1 ================================================================================ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-Q (Mark One) [x] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended September 30, 1996 OR [ ] TRANSITION PERIOD PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from __________________ to _____________________ Commission File Number 1-2475 SHELL OIL COMPANY (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) Delaware 13-1299890 (State of Incorporation) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) One Shell Plaza, Houston, Texas 77002 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code (713) 241-6161 Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ] The number of shares of Common Stock, $10.00 par value, outstanding as of September 30, 1996 - 1,000 shares. ----------------- OMISSION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION In accordance with General Instruction H of Form 10-Q, the registrant is omitting Part II, Items 2, 3, and 4 because: (1) Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, a Netherlands company, and the "Shell" Transport and Trading Company, public limited company, an English company, each of which is a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that has filed all material required to be filed by it pursuant to Section 13, 14, or 15(d) thereof, own directly or indirectly 60 percent and 40 percent, respectively, of the shares of the companies of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, including all the equity securities of the registrant; and (2) during the preceding thirty-six calendar months and any subsequent period of days, there has not been any material default in the payment of principal, interest, sinking or purchase fund installment, or any other material default not cured within thirty days with respect to any indebtedness of the registrant or its subsidiaries, and there has not been any material default in the payment by the registrant or its subsidiaries of rentals under material long-term leases. ================================================================================ 2 PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION SHELL OIL COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME Millions of Dollars THIRD QUARTER NINE MONTHS ---------------------- ---------------------- 1996 1995 1996 1995 ------- ------ -------- ------- REVENUES Sales and other operating revenue . . . . . . . $ 8,149 $6,800 $23,257 $20,229 Less: Consumer excise and sales taxes . . . . 953 825 2,660 2,418 ------- ------ ------- ------- 7,196 5,975 20,597 17,811 Equity earnings, interest and other income . . 71 86 227 301 ------- ------ ------- ------- TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,267 6,061 20,824 18,112 ------- ------ ------- ------- COSTS AND EXPENSES Purchases and operating expenses . . . . . . . 5,517 4,293 15,726 13,229 Selling, general and administrative expenses . 149 251 670 708 Exploration, including exploratory dry holes . 74 42 199 155 Research expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 29 96 86 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and retirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529 630 1,580 1,574 Interest and discount amortization . . . . . . 52 59 155 163 Operating taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 113 355 365 ------ ------ ------- ------- TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,470 5,417 18,781 16,280 ------ ------ ------- ------- INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND MINORITY INTEREST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 797 $ 644 $ 2,043 $ 1,832 Federal and other income taxes . . . . . . . . 278 223 560 660 Minority interest in income of subsidiaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 7 35 32 -------- ------ ------- ------- NET INCOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 504 $ 414 $ 1,448 $ 1,140 ======= ====== ======= ======= Note: Certain 1995 amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation. OPERATING SEGMENTS INFORMATION Millions of Dollars THIRD QUARTER NINE MONTHS ---------------------- ----------------------- 1996 1995 1996 1995 ------- ------ ------- ------ SEGMENT NET INCOME (LOSS) Oil and Gas Exploration and Production . . . . $ 286 $ 146 $ 908 $ 457 Oil Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 139 318 259 Chemical Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 215 152 610 Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8) (86) (17) (89) Corporate Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 -- 87 (97) ------- ------- ---------- -------- NET INCOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 504 $ 414 $ 1,448 $ 1,140 ======= ======= ========== ========= 2 3 SHELL OIL COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET Millions of Dollars SEPTEMBER 30 DECEMBER 31 ----------------- -------------- 1996 1995 ----------------- ------------- ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 593 $ 421 Receivables and prepayments, less allowance for doubtful accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,496 3,415 Inventories of oils and chemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 886 567 Inventories of materials and supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 234 ---------- --------- TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,203 4,637 INVESTMENTS, LONG-TERM RECEIVABLES AND DEFERRED CHARGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,059 2,912 PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT AT COST, LESS ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION, DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION OF $20,969 AT SEPTEMBER 30, 1996 AND $20,193 AT DECEMBER 31, 1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 19,472 -------- -------- TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $28,262 $27,021 ======= ======= LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER'S EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable - trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,998 $ 2,094 Other payables and accruals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,578 1,212 Income, operating and consumer taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 697 808 Short-term debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,871 1,950 --------- --------- TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,144 6,064 LONG-TERM DEBT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 987 1,301 DEFERRED INCOME TAXES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,749 2,841 LONG-TERM LIABILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,332 2,213 MINORITY INTEREST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 849 749 SHAREHOLDER'S EQUITY Common stock - 1,000 shares of $10 per share par value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -- -- Capital in excess of par value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,206 2,206 Earnings reinvested . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,995 11,647 -------- -------- TOTAL SHAREHOLDER'S EQUITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,201 13,853 -------- -------- TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $28,262 $27,021 ======= ======= Note: Certain 1995 amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation. 3 4 SHELL OIL COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS Millions of Dollars NINE MONTHS -------------------------- 1996 1995 ------- ------ CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,448 $ 1,140 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation, depletion, amortization and retirements . . . . . . . . . 1,580 1,574 Dividends in excess of (less than) equity income . . . . . . . . . (88) (97) (Increases) decreases in working capital: Receivables and prepayments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (81) 53 Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (313) (157) Current payables and accruals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 (127) Deferred income taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (92) 41 Minority interest in income of subsidiaries . . . . . . . . . . . 35 32 Other noncurrent items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 (99) -------- -------- Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities . . . . . . . . . . . 2,655 2,360 CASH FLOWS PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES Capital expenditures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2,476) (2,150) Proceeds from property sales and salvage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359 70 Other investments and advances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (30) (31) ----------- ---------- Net Cash Used for Investing Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2,147) (2,111) --------- ---------- CASH FLOWS PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 97 Principal payments on long-term debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (292) (290) Proceeds from sales of redeemable securities of subsidiaries . . . . . . . 104 191 Dividends to minority interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (39) (27) Dividends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1,100) (1,050) Increase (decrease) in short-term obligations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 923 696 -------- --------- Net Cash Used For Financing Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . (336) (383) ---------- ---------- NET CASH FLOWS Increase (Decrease) in cash and cash equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 172 $ (134) ======== ========== CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS Balance at beginning of period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 421 $ 617 Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 (134) ------- ---------- Balance at end of period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 593 $ 483 ======== ======= Note: Certain 1995 amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation. 4 5 SHELL OIL COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES NOTES TO INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS A. INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENT MATTERS The unaudited financial statements and summarized notes of Shell Oil Company (the Company) and its consolidated subsidiaries (Shell Oil) included in this report do not include complete financial information and should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995. The financial information presented in the financial statements included in this report reflects all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim periods presented. Any such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature, except as may otherwise be described in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. The results for the third quarter and first nine months of 1996 should not be construed as necessarily indicative of future financial results. B. SUMMARIZED FINANCIAL INFORMATION - SHELL PIPE LINE CORPORATION The following summarized financial information for Shell Pipe Line Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Oil Company, is presented here for the information of holders of Shell Pipe Line Corporation's 7 1/2% Guaranteed Sinking Fund Debentures due 1999, which are fully guaranteed by Shell Oil Company. September 30 December 31 ---------------- -------------- Millions of dollars 1996 1995 ---------------- -------------- Current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 108 $ 154 Noncurrent assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 692 524 Current Liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 89 Noncurrent Liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 73 Third Quarter Nine Months ----------------- ------------------- Millions of dollars 1996 1995 1996 1995 ---- ---- ---- ---- Revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 98 $ 86 $ 271 $241 Operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 45 143 128 Net income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 35 109 98 C. CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER MATTERS Shell Oil is subject to a number of possible loss contingencies. These include actions based upon environmental laws involving present and past operating and waste disposal locations and related private claims, contract and product liability actions, and actions challenging the correctness of oil and gas royalty calculations. In addition, federal, state and local income, property and excise tax returns are being examined and certain interpretations by Shell Oil of complex tax statutes, regulations and practices are being challenged. 