Shell raises production hopes for Niger Delta

Royal Dutch Shell has sent teams into the turbulent Niger Delta in recent months to assess the state of its facilities, raising the prospect that it will be able to re-start production after more than a year.

Shell is committed to the biggest capital spending programme of any international energy company, investing $22bn-$23bn this year. It has said it plans to curb its share buy-back programme to fund that investment and to pay a higher dividend.