Shell Removes Lead From Light Aircraft Fuel

Royal Dutch Shell plc

Shell Removes Lead From Light Aircraft Fuel

PR55208

LONDON, Dec. 4, 2013 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

    

    Shell today became the first major oil company to develop a lead-free

replacement for Aviation Gasoline (Avgas 100 and 100LL), which will now begin a

strict regulatory approvals process. Avgas is one of the last common

transportation fuels to contain lead and is used by light aircraft and

helicopters. Shell's new lead-free formulation comes after 10 years of

exhaustive R&D, as well as successful initial testing, carried out in the last

two months by two original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

    Xinsheng (Sheng) Zhang, Vice-President of Shell Aviation, said: "We are

proud of this first for Shell Aviation. This advanced product is the latest

milestone in our long history of innovation. We believe that with industry

support, a stringent approvals process can be completed for this new lead-free

product within a short time-frame. We look forward to working alongside our

technical partners and authorities to progress the necessary approvals needed

to make this product a reality for use in light aircraft engines of all types."

    Avgas currently includes lead in its formulation to meet fuel

specifications and boost combustion performance (known as Motor Octane rating).

Shell has developed an unleaded Avgas that meets all key Avgas properties and

that has a Motor Octane rating of over 100, an industry standard. The

development of a technically and commercially-viable unleaded Avgas that meets

these criteria has been seen by the aviation industry as a significant

challenge, due to the tight specifications and strict flight safety standards

that it has to adhere to.

    To get to this stage, Shell Aviation technologists carried out an intensive

internal laboratory programme, including in-house altitude rig and engine

testing. Working alliances were then formed with aviation engine manufacturer

Lycoming Engines (Lycoming) and the light aircraft manufacturer Piper Aircraft

Inc. (Piper). As a result, the formulation was successfully evaluated in

industry laboratory engine (bench) tests by Lycoming and in a flight test by

Piper.

    "Lycoming Engines commends Shell on launching its unleaded Avgas

initiative," states Michael Kraft, Senior Vice-President and General Manager of

Lycoming Engines. "They engaged Lycoming to test their fuel on our highest

octane demand engine and we can confirm that it's remarkably close to Avgas

100LL from a performance perspective. This initiative is a major step in the

right direction for general aviation."

    "Piper Aircraft is pleased to participate with Shell and Lycoming in this

feasibility flight test programme," said Piper Vice-President of Engineering

Jack Mill. "Recently, we successfully flew an experimental non-production Piper

Saratoga with Shell's new formulation for about an hour. We appreciate the

opportunity to work with Shell and Lycoming in this preliminary investigation

of the technologies, which could in several years lead to flying unleaded fuel

in our production airplanes."

    Shell will now engage the aviation industry, regulators and authorities,

including the US Federal Aviation Administration, American Society for Testing

and Materials (ASTM) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to achieve

approvals for the unleaded Avgas. Shell expects to also work with other OEMs to

continue the testing and refinement program as the approvals process progresses.

    NOTES TO EDITORS

    For supporting images please click here

[http://shell-moodboard.qbank.se/?h=529cc3ad8f84f545205dbbd6ea0629a5 ].

    

    - The two main types of aviation

      [http://www.shell.com/home/content/aviation/products/fuels ] fuel are

      aviation turbine fuel (jet fuel) and aviation gasoline (Avgas). Jet fuel

      is used by larger, gas-turbine-engine powered aircraft, while Avgas is

      used in smaller, piston-engine powered aircraft. Both are produced to

very

      stringent specifications.

    - There are two main Avgas grades, 100 and 100LL (low lead). 100 is a

      measurement of octane rating.

    - Avgas is gasoline type fuel. The global volume for Avgas is much lower

      than jet fuel, as although Avgas-fuelled aircraft outnumber jet-fuelled

      aircraft, they are generally much smaller.

    About Shell Aviation

    

    - Shell Aviation is a leading global supplier of aviation fuels and

      lubricants with a heritage of over 100 years. We produce aviation fuels

      and lubricants (across a range of grades); market, sell and distribute

      them - as well as offer further related services to customers. We supply

      fuel at around 800 airports in approximately 40 countries. We refuel a

      plane every 12 seconds.

    - Our customers are airports and airlines, big and small, plus private

      customers such as corporate jet operators and flying clubs. We have one

of

      the world's most extensive fuelling networks and have a strong supply

      chain. Used worldwide, our AeroShell aviation lubricants range is one

of    

      the world's most comprehensive with proven performance.

    - We have a portfolio of world-class brands and products and continue to

      invest in technical innovation. We have strong working relationships with

      OEMs, put the customer at the heart of what we do and respond to industry

      opportunities and challenges.

    Royal Dutch Shell plc

    Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE:RDS.A)(NYSE:RDS.B) 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 70 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

http://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 23% 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. Forward-looking statements include,

among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch

Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations,

beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These

forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases

such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend",

"may", "plan", "objectives", "outlook", "probably", "project", "will", "seek",

"target", "risks", "goals", "should" and similar terms and phrases. 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 Shell'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 regulatory measures addressing climate change; (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, 2012

(available at http://www.shell.com/investor and http://www.sec.gov). 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 2013. 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 may have used 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 http://www.sec.gov. You can also

obtain these forms from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

    SOURCE: Royal Dutch Shell plc

本プレスリリースは発表元が入力した原稿をそのまま掲載しております。また、プレスリリースへのお問い合わせは発表元に直接お願いいたします。

このプレスリリースには、報道機関向けの情報があります。

プレス会員登録を行うと、広報担当者の連絡先や、イベント・記者会見の情報など、報道機関だけに公開する情報が閲覧できるようになります。

プレスリリース受信に関するご案内

SNSでも最新のプレスリリース情報をいち早く配信中