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Shell plc

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Shell plc is a British multinational energy company.

Shell logo
Shell logo

It is headquartered in London, England. Shell is a major part of the global energy sector. It is the second largest investor-owned oil and gas company in the world. This ranking is based on total revenue. Shell is one of the largest companies in any industry globally. It is also a primary constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

Shell filling station, Greece
Shell filling station, Greece

The company is a public limited company. It has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange. It also has secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange.

The company is vertically integrated. This means Shell manages many different stages of the energy process. First, it conducts exploration to find oil and gas. Next, it moves to production to extract these resources. After extraction, the company uses refining to turn raw materials into products. Shell also handles transport and distribution. It manages the marketing of its products to customers.

Shell Pernis refinery 2019
Shell Pernis refinery 2019

The company is active in petrochemicals and power generation. It also engages in trading. This integration allows Shell to control much of its supply chain.

Shell's history began with a massive merger in April 1907.

KITLV - 26871 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan - Burning of natural gases at an oil drilling site, presumably at Pangkalan Brandan, East Coast of Sumatra - circa 1905
KITLV - 26871 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan - Burning of natural gases at an oil drilling site, presumably at Pangkalan Brandan, East Coast of Sumatra - circa 1905

Two rival companies joined together. One was the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company of the Netherlands. The other was The "Shell" Transport and Trading Company of the United Kingdom.

COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Afscheepsteiger Tarakan 14 TMnr 10010382
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Afscheepsteiger Tarakan 14 TMnr 10010382

Calouste Gulbenkian, a British-Armenian oil magnate, arranged this merger. The "Shell" name originated from an antique company that sold seashells. The merger gave 60 percent of stock ownership to Royal Dutch. The remaining 40 percent went to the British Shell company. This allowed them to compete with the American Standard Oil.

The company grew rapidly throughout the 20th century. By 1920, Shell was the largest oil producer in the world. In 1929, the company entered the chemicals industry.

Ford Shell Fuel Lkw IMG 20180417 192801
Ford Shell Fuel Lkw IMG 20180417 192801

Shell was part of the "Seven Sisters" group. This group dominated the petroleum industry from the mid-1940s to the mid-1970s. In 1964, Shell helped start the first commercial sea transportation of liquefied natural gas.

Shell Refueller
Shell Refueller

In 1970, the company acquired the mining firm Billiton. Shell also acquired the BG Group in 2016 to expand its gas business.

Shell operates on a massive global scale. It has operations in over 99 different countries.

Shell Gas Station at Gaya Street Sunday Market, Kota Kinabalu 24
Shell Gas Station at Gaya Street Sunday Market, Kota Kinabalu 24

The company produces around 3.7 million barrels of oil equivalent every day. It also manages about 44,000 service stations worldwide.

Filling station
Filling station

Shell's financial scale is very large. On September 15, 2022, its market capitalization was US$199 billion. This made it the largest company on the London Stock Exchange. In 2024, Shell generated $284 billion in revenue. This was a decline from $451 billion in 2013.

The company has faced various challenges and controversies. In 2004, Shell overstated its oil reserves. This led to a £17 million fine from the Financial Services Authority. It also resulted in the departure of its chairman.

Shell petrol pump 1952
Shell petrol pump 1952

Shell has also dealt with environmental concerns. In the 1990s, protesters criticized its plans for the Brent Spar platform. In 1999, a tanker collision near Argentina caused a major oil spill. An Argentine court ruled in 2002 that the corporation was responsible for that spill.

Shell is a major player in the global environmental conversation. Between 1988 and 2015, Shell was a top corporate producer of greenhouse gas emissions. It ranked ninth in this category.

The company manages many different brands. These include Jiffy Lube, Pennzoil, and Quaker State. Through its subsidiary Shell USA, it maintains a large presence in America. Shell's activities connect the company to global finance, transport, and environmental systems.

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🖼️ Images & Media (25)
File:Shell logo.svg
Shell logo.svg
KITLV - 26871 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan...
File:Aurora 1914 Sydney Harbour.jpg
Aurora 1914 Sydney Harbour.jpg
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Afscheepsteiger Tarakan 14 TMnr 10010382.jpg
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Afscheepsteiger...
File:Ford Shell Fuel Lkw IMG 20180417 192801.jpg
Ford Shell Fuel Lkw IMG 20180417 192801.jpg
File:Куда бы вы ни поехали, вы можете быть уверены в Shell.jpg
Куда бы вы ни поехали, вы можете быть...
File:Shell petrol pump 1952.jpg
Shell petrol pump 1952.jpg
File:Tankstationmijnsheerenland.png
Tankstationmijnsheerenland.png
File:ShellgebouwAmsterdam.JPG
ShellgebouwAmsterdam.JPG
File:Shell Refueller.JPG
Shell Refueller.JPG
File:Shell Gas Station at Gaya Street Sunday Market, Kota Kinabalu 24.jpg
Shell Gas Station at Gaya Street Sunday...
File:Filling station.jpg
Filling station.jpg

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