THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Shell Fined GBP900,000 For North Sea 2003 Fatalities: Shell "has admitted to fundamental failures in health and safety management on Brent Bravo. This has been reflected in the penalties imposed by the court today," (ShellNews.net) Posted 28 April 05

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
April 27, 2005 .

LONDON -- Royal Dutch/Shell Group (RD, SC) Wednesday was fined GBP900,000 by a Scottish court for breaching health and safety legislation in the death of two workers at one of its North Sea platforms.

The two men died in September 2003 after a gas leak in the leg of the Brent Bravo platform, off the coast of Scotland, sparking concerns that the Anglo-Dutch oil major, which operates the facility, hadn't put the necessary safety standards in place.

In a statement, the U.K. safety watchdog Health and Safety Executive said Scotland's Stonehaven Sheriff Court ruled on the case after the company pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing and following the HSE's own investigation.

Shell "has admitted to fundamental failures in health and safety management on Brent Bravo. This has been reflected in the penalties imposed by the court today," the HSE said.

Company Web site: http://www.shell.com

-By Benoit Faucon, Dow Jones Newswires; +44-20-7842-9266; benoit.faucon@dowjones.com

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