The company changed its name from Royal Dutch Shell to Shell and moved its HQ from Holland to London. The final stage of the process is a new CEO. We expect Ben van Beurden to retire as CEO in the autumn and to be replaced by Wael Sawan. Wael currently runs Integrated Gas and Renewables and Energy Solutions for Shell and is a man who articulates a strong sense of strategic purpose and vision.
Natural gas is the greenest of the hydrocarbon family. Until (and if) nuclear reaches its full capacity for reserve generating backup to renewables, probably in 2040, the world is going to be increasingly reliant on natural gas for backup power.
Shell has the strongest portfolio of integrated gas assets amongst the oil majors. They carry 20% of the world’s LNG (liquid natural gas) flows via their 50 LNG bulk carriers and have a worldwide spread of ownership in and access rights to liquification plants, as well as regasification plants. This puts them in a unique position of market visibility and gives them an opportunity to arbitrage global price differences.
