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                                                               EXHIBIT (a)(l)(y)


            SHELL DISCONTINUES EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE BARRETT RESOURCES
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     HOUSTON (MAY  7, 2001) -- Shell Oil Company (Shell) announced today that it
has elected to discontinue its efforts to purchase Barrett Resources Corporation
and will terminate its current $60 per share tender offer. Shell decided to take
this action because of its unwillingness to increase its offer beyond a level
that makes economic sense to Shell.

     "Barrett's assets and employees combined with Shell's financial and
technological strengths would have been an excellent fit for all involved, but
only at the right price," said Walter van de Vijver, president and CEO of Shell
Exploration & Production Company. "We have no intention of abandoning our
economic discipline and pursuing an acquisition at price levels that cease to
add value for our shareholders just for the sake of making a deal."

     Shell remains committed to strengthening and diversifying its asset
portfolio outside its existing core areas. "We will continue to pursue
attractive opportunities for growth, with particular emphasis on natural
gas production and reserves," added van de Vijver. "We see the need for
superior application of technology to enable industry to successfully
address the growing demand for natural gas in the U.S. We will continue to
pursue portfolio growth opportunities where we can bring Shell's unique
technological strengths to bear and that make economic sense for Shell and
its shareholders. It's unfortunate that the Barrett assets and employees will
not play a part in our expected future growth. However, I wish the Barrett
employees all the best."

     Shell Oil Company is a wholly-owned member of the Royal Dutch/Shell
Group (NYSE: RD, SC).

     This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on
Shell Oil Company's current expectations, estimates and projections. Words such
as "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "intends," "plans," "believes,"
"projects," and "estimates," and variations of such words and similar
expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

     These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks
and uncertainties and are based on a number of assumptions that could ultimately
prove inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that they will prove
to be accurate.

     Actual results and outcomes may vary materially from what is expressed or
forecast in such statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially are changes in natural gas prices, changes in competitive
or economic conditions affecting supply and demand for gas, pending or future
litigation, changes in current laws and regulations, and general domestic and
international economic and political conditions. Shell Oil Company undertakes no
obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kitty Borah/Stacy Hutchinson    Shell Oil Media Relations         (713) 241-4544

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
David Sexton                  Shell Oil Investor Relations        (212) 218-3112

WEB SITE INFORMATION             www.shell-barrett.com