5 6 Shell Oil has received allegations or claims under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) or similar state statutes that it is involved at 227 sites, including the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA). As of September 30, 1996, discussions or activities were ongoing concerning 86 of these sites, in some cases in the early stages. During the first nine months of 1996, expenses recorded under CERCLA and such state statutes were approximately $10 million and approximately $21 million was charged to previously established reserves. The United States, the State of Colorado and the Company have agreed upon a remediation plan at the RMA and such plan has been formally incorporated in the Record of Decision (ROD). The Company has accrued $500 million for its share of the related costs, $279 million of which had been spent as of September 30, 1996. The Company believes its current accruals will be adequate to cover its anticipated costs under the ROD for the RMA. Shell Oil also has certain obligations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and similar state laws regarding corrective action at manufacturing locations and provides assurances regarding its financial ability to meet certain closure and post-closure obligations that will arise in the future at such locations under such laws. Since 1984, the Company has been named as a defendant in numerous product liability cases, including class actions, involving the failure of plumbing systems in the United States constructed with polybutylene plastic pipe. The plaintiffs in the litigation claim actual and punitive damages arising primarily from leaking residential plumbing systems. The Company manufactured the resin used to make the pipe in these systems. Two other substantial manufacturers made the resins for the polyacetal insert fittings used in the residential plumbing systems (the fittings' co-defendants) and, with the manufacturers of the fittings and pipe, are also defendants in these cases. The Company's position and most of the judgments to date have confirmed that most of the leaks have occurred in residential plumbing systems due to failure of the polyacetal insert fitting system, which is no longer used. In addition to the numerous cases which have been filed on behalf of individual claimants, over 25 purported statewide, partial statewide or nationwide class actions have been filed. During 1995, Shell and one of the fittings co-defendants settled a nationwide class action in Tennessee State Court while the other fittings co-defendant settled a nationwide class action in Alabama State Court. The parties agreed to coordinate the implementation of these two settlements. Settlement has also been reached with an attorney representing many of the known opt-outs to such Tennessee settlement. However, a significant number of opt-outs remain and at least some are likely to seek to litigate their claims. The class action settlements provide for the creation of an entity to receive and handle claims and for a $950 million fund to pay such claims, which claims may be made over a period of up to 14 years, depending on various factors. If the settlement funds are exhausted, additional funds may be provided by the defendants, or claimants who have not received their full benefits under the settlements may seek their remedy in a new court proceeding at that time. There are significant issues to be resolved as to how costs will be shared among certain co-defendants. The Company and one fittings co-defendant have agreed to arbitration to determine how the costs of the settlements will be shared between them; the other fittings co-defendant has agreed to fund 10% of all acetal fitting costs related to the class action settlements. At least some contribution to the settlements is expected from other parties. There are issues remaining to be resolved in connection with certain litigation in other states and possible conflicts among the various courts. Additionally, in matters outside the residential plumbing litigation and settlements, claims involving problems with polybutylene pipe used in municipal water distribution systems have increased during the past two years. The Company will continue to defend vigorously in these matters but it cannot currently predict when or how polybutylene related matters will finally be resolved. In December 1993, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury, in two consolidated lawsuits against the Company and its subsidiary involving the condition of the Dominguez oil field, returned a verdict for 6 7 the plaintiffs in the amount of $46.9 million compensatory damages and $173 million punitive damages. Plaintiffs alleged they were defrauded, that the oil and gas lease was breached, and that soil contamination on the property constitutes a continuing trespass. Final resolution through the appeals process could take at least another year. The Company and its subsidiary believe the verdict was wrong and expect ultimately to prevail in the litigation. The Company is a party to litigation regarding Nemagon(R), an agricultural chemical containing DBCP manufactured and sold by it from 1955 to 1978. Cases have been filed against the Company, other substantial manufacturers and suppliers of DBCP and various banana growers alleging that the plaintiffs suffer fertility problems arising from exposure to DBCP while working on banana