Under the terms of the agreement, similar to the existing 600MW supply contract which commenced in October 2007, Drax will supply power to Centrica at a price set with reference to international coal prices and agreed fixed clean dark spreads, while Centrica will deliver matching carbon allowances.

The agreement, which secures additional volumes of coal-indexed power, is in line with Centrica's strategy to ensure secure energy supplies for its customers and to diversify its fuel mix, further reducing its overall exposure to the gas price in the UK.

— WebWireID107178 —

The exploration area covers approximately 37,000 square kilometres, about the size of the Netherlands. It is located in water between 500 metres and 4,000 metres deep and has so far seen limited exploration activity.

'The Orange Basin offers an exciting frontier exploration opportunity to apply the deep water technical ability we have built up around the world over the past three decades,' said Ceri Powell, Executive Vice President International Exploration.

Shell has been active in retail in South Africa since 1904 and in refining since 1963. This is the first time Shell will be involved in exploring for oil and gas in South Africa.
Download

* Map - acreage on offer in the West Coast of South Africa (PDF, 165 KB) - opens in new window: http://www-static.shell.com/static/media/downloads/press/orange_basin_map.pdf

Notes to editors

Royal Dutch Shell plc is a leading global energy company whose subsidiaries employ 102,000 people and operate in more than 100 countries and territories. Shell engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, the refining and marketing of transportation fuels and other oil products, the production of chemicals and the development of renewable energy. For more information, see www.shell.com/aboutshell.
Cautionary note

The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release 'Shell', 'Shell group' and 'Royal Dutch Shell' are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words 'we', 'us' and 'our' are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. ''Subsidiaries'', 'Shell subsidiaries' and 'Shell companies' as used in this press release refer to companies in which Royal Dutch Shell either directly or indirectly has control, by having either a majority of the voting rights or the right to exercise a controlling influence. The companies in which Shell has significant influence but not control are referred to as 'associated companies' or 'associates' and companies in which Shell has joint control are referred to as 'jointly controlled entities'. In this press release, associates and jointly controlled entities are also referred to as 'equity-accounted investments'. The term 'Shell interest' is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect (for example, through our 34% shareholding in Woodside Petroleum Ltd.) ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''plan'', ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''will'', ''seek'', ''target'', ''risks'', ''goals'', ''should'' and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this press release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for the Group's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserve estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including potential litigation and regulatory effects arising from recategorisation of reserves; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m) changes in trading conditions. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell's 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov - opens in new window). These factors also should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, 5 November 2009. Neither Royal Dutch Shell nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only proved reserves that a company has demonstrated by actual production or conclusive formation tests to be economically and legally producible under existing economic and operating conditions. We use certain terms in this press release that SEC's guidelines strictly prohibit us from including in filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov - opens in new window. You can also obtain these forms from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

— WebWireID107177 —

'We are committed to bringing to Vietnam our state-of-the-art technologies in order to best support this fast growing country to meet the increasing demand for cement consumption during the process of the national modernization and industrialization', said Mr. Erdal Elver, President and CEO of Siemens Vietnam.

Siemens Industry Solutions is supplying the complete range of the Sicement product portfolio for equipping cement works including electrical equipment and automation systems for the new line. At the heart of the automation solution is a process control system based on Simatic PCS7. The scope of supply also includes the major part of the process instrumentation as well as the analyzers and special instrumentation. The electrical equipment comprises the cabling for the medium and low-voltage distribution systems, the MV switchgear units, the UPS and battery systems, the power factor compensation system, transformers, the low-voltage distribution panels with intelligent MCCs (motor control centers) and variable speed drives. These are supplemented by earthing and lightning protection equipment, lighting, fire detection and alarm systems, the CCTV and the telephone system. Siemens is also responsible for the design and engineering of the electrical equipment, including supervision of installation and commissioning as well as on-site training of the operating personnel.

