Shell Named Top Gasoline Brand for Second Year in a Row by Popular Mechanics Readers

HOUSTON, Nov. 11, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, Shell has been named the "Favorite Gasoline Brand" in Popular Mechanics magazine's Reader's Choice Awards. More than 10,000 Popular Mechanics readers participated in the 2010 survey, which determines readers' favorite consumer products across more than 30 categories. Among five brand choices, Shell was voted as the preferred gasoline brand.

"Shell is honored to be recognized for the second year in a row by the readers of Popular Mechanics," said Karen Wildman, Shell North American brand and communications manager. "We are passionate about providing drivers with high-quality gasolines that help protect and clean critical engine parts with the most advanced Shell technology ever to help improve engine performance as they drive. Everyone at Shell is thrilled to receive this honor as it reminds customers that all gasolines are not the same."    

In today's economic environment, motorists are keeping their vehicles longer, so it's even more important to protect the investment in one's vehicle. All three grades of Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, including the premium grade Shell V-Power® gasoline, contain a patented cleaning system which acts as a protective barrier to shield and protect intake valves and fuel injectors against performance-robbing gunk in both conventional and modern engines.

"We congratulate Shell for being the two-time recipient of this honor," said Bill Congdon, publisher, Popular Mechanics. "Our readers are knowledgeable consumers who are savvy when it comes to their automobiles, and their influence is felt in garages and gas stations nationwide. They demand quality and performance in any product they buy, and they advise others to do the same."

Industry research has proven that a clean engine results in better fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and overall optimal vehicle performance. Six leading automakers – Audi, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen – are so concerned with declining gasoline quality that they advocate a higher standard called the TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline Standard. All Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines have been successfully tested against the TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline Standard and have been certified as TOP TIER gasolines.

Shell V-Power® premium gasoline boasts the highest concentration of the patented Shell Nitrogen Enriched cleaning system. With five times the amount of cleaning agents required by federal government standards, Shell V-Power® is designed to provide maximum protection for optimum performance, in particular for vehicles for which premium gasoline is recommended or required.

For additional information on Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, visit www.passionate-experts.shell.com.  

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 more than 8,300 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, November 11, 2010. 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.

SOURCE Shell Oil Products US