Shell Makes it Easier for Consumers to Protect Their Vehicle and Budget with Friendly Programs to Meet Changing Needs

HOUSTON, April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Shell, the no. 1 selling gasoline brand in the U.S., recognizes that Americans are continuing to approach purchasing decisions with a cautious stance, even for everyday necessities such as fuel. In response, Shell continues to offer new and innovative ways for consumers to protect their vehicle while saving at the pump.  From significant money saving programs to help consumers save on their fuel purchases to the recent launch of its free "Shell Station Locator" mobile application to help consumers find a nearby station, Shell is making it easier for consumers to protect their vehicle and budget.

Since the economic and auto industry downturn in 2008, data from Polk(1) shows that the average length of new vehicle ownership has dramatically increased. On average, consumers are holding onto a new vehicle for 63.9 months based on second quarter 2010 data, up 4.5 months from the previous year.  Since a vehicle for many consumers is their second largest investment, it is important to protect it by avoiding lower-quality gasolines.  And, one of the best ways to protect your vehicle is by using Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines which help to clean and protect critical engine parts and improve engine performance while driving.

Choose the right gasoline to protect your vehicle

Choosing the right gasoline for your vehicle can make the difference between trouble-free driving and costly repairs. Six of the world's top automakers - Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen - recognize that current minimum detergent requirements do not go far enough to prevent the build-up of engine "gunk" which can harm engine performance. To raise the bar on fuel quality, these auto manufacturers designated the voluntary TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline Standard to help drivers avoid the problems that can be associated with using lower-quality gasolines.

As a leader in engine protection, Shell developed an exclusive Nitrogen Enriched Cleaning System specifically designed to clean and protect intake valves and fuel injectors to improve engine performance as you drive. All three grades of Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines including Shell V-Power® premium gasoline include the Nitrogen Enriched Cleaning System, which has been extensively tested with more than a half-million miles clocked in various engines and vehicles, including a wide range of conventional, modern turbo-charged, direct fuel-injected and hybrid engines.  

Save on high-quality fuels to protect your budget

Shell also understands the changing needs of consumers can affect their purchasing decisions. Our passionate experts continually look for ways to provide consumers increased value and savings at the pump without lowering the quality of their fuel through valuable fuel reward programs and the Shell Family of Cards.

Since 2009, Shell has been teaming up with many of the nation's leading traditional supermarket retailers to make it easier for consumers to save on high-quality fuels at Shell by redeeming their supermarket loyalty card points at the pump. Shell has exclusive alliances with leading grocers in more than 80 markets across the U.S. including the Kroger family of stores, Giant Foods and Stop & Shop. It's easy -- when customers make a qualifying purchase at participating grocery stores using their existing supermarket loyalty card at the register, they earn points that can then be redeemed at participating Shell stations. While the offer can vary by grocer and market, consumers can earn significant savings at participating Shell stations. To find a full list of participating grocers and Shell stations, please visit www.shell.us/grocery.

Shell has also teamed up with Excentus, the leader in providing marketing programs and services utilizing cents-per-gallon fuel discounts as the ultimate consumer reward.  This alliance provides savings at the pump leveraging fuelperks!, which includes opportunities to earn savings at grocers like Winn-Dixie and BI-LO to be redeemed at participating Shell stations in select markets.  The relationship between Shell and Excentus recently expanded to include a national program through an exclusive, long-term strategic deal.  This will bring the first U.S. national reward program where consumers can earn cents-per-gallon discounts redeemable exclusively at participating Shell stations.  

Another option for saving at the pump is to use one of the Shell Family of Cards. From credit to debit or even gift cards, Shell has a number of payment options to address the diverse financial needs of today's consumers.  Credit Card payment options like the Shell Drive for Five Card provide new and existing cardholders the opportunity to save on all three grades of Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines as well as Shell Diesel instantly. Another option is the  Shell $aver Card, which acts like a debit card by linking directly to a checking account, and provides cardholders with a hassle-free way to save at the pump without incurring fees. The Shell Family of Cards can also help consumers easily track their gasoline purchases separately. For more information about the Shell Family of Cards, visit: www.shell.us/cards.

Don't settle for lower-quality gasolines

Whether running low on fuel or travelling a new route, the experts at Shell want consumers to know that they don't have to settle for second best for their vehicle.  The new "Shell Station Locator" mobile application helps consumers to protect their vehicles even when they're in an unfamiliar area by locating the closest Shell station. The new "Shell Station Locator" is now live on Apple iPhone and Android mobile platforms in the U.S. and Canada. Consumers can download the application by accessing iTunes or the Android Market and searching for 'Shell Station Locator.'

The application for Apple handsets is 1.9MB in size and is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. For Android devices the app is 516KB in size and available for Android OS 1.6 (API level 4) and above. Future platforms identified for launch include Windows 7, RIM (Blackberry) and Nokia Symbian.

For more information visit: www.shell.us  

Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Company, is a leader in the refining, transportation and marketing of fuels, and has a network of approximately 6,100 branded gasoline stations in the Western United States. Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Shell Group [(NYSE:RDS.A) and (NYSE:RDS.B)]. Shell Oil Company is a 50 percent owner of Motiva Enterprises LLC, along with Saudi Refining, Inc. Motiva Enterprises LLC refines and markets branded products through approximately 8,200 Shell-branded stations in the Eastern and Southern United States.

Royal Dutch Shell plc 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 100 countries 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 including wind and solar power. For further information, visit 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 34% 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 Group'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 potential litigation and regulatory effects arising from recategorisation of reserves; (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, 2008 (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, April 7, 2011. 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 use 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 www.sec.gov. You can also obtain these forms from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

(1) 2010 Polk Study

SOURCE Shell Oil Products US