My Conversation with John Hofmeister, President of Shell Oil

John Hofmeister is president of Shell Oil Company, the U.S. division of Royal Dutch Shell. Shell reported global earnings of $27.6 billion last year and is the second largest public oil company in the world. He's also been highly vocal about the environment and proclaimed his support for the global warming argument and called for the U.S. government to place caps on CO2 emissions. Hofmeister also advocates increased drilling on U.S. territories in order to relax our dependence on OPEC and foreign supply.

Comments

[JoDeeVa]

Love ya', Charlie! I tuned in late, hearing this distinguished looking gentleman talking about some pretty intelligent environmental/ energy policies. I was impressed. When his name/ company appeared below his face, I nearly choked. As a former longtime California resident, I know Shell Oil to be the bane of responsible environmentalism/ energy policy. The plan allowing drilling in the U.S to ameliorate foreign dependence may just be a opportunistic strategy to get around the courts in places like California/Baja and Alaska. I don't trust them. Of course, they will be in on the build up of hydrogen-cells/ other alternatives, but I think it is more about potential profits than protecting the environment, with the end of oil-supply profits in sight.

I was also dismayed with his comments (& conversation with Mayor Villaraigoza) on riots, equating them with the Rodney King riots in the "hood", as the "threshold" is reached re: increased gas prices with subsequent price increases on goods. While demand/supply, price & predatory practices of businesses in the urban inner cities are issues that can be acknowledged, there is nothing more scathing than what I view as a vapid mentality using racial fear-mongering. It is an ineffective (& unconscionable) tact to use in motivating the populace. I'll hold further judgement to see if his words become ethical actions after he leaves Shell. Most likely a move into the grand afterlife of lobbying, but for whom is how I will judge his sincerity.

[vippy]

And they all keep lying to us. I have to ask why the oil well owners in Texas and Oklahoma can only
pump 500 gal per well a month and get paid by the government much like the farmers do for not
producing. What is up with that??

[TxAggie]

If you are referring to the oil allowables it is to prevent premature abandonments of the wells. If you produce a well to quickly it shortnens the life of the well ans the total amount of oil that is produced- it is to prevnet waste. Now as for the governement paying oil companies- no way- the oil companies pay big time in severance and other taxes as well not to mention royalties paid to uncle sam on federal lands.

The oil companies are prodicuing all they can but do to limited accessability to federal and private lands and bureacratic and regulatory BS, we are in the pickle we are in where we have to impoort 60^%of our oil.

[realitytrumpsbull]

How about telling Hofmeister to take after Jimmy Carter, and become a peanut farmer, of sorts? In a greenhouse, you can pretty much replicate 'growing season' 24/7/365. And, it takes something like 10 weeks to grow peanuts. Peanuts can be mushed and the oil extracted. You can do that like, a lot of times. And stuff.

[PioneerKing]

Charlie Rose:

Great going! What a puff piece. I used to take you serious, but that was a long time ago when you were Washington. Hofmeister is concerned about the environment - what a fairy tale? Shell is one of the worst petro-chemical companies.
Why didn't you ask the guy from Shell about Ken Saro-Wiwa? Why didn't you ask him about the Ogoni People? Charlie you used have the ability to see life in Technicolor, now your sight isn't even in black and white. You seem to be looking at life through a cloudy haze.
Why didn't you do some research first. Shell's playing a shell game that's all smoke and mirrors.
Charlie Rose, what is your point? It appears as though you've become irrelevant.

[gplaw]

I agree. I watched the show and Hofmeister is playing 3 chard marley. He is a charlaton.