For further information about solutions for the cement industry at: http://www.siemens.com/cement

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the world's leading supplier of production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. With integrated automation technologies as well as comprehensive industry-specific solutions, Siemens increases the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of its customers in the fields of industry and infrastructure. The Sector consists of six Divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility and Osram. With around 222,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry posted in fiscal year 2008 a profit of EUR3.86 billion with revenues totaling EUR38 billion. www.siemens.com/industry

With the business activities of Siemens VAI Metal Technologies, (Linz, Austria), Siemens Water Technologies (Warrendale, Pa., U.S.A.), and Industry Technologies, (Erlangen, Germany), the Siemens Industry Solutions Division(Erlangen, Germany) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities. Using its own products, systems and process technologies, Industry Solutions develops and builds plants for end customers, commissions them and provides support during their entire life cycle. With around 31,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry Solutions achieved an order intake of EUR 8.415 billon in fiscal year 2008.

Further information and downloads at:
http://www.siemens.com/industry-solutions

— WebWireID107175 —

China owns the world's third largest coal reserves, and naturally looks into ways of valuing them in order to reduce its growing dependency on foreign energy sources and feedstock.
Several technologies based on coal gasification allow the transformation of coal into liquid petroleum or chemical products. These gasification processes require huge quantities of oxygen.

In this context, Air Liquide announces it has signed a long-term contract with Yutianhua, Shaanxi Yulin Natural Gas Chemical Industry. Under the terms of the agreement, Air Liquide will invest about €60 million in a new large Air Separation Unit (ASU) - with a production capacity of 2,700 tonnes of oxygen per day - to supply oxygen and nitrogen to Yutianhua. The ASU, designed and built by Air Liquide Hangzhou, the Air Liquide engineering center in China, will use Air Liquide's latest technologies providing both high reliability and energy efficiency.

Yutianhua, a natural gas based methanol player in China, has a current production capacity of 510 thousand tonnes per year. In 2008, Yutianhua launched an additional 600 thousand tonnes per year methanol coal-based project with a total investment of 3 billion RMB. This is the first phase of a major methanol project. Its unit is located in Yuheng Chemical Industrial Park of Yulin City, Shaanxi Province. Air Liquide's new ASU will be located next to the Yutianhua site.

Jean-Pierre Duprieu, Vice President Asia-Pacific and a member of the Air Liquide's Executive Committee, said: 'We want to thank Yutianhua for its trust in us, as well as the Yulin authorities for their continuous support. This success illustrates Air Liquide's ability to develop leading edge technologies and high value-added solutions for this industry as well as the Group's commitment in China. This investment offers further illustration of the acceleration of our development in emerging economies, with a share of Group revenue that will have doubled over 6 years'.

Mr. Han Delin, Chairman of Yutianhua, added: 'Yutianhua's methanol project is one of the key projects in Shaanxi, and is strongly supported by the local and provincial governments. After fruitful discussions, we have decided to entrust Air Liquide with our industrial gas needs. Air Liquide has demonstrated that it understands our needs and is competitive. We are happy to outsource our industrial gas needs and to enter into a long-term partnership with Air Liquide that enables us to benefit from its worldwide expertise.'

— WebWireID107173 —

Many adults who once visited the train as children now bring their children and grandchildren to experience the wonder of the display. The Duke Energy/CSX Holiday Model Train Display has truly become an annual Cincinnati tradition for many families.

The theme of this year's display is Dreaming of Sugar Plums, Lollipops and Gingerbread. The centerpiece is a curved bridge, decorated with cookies, candy canes and many other sweet treats. On one end there is a cookie bakery with an extra large chimney. Surrounding the bridge are snow-laden trees and dozens of elves and gnomes decorate the area.

Kickoff of the exhibit historically begins on the day after Thanksgiving. To meet that date this year, the assembly and testing of the display has already begun. A small group of Duke Energy employees and retirees spend hundreds of hours throughout the year handcrafting replacement parts and adding to the collection of miniature buildings and structures. These volunteers keep the display running through the holidays until the end of December.

Those Marvelous Miniature Trains
As you watch the miniature trains travel by, you'll discover almost every variety of railroad car that ever traveled our country's railways. You'll see many kinds of powerful locomotives, ranging from the vintage steam-driven models to the more modern diesel-powered streamliners. There are pint-sized passenger trains featuring coach cars, dining cars with tiny tables and chairs, Pullman cars complete with bunks, dome-topped observation cars, baggage cars and postal cars for carrying the U.S. Mail.

