NEWS FLASH

Shell Oil Profits Surge To $8 Billion | Royal Dutch Shell announced their 2011 second-quarter financial results, reporting profits of $8 billion, a 77 percent jump from the same period a year ago, bringing their total profits in the first six months of 2011 to $14.9 billion. Shell has spent nearly $4 million on lobbying in 2011, making it one of the Top 20 Spenders of 2011, and the second biggest spender of the oil and gas industry. –Noreen Nielsen