Shell Regain Conscience

Shell chief executive Jeroen van der Veer yesterday raised expectations of a big acquisition to put the company back on equal terms with BP and ExxonMobil.

Speaking at a press briefing about the advantages of now being able to launch a rights issue, van der Veer insisted "we have no specific target in mind" but pointed out that the last 100 years in the oil industry was a story of consolidation.