plantations outside the United States. The Company is contesting whether any injury has in fact been incurred by plaintiffs, whether DBCP was in fact the cause of any such injury as may exist, and in any case if the Company was a supplier or otherwise has liability in connection with any such injury. The Company has filed declaratory judgment actions to resolve insurance coverage for polybutylene through mid-1985; for asbestos, Nemagon(R) and other toxic tort claims; and for certain environmental claims. The Company's assessment of these matters is continuing. Future provisions may be required as administrative and judicial proceedings progress and the scope and nature of remediation programs and related costs estimates are clarified. However, while periodic results may be significantly affected by these matters, based upon developments to date, the management of the Company anticipates that it will be able to meet related obligations without a material adverse effect on its financial position. _______________________ MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Shell Oil reported a record third quarter net income of $504 million, an increase of $90 million over the same quarter of 1995. Excluding special items in both quarters, adjusted net income in the third quarter of 1996 totaled $493 million, an increase of $62 million or 14 percent over the 1995 quarter and a record adjusted net income level for any quarter. Overall improvements in the third quarter of 1996 compared to the 1995 quarter were the result of higher average prices for crude oil and natural gas. In addition, 1996 refined product margins improved slightly and sales volumes increased for both refined products and chemicals over the 1995 quarter. Net income for the nine months of 1996 totaled $1,448 million, an increase of $308 million over the comparable 1995 period. Excluding special items in both periods, adjusted net income for the nine months of 1996 totaled $1,323 million, an increase of $201 million or 18 percent. The improvements contributing to the higher earnings in the first nine months of 1996 included higher prices and production of crude oil and natural gas, increased sales volumes of oil and chemical 7 8 products, and higher margins for oil products. Partially offsetting these benefits were lower chemical margins, which declined substantially from 1995 levels. Special items in the 1996 periods increased net income $11 million for the quarter and $125 million for the nine months. In comparison, special items in 1995 reduced net income by $17 million for the quarter, but improved the first nine months by $18 million. Special items in the 1996 quarter included proceeds from insurance recoveries, offset in part by litigation settlements and provisions, and a net loss on property sales. OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION Income Highlights Third Quarter Nine Months - ----------------- ------------------- -------------------- (millions of dollars) 1996 1995 1996 1995 ---- ---- ---- ---- Income from Ongoing Operations . . . . . . . . . $ 288 $ 146 $ 910 $ 457 Other Charges* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) -- (2) -- ------ ------ ------- ------ Segment Net Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 146 908 457 Special Items (includes "Other Charges") . . . . (9) 2 41 39 ------- ----- ----- ----- Adjusted Net Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 144 867 418 - ----------- *Amounts associated with major product classifications for which there has been no revenue stream or investment in the last five years. Oil and gas exploration and production segment net income in the third quarter of 1996 totaled $286 million, an increase of $140 million over 1995. For the nine months of 1996, net income was $908 million, up $451 million. Excluding special items in the comparable periods, adjusted net income was up $151 million in the 1996 quarter versus 1995 and up $449 million in the nine-month comparison. Higher selling prices for both crude oil and natural gas benefited both 1996 periods. For the 1996 quarter, domestic crude oil prices averaged $18.20 per barrel, up $3.51 per barrel, while natural gas prices averaged $2.34 per thousand cubic feet, up $.81 over the same 1995 period. For the first nine months of 1996, domestic crude prices were up $2.40 per barrel and natural gas prices were up $.78 per thousand cubic feet over 1995. Domestic production of crude oil in the third quarter of 1996 averaged 368,000 barrels per day, a decrease of 5,000 barrels per day from the same period in 1995. For the nine months of 1996, domestic crude oil production averaged 374,000 barrels per day, up 4,000. For the quarter, new and increased production in the deep water Gulf of Mexico was offset by normal declines elsewhere. Natural gas production was virtually unchanged in the quarter comparison, and up 4 percent in the nine months of 1996 over 1995. During the third quarter of 1996, production began on schedule from Mars, a tension leg platform located in the deep water Gulf of Mexico. By the end of September, daily rates of production averaged 22,000 barrels of crude oil and 21 million cubic feet of gas. 8 9 OIL PRODUCTS Income Highlights Third Quarter Nine Months - ----------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ (millions of dollars) 1996 1995 1996 1995 ---- ---- ---- ---- Income from Ongoing Operations . . . . . . . . . $ 111 $ 133 $ 320 $ 254 Other Charges* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 6 (2) 5 ------ ------ ------ ---- Segment Net Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 139 318 259 Special Items (includes "Other Charges") . . . . (11) 28 (22) 24 ------- ------- -------- ----- Adjusted Net Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 111 340 235 - ----------- *Amounts associated with major product classifications for which there has been no revenue stream or investment in the last five years. Oil products segment net income was $110 million in the third quarter of 1996, a decrease of $29 million from 1995. In the nine