The display also features model freight trains with cars capable of carrying almost any cargo imaginable. There are box cars, flat cars, tank cars, low-sided open gondola cars, cattle cars, coal cars, piggy-back cars for hauling trucks, and of course, the ever-popular "little red caboose."

As you compare the older cars to their more modern versions, you'll notice important changes in technology. The refrigerator cars, for example, range from the more primitive models that kept perishables cold with giant blocks of ice, to newer models with built-in refrigeration systems.

To spot one of the work trains, look for the "big hook" car with its large crane. Responsible for railroad maintenance and emergency runs, the work trains even include camp cars with sleeping and cooking facilities for the hard-working crew.

Little Buildings by the Train Tracks
Most of the visitors will quickly recognize miniature homes, shops, factories and farm buildings in the model railroad countryside. But, unless you're familiar with railroad operations, you may not recognize some of the important buildings and structures that are typically found along the railroad right-of-way. Section houses, which are living quarters with tool sheds, function as work locations for railroad crews known as section gangs, responsible for maintenance on specific sections of track.

To keep steam-powered locomotives rolling, it takes a lot of coal to fire the boiler and plenty of water to produce the steam. So, all along the railroad, you'll see miniature coal tipples – the coal storage stations with chutes for filling the locomotive's coal tender – as well as numerous water tanks.

The sand bins serve an important purpose, too, providing trains with sand to be dumped along the track for traction when the rails get wet or icy.

At the railroad terminal, centrally located to serve both the passenger terminal and the freight yards, you'll see additional coal, water and sand facilities as well as the large roundhouse and turntable. The roundhouse functions as a service garage for locomotives. Within the roundhouse, flues are cleaned, equipment is checked and the train is prepared for its next run. The turntable swings the iron horses around, sending them out on the proper track for their next journey.

Railroad stations, or depots, are also found all along the route – varying in size and scope depending on the size of the town. These are, of course, where passengers boarded the trains and where they met their family and friends when they reached their destination.

What This Miniature World Offers
This tradition began in partnership with the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad. Having been chartered in 1827, the B&O Railroad is often called the 'father of American railroads' as the first U.S. railroad for the transportation of passengers and freight. During the early years, the B&O model trains represented exactly what was traveling the real tracks. Every time the B&O took an older locomotive out of service or added a new car to its system, a miniature reproduction was removed or added to the model. Then, in the 1950s, B&O made the decision to bring back some of the retired models for their historical value. So, today, you see early steam locomotives operating on the same tracks with the more modern diesel engines.

Like the real thing, B&O models were built to last. Always handmade, sometimes from the same materials as their life-size prototypes, the models were hand-painted and hand-lettered with authentic railroad paints. The miniature B&O trains are faithful reproductions of the real trains down to the smallest details.

This train display simulates the Cumberland (Maryland) Division of the old B&O, still part of the route traveled by today's CSX Transportation. That's where the main Northwest and Southwest lines, from Chicago and from St. Louis, come together. While the display doesn't represent any particular point on the line or any specific part of the Maryland countryside, it is designed to demonstrate a variety of actual train operations in a landscape typical of the Cumberland region. The elevated area simulates the "Magnolia Cutoff" which is known as the "High Line" and is used exclusively for freight service.

Location, Dates and Hours of Operation, and Website
The Duke Energy building is located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Main streets in Downtown Cincinnati. Access to downtown is available via either Interstate 71 or Interstate 75.

The train display runs from Friday, Nov. 27, through Thursday, Dec. 31. Normal hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. (Closed Christmas day.)

More information about the holiday model train display is available on the Duke Energy website at www.duke-energy.com/train/.
Digital (JPEG format, 200 ppi) publication quality photographs of last year's model train display are also available on the website at: http://www.duke-energy.com/community/programs/news-quality-photos.asp
Duke Energy's Ohio operations deliver safe, reliable and competitively priced electricity to approximately 680,000 electric customers and natural gas service to approximately 420,000 customers.

Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power companies in the United States, supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 4 million U.S. customers in its regulated jurisdictions. The company has approximately 35,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Midwest and the Carolinas, and natural gas distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. In addition, Duke Energy has more than 4,000 megawatts of electric generation in Latin America, and is a joint-venture partner in a U.S. real estate company.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.

