Shell — Company directory

Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known as Shell, is an international oil and gas company founded in 1907 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It operates across exploration, production, refining, marketing, chemicals and LNG.

Overview

Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known as Shell, is one of the six oil and gas “supermajors.” It was founded in 1907 through the merger of the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company of the Netherlands and the “Shell” Transport and Trading Company of the United Kingdom. The company operates in more than 70 countries.

Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange. It is incorporated in England and Wales and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. As of 2024, Shell is among the largest companies globally by revenue and market capitalization.

Shell engages in exploration, production, refining and marketing of oil and natural gas, as well as manufacturing and marketing of chemicals. Its operations are organized into Upstream, Integrated Gas, Downstream and New Energies. The company has focused increasingly on transitioning toward cleaner energy sources in response to global climate change concerns. Its logo, known as the “pecten,” is based on the shell of a sea scallop and has maintained its basic shell shape since the early 20th century.

Headquarters and Global Operations

Shell’s global headquarters is in London, United Kingdom, at Shell Centre, York Road, London SE1 7NA. The Shell Centre is on the south bank of the River Thames and has been the company’s home since the 1960s. It houses key executive offices and central administrative functions.

Shell also maintains significant operational centers worldwide. The Hague, Netherlands, reflects the company’s Dutch heritage and houses many of Shell’s businesses and functions. Other important hubs include Houston, Texas, USA, a major center for operations in the Americas; Calgary, Alberta, Canada, headquarters for Shell Canada; and Perth, Western Australia, a base for many Australian operations.

Business Segments

Upstream. The Upstream segment is responsible for exploration and extraction of crude oil and natural gas. Activities include oil and gas exploration, field development, production of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, oil sands mining and extraction of bitumen. Upstream operations include projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Nigeria and the North Sea.

Integrated Gas. This segment manages liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas-to-liquids (GTL) activities. Key activities include liquefaction of natural gas, operation of an LNG shipping fleet, regasification and gas-to-liquids projects. Shell has major LNG projects in Qatar, Australia and Nigeria.

Downstream. Downstream focuses on refining crude oil and marketing oil products. It includes refining crude oil into various products, trading and shipping of crude oil and oil products, marketing of fuel and lubricants, operation of retail sites (Shell-branded gas stations), and production and sale of petrochemicals. Shell operates a network of over 45,000 retail sites across more than 80 countries.

New Energies. Shell’s New Energies business focuses on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, hydrogen fuel, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, biofuels, and carbon capture and storage technologies. This sector represents Shell’s participation in the energy transition and efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

Projects & Technology. This division manages major projects, drives research and innovation, and provides technical services and technology capability for Shell’s operations.

Subsidiaries, Joint Ventures and Affiliates

Shell’s global reach is supported by investments, subsidiaries and affiliates. Major subsidiaries include Shell Oil Company (USA), Shell Canada, Shell Australia, Shell Nigeria and Shell Brazil.

Joint ventures and affiliates include Raízen (Brazil), a joint venture with Cosan for production of ethanol, sugar and power, and distribution of fuels; Motiva Enterprises (USA), formerly a joint venture with Saudi Aramco and now fully owned by Aramco; Qatar Shell GTL Limited, a partnership with Qatar Petroleum for gas-to-liquids projects; and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. (Russia), an LNG joint venture. Shell announced its intention to exit Russian operations in 2022 due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Investments in renewable energy include the acquisition of Sonnen, a German battery company, in 2019; investment in Silicon Ranch Corporation, a U.S. solar energy company; acquisition of NewMotion, one of Europe’s largest electric vehicle charging providers; and investment in Ample, a U.S.-based electric vehicle battery swapping technology company. Shell Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm, invests in start-ups developing technologies that could complement Shell’s business, including renewable energy technologies, mobility solutions, digital technologies for the energy sector and clean technology.

Acquisitions

Shell has made numerous acquisitions to expand operations, enter new markets or acquire new technologies. Notable acquisitions include BG Group in 2016, a £47 billion purchase that significantly boosted Shell’s natural gas business and deepwater oil production capabilities, particularly in Brazil and Australia.

Sonnen (2019): a German smart energy storage systems company, strengthening Shell’s position in the home energy market.
NewMotion (2017): one of Europe’s largest electric vehicle charging providers, acquired as part of Shell’s strategy to participate in the energy transition.
First Utility (2018): a UK household energy and broadband provider, marking Shell’s entry into the UK’s household energy supply market.
MP2 Energy (2017): a US-based commercial and residential energy provider, expanding Shell’s presence in the North American power market.
Greenlots (2019): a US-based developer of electric vehicle charging and energy management software, expanding Shell’s electric mobility capabilities.

Website and Careers

Shell’s official global website is https://www.shell.com. It provides information about Shell’s businesses and operations, investor relations data, sustainability reports, career opportunities, news and media resources, and customer services. Shell also maintains country-specific websites for many markets, often providing regional operations information, local fuel prices, and country-specific promotions or services.

Shell offers career opportunities across its global operations. Available positions can be browsed on Shell’s official careers website at https://www.shell.com/careers.html, with filters by location, business area and job type. For recent graduates, Shell offers structured development programs including the Shell Graduate Programme, Shell Assessed Internships and Shell Ideas360, an innovation competition for students.

The application process typically includes an online application, online assessments of cognitive abilities and behavioral traits, a possible video interview, and a Shell Recruitment Day assessment center. Shell generally values relevant educational background, often in STEM fields for technical roles, problem-solving skills, innovation and creativity, teamwork and leadership potential, commercial awareness, and adaptability and resilience. The company also offers professional development through mentoring programs, technical and professional training courses, job rotation opportunities and global assignment possibilities.