Shell adds new chief scientists to its thought-leadership group
10/12/2010
Chief Scientists are key to Shell’s quest to drive solutions to world’s energy challenges.
Shell today announced the appointment of three chief scientists to cover the critical industry disciplines of exploration, unconventional oil, and in-well technology. This further strengthens Shell’s existing group of six top scientific experts. Expanding its group of chief scientists underscores the importance Shell places on delivering targeted responses to the challenges of a rapidly changing energy landscape, including demand of business customers.
“These appointments further differentiate Shell as an industry leader in technology and innovation.The chief scientists are critical solution drivers for our business today and in future,” said Gerald Schotman, Chief Technology Officer for Royal Dutch Shell. ”Our chief scientists have been pivotal ambassadors for Shell’s technology, promoting thought-leadership in their specific areas of expertise and beyond amongst academia and industry. Against the backdrop of a vast energy challenge, our decision to further enhance this value-adding concept is a clear and logical step.” The chief scientists were chosen for their strong technical capabilities, outstanding breadth and depth of expertise as well as having achieved both internal and external recognition for their contributions in the field of energy. They play an important role in Shell’s vision to become the world’s most innovative and competitive energy company. The following appointments are effective immediately. Dirk Smit, VP of Exploration Technologies, will be Chief Scientist for Geophysics. Dirk received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Before he joined Shell in 1992, he taught on the faculty of the Univ. of California, Berkeley. Dirk has worked as Chief Geophysicist for Shell UK and as Technology Manager for Global Exploration. He was awarded the EAGE Ludwig Mintrop Award in Geophysics in 2002. Outside Shell, Dirk is a Visiting Scientist at MIT and holds a Visiting Professorship in Geoscience at the Chinese University of Petroleum in Beijing. He served as a member of the U.S. National Research Council on Solid Earth Observations from 2004 - 2007 and is a member of The Netherlands’ National Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter and of the Physics branch of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. John Karanikas , Chief Subsurface Engineer in Unconventional Oil, will be Chief Scientist for Reservoir Engineering. After graduating with a Ph.D. in physics from Ohio State University, John joined Shell in 1991 and has worked as a research physicist and a reservoir engineer at Shell’s Bellaire Technology Center in Houston, Texas. He drove the development a thermal recovery method for unconventional oil, including oil shale and heavy oil, in which he holds over 70 patents. Vianney Koelman, Team Leader of In-Well Technology, will be Chief Scientist for Petrophysics. He earned a Ph.D. in engineering sciences from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. In addition to heading Petrophysics for Europe and Africa, Vianney has held research and operational positions in the Netherlands, the UK, Nigeria, Oman, and the U.S., where he is currently stationed. From Houston, Vianney leads R&D projects on technologies enabling effective well and reservoir surveillance. Find information on Shell’s other six thought-leaders.
Jose Bravo, Chief Scientist for Separations
Sergio Kapusta, Chief Scientist for Materials
Bruce Levell, Chief Scientist for Geology
Carl Mesters, Chief Scientist for Chemistry and Catalysis
Joe Powell, Chief Scientist for Chemical Engineering
Charlie Williams, Chief Scientist for Well Engineering and Production Technology
Enquiries
Jaryl Strong, 1.713.241.3488, jaryl.strong@shell.com
Notes to editors
Royal Dutch Shell plc 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 90 countries and territories 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. For further information, visit www.shell.com Cautionary Note The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release “Shell”, “Shell group” and “Royal Dutch Shell” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this press release refer to companies in which Royal Dutch Shell either directly or indirectly has control, by having either a majority of the voting rights or the right to exercise a controlling influence. The companies in which Shell has significant influence but not control are referred to as “associated companies” or “associates” and companies in which Shell has joint control are referred to as “jointly controlled entities”. In this press release, associates and jointly controlled entities are also referred to as “equity-accounted investments”. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect (for example, through our 34% shareholding in Woodside Petroleum Ltd.) ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all third-party interest. This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. 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There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this press release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for the Group’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserve estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including potential litigation and regulatory effects arising from recategorisation of reserves; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m) changes in trading conditions. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell’s 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov - opens in new window ). These factors also should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, 3 December 2010. Neither Royal Dutch Shell nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only proved reserves that a company has demonstrated by actual production or conclusive formation tests to be economically and legally producible under existing economic and operating conditions. We use certain terms in this press release that SEC's guidelines strictly prohibit us from including in filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov - opens in new window . You can also obtain these forms from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
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