Duke Energy Holiday Model Train Display Fact Sheet

* The first year of the display was in 1946.
* The display is one of the largest portable models in the world, measures 36½ feet by 47½ feet.
* The Duke Energy building is located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Main streets (139 East Fourth Street) in Downtown Cincinnati. Access to downtown is available via either Interstate 71 or Interstate 75.
* Hours of Operation - The train display operates Friday, Nov. 27, through Thursday, Dec. 31. Normal hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. (Closed Christmas day.)
* Last year, the model train display had more than 300,000 visitors and 39 countries from around the world.
* The trains are authentic 'O' gauge in which a quarter inch on the model is equivalent to one foot on a real train; rail cars, tracks and buildings are 1/48th actual size.
* The Duke Energy display includes approximately 300 train cars and 50 locomotives on 1,000 feet of track.
* During the holiday season, the trains will travel more than 100,000 scale miles.
* While these trains may seem to travel slowly, they are traveling at actual scale speed. The basic three-track loop is 1/48th of a mile around, representing a full mile of real track. If a model train travels that loop in one minute, it is traveling at 60 miles per hour – not at all slow for a real train.
* This holiday tradition began in 1946 in partnership with the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad. (Having been chartered in 1827 as the first U.S. railroad for the public transportation of passengers and freight, the B&O Railroad is often called the "father of American railroads.")
* In 1936, the B&O Railroad introduced its first model railroad. That original model, with its three main loops, its locomotives and cars, is just part of Duke Energy lobby display.
* The portable model grew, as the railroad grew, through the 40s, the 50s and into the 60s.
* More information about the holiday model train display is available on the Duke Energy website at www.duke-energy.com/train/.

— WebWireID107068 —

ARMONK, N.Y.- Over three quarters of the world's oil and gas companies surveyed believe inevitable climate change could impact their business: increasing downtime, system failures and safety; but only 19 percent are taking action, says a new Acclimatise report backed by IBM (NYSE:IBM).

"The Oil and Gas industry is an important contributor to our society and economy, so if anything impacts the industry it could well impact people at home, at work, on the move, or even their personal finances," said Allan Roberts, IBM's Industrial Strategy & Change Leader, IBM Global Business Services, UK & Ireland. "While oil and gas companies are typically well run and have systems for monitoring risks, they have been exposed to problems with their major projects and operations in the past. Evidence in the report shows companies may not be fully appreciating the risks posed by climate change or have in place responses which are robust."

The report titled "Global Oil & Gas - The Adaptation Challenge" is based on the Carbon Disclosure Project's annual request for investor information that was sent to the world's largest 128 oil and gas companies globally (based on market capitalisation). Analysed using the Acclimatisation Index™.( )Methodology, the report identified the top five impacts of climate change and the industry implications.

Top Five Industry Impacts of Climate Change

Increased pressure on water resources: Concerns over changing rainfall patterns, water shortages, poor water quality, drought and flooding is significantly increasing the demand for water. Growing competition for available resources could create operational problems for companies which rely heavily on water for oil and gas production. The demand may also create conflicts with local communities and other water users throughout the world changing the risk landscape for oil and gas companies. Nearly all companies surveyed did not appear to recognise the risk landscape is changing - only 6% reported knowledge of potential civil and geo-political risks and 3% identified adverse risks for local communities.

Physical asset failure: The report revealed that many existing plants and equipment have been designed on the basis of historic climatic conditions and may not withstand changing environmental conditions. Fluctuating temperatures can affect efficiency and performance of physical assets leading to transport disruption, damaged buildings and increased operational delays and costs. Only 6% of respondents indicated they were taking actions to manage disruptions to off-site utilities (energy, communications, water and waste treatment).

Employee health and safety risks: Volatile working conditions in extreme environments and physical assets which are potentially not suitable for the changing climatic conditions have the potential to impact the health and safety of employees. However only 1.5% of respondents reported to incorporate climate change considerations into their health and safety risk assessments. Employer and public liability insurance cover may be compromised if companies fail to take climate change into account during health and safety risk assessments.

