Shell and post-tax impairments

Last time around, we mentioned that Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) had “got the jump on its rivals, at least in terms of enhanced corporate disclosure, following the introduction of an update to the third quarter 2019”. Probity is always to be welcomed, but shareholders in the Anglo-Dutch energy giant will have to contend with “post-tax impairment charges in the range of $1.7bn-2.3bn” for the fourth quarter. There were other smaller write-offs linked to unsuccessful wells and decommissioning, though these issues will have a limited impact on full-year accounts.