Houston Grand Prix Showcases Business Value Created by Shell Lubricants

HOUSTON, Oct. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing a rich motorsports history, Shell Lubricants has proven again that its storied relationship with IndyCar translates learning from the track to real-world benefits on the road and beyond. Serving as the ultimate proving ground, education taken from the racetrack adds value to multiple areas of Shell Lubricants, including strategic relationships with automakers, which in the end, benefit consumers.

With technology being at the forefront for Shell in the lubricants business, the desire to deliver optimum engine efficiency and fuel economy determine where brands, such as Pennzoil, move directionally. Continuing to push innovation and technology via developments fueled by on-track testing, Shell has formulated lubricants that specialize in preventing the build-up of dirt and deposits. For example, if enough deposits form in the engine, there could be a 3-6% loss of fuel economy.^[1]  Pennzoil Platinum® Full Synthetic Motor Oil is formulated with Superior^[2] Active Cleansing Agents, keeping engines clean throughout their life, so motorists can drive an extra 550 miles per year on average vs. a dirty engine.

"As American road cars evolve to more closely reflect race car technology, the demand to deliver higher performance and improved fuel efficiency is at its peak," said Istvan Kapitany, President of Shell Commercial Fuels and Lubricants Americas. "Through our motorsports technical partnerships, Shell is able to garner technology insights to aid in the production of innovative lubricants for these new and demanding engine technologies."

At the 2013 running of the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston, Shell showcased its motorsports technical alliances to the racing community and consumers. This included its key technical partnership with Penske Racing's NASCAR and IndyCar teams, which over time, has provided a testing ground for lubricant technologies and products in demanding road conditions.

In an effort to accurately and efficiently test lubricant technology deemed compatible for consumer-owned vehicles, Pennzoil technology is used off the shelf in all of its Chevrolet twin-turbocharged V-6 engines that compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series. The Pennzoil Ultra™ 0W-40 full synthetic motor oil, which was used on the track during the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston, is the same oil consumers can purchase and use on the road.

As a supplement to the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston, Shell organized a tailored trade media program to provide an in-depth view of lubricants technology, business alliances and other significant factors associated with fuel efficiency and vehicle longevity through Shell technology experts and Penske Racing. Leveraging additional business alliances, additional program media events included a VIP pit and display area tour, a technology-hosted media dinner, an executive media lunch and a Penske-owned Spring Branch Honda dealership visit showcasing the newest 2014 vehicle models.

At the executive media lunch, Kapitany addressed the audience alongside Bud Denker, Executive Vice President of Penske Performance.

"At Penske Racing, our Chevrolet IndyCar engines are designed to deliver extremely high power outputs and reach very high engine speeds in each race," said Denker. "We take comfort in knowing that Shell supplies us with the top-tier lubrication performance that is demanded by our engines."

"We don't work alone," added Kapitany. "Shell collaborates with business enterprises like Penske to stay on top of consumer needs while pushing the boundaries of lubrication science." 

For more information regarding the Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston, please visit www.GrandPrixOfHouston.com.

About Shell and Pennzoil

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with 90,000 employees in more than 80 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 20,000 people using technology and innovation to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future. The Shell downstream organization manages a portfolio of top-quality brands, including the No. 1 selling gasoline and premium gasoline brand^[i] and Pennzoil®, the most trusted motor oil brand in America ^[ii].  The knowledge Shell gains through motorsports and other alliances help address tomorrow's mobility challenges with efficient solutions that power and protect motorists around the globe.  For details, visit www.shell.us/smarterdriving, www.shell.us/racing or www.pennzoil.com.

i Source: NPD Motor Fuels Index December 2005 – 2011.
ii Based on a survey of licensed drivers conducted by a leading research firm January 2005 – December 2011.

NOTES TO EDITORS

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'', ''goals'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''plan'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''risks'', ''seek'', ''should'', ''target'', ''will'' 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 Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves 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, 2011 (available at www.shell.com/investor and 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, October 9, 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.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this press release that United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our 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 www.sec.gov. You can also obtain these forms from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

---

[1] Fuel economy measurements made using CAFE cycle under FTP75. Avg of 550 extra miles based on mixed city/highway miles and US avg of 13,476 miles driven per year with 4.1% better MPG vs dirty engine. Source: fhwa.dot.gov, 2011. Follow OEM recommended oil drain intervals.

[2] Superior versus our conventional and synthetic blend oils.

SOURCE Shell Lubricants