Drop in value of financial assets: To meet the growing demand for energy, oil and gas companies need to continue securing investment for new exploration, production and manufacturing. Potential investors and stakeholders are placing greater importance on the business impacts of climate change as the risks impact cost and revenue drivers. Insurance costs could potentially rise because of greater chances of physical plant damage due to weather events, an issue only recognised by 10% of respondents. The current reported value of proved reserves may also be affected by companies failing to take into account the full impact of climate change. This could result in changes to the disclosed value of reserves which has major financial implications.

Damage to corporate reputation: As knowledge and awareness of climate change grows, any failure to monitor and report the impacts of climate change on social and ecological resources is increasingly likely to harm a company's reputation. Contractual relationships that do not adequately foresee and manage risks driven by climate change, may damage the company's reputation with stakeholders as the risk of parties turning to litigation increases.

"It is difficult to justify the position taken by any company that fails to assess the vulnerability of existing and future assets to acute and chronic changing climatic risks, given the information we now have," said John Firth, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, climate change adaptation specialists Acclimatise. "Companies that develop an integrated approach, recognising that we no longer have a stable climate, will be the winners. This is not merely an environmental issue, it is about bottom line consequences and the future viability of oil and gas companies."

Drivers for Change

Given the Oil and Gas industry's ability to innovate there is no reason why it will not continue to be a major contributor to society and the economy of the future. There are a number of drivers for change that will influence the level and rate of innovation.

Cost/revenue drivers - Operating costs at refineries could increase in response to changes in asset efficiency and resilience with higher ambient air temperatures. Disruptions to transport links due to permafrost thaw are already having significant impacts with companies having to hold and maintain larger on-site spare parts and materials stores. Operational costs could increase in response to changes in design standards for offshore platforms.

Stakeholder pressure - Investors and other stakeholders, including market and financial analysts, governments and regulatory agencies, research institutions, consumers, local communities and NGOs - are already starting to place greater pressure on oil and gas companies to address climate risks and opportunities.

New regulatory landscapes - Although new regulatory policies are being developed in many countries there remains a great deal of uncertainty regarding the scope, content and format of future legislation on emissions. Greater certainty about the future regulatory landscape is required to encourage companies to invest in alternatives to fossil fuels and develop cleaner and sustainable energy sources.

In the United Kingdom the Climate Change Act 2008 gives the government an adaptation reporting power that requires oil and gas companies to assess and disclose the impacts climate change might have on their business. The UK Government recently updated the Petroleum Act, tightening the laws on decommissioning, making it compulsory for companies to take the impacts of climate change into account.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission ask publicly-listed companies to disclose climate threats to their bottom lines in annual reporting.

Opportunity to Improve

Acclimatise and IBM have jointly prepared a set of 10 Prepare-Adapt questions to help oil and gas executives take informed steps towards building corporate resilience to inevitable climate change.

To start, a company should undertake a high-level assessment of how climate change could impact their business model. The next step is to analyse the individual areas that could have the greatest material impact on performance - two areas of consideration could be Non-Market Strategy and Asset Lifecycle Management. Finally companies need to adapt reporting and performance management to incorporate risks arising from climate change.

Paul Simpson, Chief Operating Officer, Carbon Disclosure Project, said, "This report shows how important it is for the oil and gas sector to plan for a changing climate. Issues such as water shortages and changing weather patterns and temperatures will impact infrastructure, operations, revenues and costs. As a result, investors want to know how oil and gas companies are dealing with these risks and planning for them in the future. This report helps answer those questions."

For a full copy of the report: http://www-05.ibm.com/uk/green/cdp2009/oil_and_gas.pdf

Methodology

The analysis has been undertaken using our Acclimatisation Index™ methodology. This enables a semi-quantitative analysis of the responses recognising the scope of the questions.

The Index can take into account information from other sources to provide a more comprehensive analysis if needed. The Index also allows a relative score for each company to be calculated, although these scores are not available as part of this project.

The Acclimatisation Index™ has been used to analyse the resilience of global oil and gas companies to climate change in response to questions contained within sections 1 and 4 of the Carbon Disclosure Project questionnaire. It describes how global oil and gas companies understand the risks and opportunities they face as a result of the changing climate, and how they plan to adapt to them.

— WebWireID107053 —

AEP management will be discussing the company's financial outlook and strategic direction during meetings with investors at the annual Edison Electric Institute Financial Conference that begins today in Hollywood, Fla.

