew up—in asuspected act
of sabotage—in February 2003. Pakistan 's investigation of theexplosion
—if one was even done—has never been made public." I have made
morethan a dozen requests to the Pakistani government for additional
information;they have
 all been ignored.Zubaydah is the only top al Qaeda operative who has
linked two of America'sclosest allies in the war on terror—Saudi
Arabia and Pakistan—to the 9/11attacks. .... With the announcementthis
morning that Zubaydah will be left off Holder's list—the only leading
alQaeda detainee absent from the tally of those to be tried in a
federalcourtroom—the Obama administration follows in the footsteps of
its predecessorin burying the Zubaydah leads and ensuring they do not
have a public hearing.Gerald Posner is The Daily Beast's Chief
Investigative Reporter. He's theaward-winning author of 10
investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging frompolitical
assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism.
Hislatest book, Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth and Power—A
 Dispatch from the Beach,was published in October. He lives in Miami
Beach with his wife, the authorTrisha Posner.For More of The Daily
Beast, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.For
inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at
editorial@thedailybeast.com. http://www4.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-11-13/left-off-holders-list\/p/
Network - Arabs are simply buying ushttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDXTEtZ-G2oabove
is a link to a clip from the Movie "Network"Network is a 1976 American
satirical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer abouta fictional
television network, Union Broadcasting System (UBS), and itsstruggle
with poor ratings. The film was written by Paddy Chayefsky and
directedby Sidney Lumet, and stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter
Finch and RobertDuvall and features Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty and
Beatrice Straight.The film won four Academy Awards, including Best
Actor, Best Actress, BestSupporting Actress and Best Writing,
Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.Network has continued to
receive recognition,
 decades after its
 initial release.In 2000, the film was selected for preservation in
the United States NationalFilm Registry by the Library of Congress as
being "culturally, historically, oraesthetically significant". In
2002, it was inducted into the Producers Guild ofAmerica Hall of Fame
as a film that has "set an enduring standard for U.S.American
entertainment."[1] In 2006, Chayefsky's script was voted one of the
topten movie scripts of all-time by the Writers Guild of America,
East. In 2007,the film was 64th among the Top 100 Greatest U.S.
American Films as chosen bythe American Film Institute, a ranking
slightly higher than the one AFI gave itten years earlier. It is also
one of the top 250 films of all time at number 210on the influential
film website the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).[2]When Beale
discovers that CCA, the conglomerate that owns UBS, will be boughtout
by an even larger Saudi
 Arabian conglomerate, he launches an on-screentirade against it,
encouraging viewers to send telegrams to the White Housetelling them,
"I want the CCA deal stopped now!" This throws the top networkbrass
into a state of panic because the company's debt load has made
mergeressential for survival. Beale is then taken to meet with CCA
chairman ArthurJensen, who explicates his own "corporate cosmology" to
the attentive Beale.Jensen delivers a tirade of his own in an
"appropriate setting," thedramatically darkened CCA boardroom, that
suggests to the docile Beale thatJensen may himself be some higher
power — describing the interrelatedness of theparticipants in the
international economy, and the illusory nature ofnationality
distinctions.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_(film)

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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/