months of 1996, however, net income totaled $318 million, up $59 million over 1995. Excluding special items in the comparable periods, adjusted net income was $10 million higher than in the 1995 quarter and up $105 million over 1995 in the nine-months comparison. For the third quarter of 1996, improved margins were partially offset by a higher level of scheduled manufacturing turnarounds. For the nine months of 1996, income benefited primarily from improved refined product margins. Overall sales volumes of refined products in the third quarter of 1996 rose 3 percent over the same period last year. Sales of light oil products increased 8 percent, with automotive gasoline sales volumes to branded service stations increasing 1 percent. Sales volumes for the first nine months of 1996 increased 4 percent. CHEMICAL PRODUCTS Income Highlights Third Quarter Nine Months - ----------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ (millions of dollars) 1996 1995 1996 1995 ---- ---- ---- ---- Income from Ongoing Operations . . . . . . . . . $ 114 $ 208 $ 159 $ 608 Other Charges* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) 7 (7) 2 ------- ------ ------- ----- Segment Net Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 215 152 610 Special Items (includes "Other Charges") . . . . (2) 7 (106) 9 ------- ------- ------ ------ Adjusted Net Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 208 258 601 - ----------- *Amounts associated with major product classifications for which there has been no revenue stream or investment in the last five years. Chemical products segment net income in the third quarter of 1996 was $112 million, a decrease of $103 million from 1995. For the nine months of 1996, chemical products segment net income totaled $152 million, a decrease of $458 million. Excluding special items in the comparable periods, adjusted net income was down $94 million in the 1996 quarter and $343 million in the nine months of 1996. 9 10 Decreases in both 1996 periods were due to lower margins across most product lines due to lower selling prices. Overall, sales volumes increased in both 1996 periods, due mainly to higher sales of primary chemicals. In addition, costs were lower in the third quarter of 1996, as compared to the 1995 period and the prior 1996 quarters, reflecting decreased litigation expenses. OTHER The other segment incurred net losses of $8 million and $17 million in the third quarter and the nine month periods of 1996, respectively, compared to net losses of $86 million and $89 million in the comparable 1995 periods. The higher 1995 charges reflected the write-down of a real estate property held for sale. CORPORATE ITEMS Corporate items totaled a positive $4 million in the third quarter of 1996 and $87 million for the nine months of 1996, compared to charges netting to zero and $97 million in the respective 1995 periods. Corporate costs in the 1996 periods benefited from proceeds from an insurance recovery. FINANCIAL CONDITION CAPITAL RESOURCES AND LIQUIDITY Cash flow provided by operating activities totaled $2,655 million for the first nine months of 1996, compared with $2,360 million in the comparable period last year, an increase of $295 million. Cash flow in 1996 benefited from higher net income as compared with the 1995 period. Cash generated from operating activities and property sales, combined with an increase in debt of $699 million, was used primarily for capital expenditures of $2,476 million and dividend payments of $1,100 million. OTHER MATTERS RECENT DEVELOPMENTS On October 7, 1996, Shell Oil confirmed news reports of the same date indicating discussions with Texaco Inc. and Saudi Refining, Inc. regarding the potential for joint arrangements involving the U.S. downstream operations of Shell, Texaco and Star Enterprise. Star Enterprise is a joint venture between Texaco and Saudi Refining. While the companies are reviewing a range of options, the specific activities under consideration are refining, marketing and transportation. No agreements have been reached and it should not be assumed that the discussions will result in joint arrangements. In addition to the economic conditions and other matters discussed above affecting Shell Oil, the operations, earnings and financial condition of Shell Oil may be affected by political developments; litigation; and legislation, regulation and other actions taken by federal, state, local and foreign governmental entities, including those matters discussed in Note C of the Notes to Interim Financial Statements. _________________________ 10 11 PART II. OTHER INFORMATION ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. In August 1996, a complaint was filed against Shell Oil before the Illinois Pollution Control Board by the Illinois Attorney General's Office, alleging violations of certain state air regulations at the Wood River Manufacturing Complex from May 1992 to present. The Company and the State of Illinois are engaging in negotiations seeking to resolve this matter. On October 4, 1996, Shell Oil received a copy of an administrative complaint and proposed compliance order issued by the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") Region 5 office alleging certain regulatory violations pertaining to the burning of hazardous waste in onsite boilers at the Belpre, Ohio, plant. The proposed penalty is $176,725. The violations are based on inspections conducted by the state and the EPA in 1995 and 1996 as part of an EPA nationwide enforcement initiative. Negotiations are ongoing to resolve this matter. ITEM 6. EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K (a) Exhibits. 27. Financial Data Schedule. (b) Reports on Form 8-K. None SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. SHELL OIL COMPANY By N. J. CARUSO -------------------------------- N. J. Caruso, Controller (Principal Accounting and Duly Authorized Officer) Date: October 31, 1996 11 12 INDEX TO EXHIBITS Exhibit Page Number Description Number - ------ ----------- ------ 27 Financial Data Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12