AEP anticipates that 2010 ongoing earnings will be between $2.80 and $3.20 per share. Ongoing earnings guidance for 2009, which reflects last week's upside adjustment, remains at $2.90 to $3.05 per share. Ongoing earnings represent earnings from continuing operations, which exclude special or one-time items included in the earnings prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

'Our earnings projections for 2010 are driven by new rate recovery activity underway in several jurisdictions across our service territories, an expected increase in off-system sales of electricity as that market improves after a weak year in 2009, and a general increase in retail load,' said Michael G. Morris, AEP's chairman, president and chief executive officer.

AEP projects that capital expenditures for utility operations will decrease to $1.993 billion in 2010 from the estimated $2.466 billion in 2009, reflecting AEP's conservative approach for near-term capital expenditures.

AEP will form a transmission company, or Transco, to pursue new transmission opportunities within the company's existing 11-state footprint, a key component in a three-part national transmission strategy. AEP has existing and planned transmission projects in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) through its Electric Transmission Texas joint venture with MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company. AEP is also pursuing transmission projects outside its footprint and outside ERCOT through joint ventures with numerous other companies, including Electric Transmission America, AEP's broader partnership with MidAmerican.

'The Transco will be our vehicle for much of AEP's future on-system, wholly-owned transmission investment,' Morris said. 'These investments will include a wide range of on-system transmission improvements, things like greenfield projects, station additions and system upgrades. Pursuing these activities in a Transco, with formula rates adjusted annually by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), benefits customers by enhancing AEP's access to capital. This enables the company to undertake substantial new investment while relieving our operating company balance sheets of the burden of meeting those capital demands, thereby allowing them to put capital to work on distribution and generation needs.'

AEP expects to invest $118 million in Transco activities in 2010.

'We are seeking state utility status for the Transco in states where that designation is required, and we will join both PJM and Southwest Power Pool as a transmission owner,' Morris said. 'We plan to file a FERC tariff for the Transco later this year, with rates effective in mid-2010.'

— WebWireID106951 —

The signing follows BP's successful bid for the contract with CNPC in Baghdad in June.

The consortium led by BP (38 per cent) with partners CNPC (37 per cent) and the Iraq government's representative State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO - 25 per cent), has agreed to nearly triple the Rumaila field's output to almost 3 million barrels of oil a day (b/d), which would make it the world's second largest producing oilfield.

BP and CNPC plan to invest approximately $15 billion in cash over the 20 year lifetime of the contract with the intention of increasing plateau production to 2.85 million b/d in the second half of the next decade. Once production has been raised by 10 per cent from its current level of about 1 million b/d, costs will start to be recovered, and fees of $2 a barrel earned on the incremental oil production.

"We are pleased to have this opportunity to work with the people of Iraq to develop one of the world's great oilfields and we see this as the beginning of a long-term relationship with Iraq," said BP's chief executive Tony Hayward.

"We are also pleased to have the opportunity to help Iraq rebuild its economy after years of war and sanctions. The investment in Rumaila will support Iraq in achieving its ambition of becoming a major player in global oil markets once again and will catalyze training and development opportunities for the many thousands of Iraqi workers on Rumaila," Hayward added.

The Rumaila Field Operating Organisation (ROO) will manage the rehabilitation and expansion project. ROO will be staffed mainly by employees from South Oil Company and will contain a small number of technical experts and managers from BP and CNPC.

BP has already gained information about the Rumaila field through a three year memorandum of understanding to provide technical assistance from 2005 and historically has knowledge of the field's geology dating back to discovery in 1953.

BP and its partners intend to use their reservoir management expertise to boost recovery and increase production from the Rumaila field, focussing initially on waterflood and gas reinjection optimization.

— WebWireID106935 —

'Pure Power Technologies allows Navistar to seamlessly integrate development and production of our power system component technology as we continue to grow globally,' said Daniel C. Ustian, Navistar chairman, president and chief executive officer. 'This supports our industry leadership strategy to produce great products and will serve as a components technology incubator for Navistar's MaxxForce® brand engines.'

Based in Columbia, South Carolina, Pure Power Technologies will operate a research and development center there as well as a manufacturing plant in nearby Blythewood, South Carolina. The Columbia and Blythewood facilities are former Continental assets. Further, the acquisition of these Continental facilities by Navistar prevents their closing as previously announced by Continental. Navistar and Continental will be working on a product transition plan between now and January to assure the needs of both companies are met.

'Housing our advanced manufacturing technology team near the R&D campus will be a key differentiator for Pure Power Technologies. This will enhance our ability to quickly bring new technologies to market,' said Eric Tech, president, Navistar Engine Group.

'The combined strengths that make up Pure Power Technologies will enable breakthrough performance, lean and rapid development cycles and lower overall system costs,' said Ustian. 'These are critical to our business, as customers around the world continue to demand greater engine performance, more efficient power sources and cleaner running vehicles and equipment.'

'The acquisition of Continental's diesel systems business by Navistar is a win-win situation for all parties,' said Kregg Wiggins, senior vice president NAFTA Powertrain Division for Continental. 'Navistar will acquire key fuel injection technologies used in their diesel engine manufacturing business and many of the employees in the Blythewood and Columbia locations will have an opportunity to gain positions in this new entity."

'Navistar is a true innovator in the design of truck engines, and the company's newest venture will augment South Carolina's ever-growing automotive sector. It is especially gratifying to see Continental and Navistar come to an agreement that will keep existing facilities open and bring new opportunities for the future. Indeed, the company's decision to invest in South Carolina is another strong sign that our business-friendly climate, skilled workforce and exceptional market access continue to attract new investors to our state. We welcome Navistar and Pure Power Technologies to the South Carolina business community and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them in the years ahead,' said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.

Central SC Alliance President and CEO Mike Briggs stated, "Our team is very pleased with today's important announcement by Navistar. This is quite a testimonial to the company's faith in the highly-skilled workforce that exists at the plant. The Alliance worked very closely with Richland County Council and the South Carolina Department of Commerce in an effort to retain these advanced manufacturing jobs."

Richland County Council Chairman Paul Livingston said, "Today, we are in a global competition to find and save jobs. We are excited to have retained the manufacturing and research and development functions that have been located in Richland County for the past several years. We certainly recognize the possibility for future growth and development and look forward to working with Navistar again. Further, we greatly appreciate Navistar's corporate citizenship and continued involvement in the community."

Pure Power Technologies supports a number of Navistar's strategic business goals: Ensure the continued delivery of innovative MaxxForce® brand engines to the North American on-highway marketplace, including MaxxForce Advanced EGR emissions technology for 2010 and beyond; grow in other automotive and industrial segments in NAFTA countries; partner with new OEM customers in established and emerging markets under Euro emissions regulations; create a global platform for continuous improvement in product quality, performance and fuel-efficiency; develop common quality and manufacturing processes across our engine operations and joint ventures; and support Navistar Global Truck Group and Navistar Global Bus division in non-NAFTA growth areas.

About Navistar
Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV) is a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates produce International® brand commercial and military trucks, MaxxForce® brand diesel engines, IC Bus™ brand school and commercial buses, Monaco RV brands of recreational vehicles, and Workhorse® brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. It also is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company also provides truck and diesel engine service parts. Another affiliate offers financing services. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com/newsroom.

— WebWireID106928 —

Munich - The technology group The Linde Group continued the positive trend of the second quarter in a market environment which remained difficult, achieving further increases in profitability in the months July to September in comparison with the previous quarter. In the third quarter, Group operating profit rose by 12.5 percent compared to the second quarter, while the operating margin increased significantly to 22.5 percent (2nd quarter: 20.4 percent). The operating margin also continued to improve if a comparison is made between the first nine months of 2009 and the same period in 2008. The Group operating margin for the period to 30 September 2009 was 20.9 percent (2008: 20.3 percent). Adjusted for one-off restructuring costs of 80 million euro, the operating margin was 21.9 percent.

"The positive trends we were seeing at the end of the second quarter have continued to strengthen," said Professor Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of Linde AG. "The measures we have taken to achieve sustainable increases in productivity are having an ever greater impact. What's more, demand in our gases business is beginning to pick up again slowly. However, one thing's clear: in the 2009 financial year, we will not be able to match the level of sales and earnings achieved in the record year 2008. Nevertheless, based on our current figures, we expect our business performance in the second half of 2009 to be better than in the first half of the year."

Against the background of the global economic crisis, Group sales fell by 11.5 percent in the first nine months of 2009 to 8.313 billion euro, compared with the record figure achieved in the first three quarters of 2008 of 9.392 billion euro. Group operating profit* for the nine months to 30 September 2009 was 1.741 billion euro, 8.8 percent below the prior-year figure of 1.910 billion euro. After adjusting for restructuring costs arising from the High Performance Organisation (HPO) programme, the fall in Group operating profit for Linde was only 4.7 percent. On the basis of HPO, the integrated programme for process optimisation and increased productivity, the aim of the Group is to achieve gross cost savings of between 650 million euro and 800 million euro in the financial years from 2009 to 2012 and to continue to improve its competitiveness irrespective of the economic situation.

Earnings before taxes on income (EBT) were 611 million euro, a decrease of 185 million euro or 23.2 percent when compared with the prior-year figure of 796 million euro. After adjusting for restructuring costs of 80 million euro and the gains on disposal of businesses of 59 million euro achieved in the first nine months of 2008, the decline was only 46 million euro or 6.2 percent.

Group earnings after tax at 30 September 2009 were 456 million euro (2008: 593 million euro). After taking minority interests into account, earnings attributable to Linde AG shareholders were 417 million euro (2008: 552 million euro), giving earnings per share of 2.47 euro (2008: 3.29 euro). After adjusting for the effect of the purchase price allocation in the course of the BOC acquisition and the profits on disposal earnings per share in the first nine months of 2009 stood at 3.38 euro (2008: 4.14 euro). The restructuring costs recognised in the first nine months of 2009 have not been adjusted for in this calculation. Cash flow from operating activities increased by 9.5 percent to 1.424 billion euro (2008: 1.301 billion euro). This significant rise was due to the optimisation of the cost structure as well as to improvements in working capital management.

Gases Division
In the Gases Division, the recovery trend indicated in the second quarter of 2009 continued into the third quarter. Sales and operating profit again rose when compared to the period April to June. Operating profit for the third quarter was 625 million euro, exactly the same as the figure for the prior-year period. However, when the figures for the whole reporting period January to September are compared, there was a downward trend. Sales in the Gases Division for the nine months to 30 September 2009 were 6.629 billion euro, 7.4 percent lower than the figure for the prior-year period of 7.157 billion euro. On a comparable basis, i.e. after adjusting for exchange rate effects and also taking into account changes in the price of natural gas and changes to Group structure, the fall in sales was 6.4 percent.

The operating profit of the Gases Division for the first nine months of 2009 was 1.763 billion euro, only 3.1 percent under the comparable prior-year figure of 1.819 billion euro. This demonstrates that the Gases Division has been able to limit the decline in earnings in a difficult market environment and achieve an improvement in the operating margin from 25.4 percent in 2008 to the current figure of thereby 26.6 percent.

The trends in the individual regions and product areas of the Gases Division were as follows: In the Western Europe operating segment, sales trends in the third quarter continued to be adversely affected, as in the first half of 2009, by the substantial weakening of the British pound. As a result of this currency fluctuation, sales for the nine months to 30 September 2009 fell by 10.5 percent to 2.801 billion euro (2008: 3.131 billion euro). On a comparable basis, the decline in sales would have been a mere 5.4 percent. Operating profit was also adversely affected by exchange rate movements, falling by 8.4 percent to 782 million euro (2008: 854 million euro). The operating margin in Western Europe was 27.9 percent, exceeding the high figure of 27.3 percent achieved in the prior-year period. This improvement demonstrates the positive impact of the HPO programme.

The market environment in Western Europe saw a further period of stabilisation, although there were no signs as yet of a widespread market recovery.

In the Americas operating segment, Linde achieved sales in the nine months to 30 September 2009 of 1.485 billion euro, 10.1 percent below the figure for the first nine months of 2008 of 1.652 billion euro. On a comparable basis, sales were 8.3 percent lower than in the prior-year period. Operating profit fell from 320 million euro to 316 million euro, a much smaller drop of only 1.3 percent. The operating margin improved significantly as a result, by 190 basis points to 21.3 percent (2008: 19.4 percent). This increase was mainly due to the impact of natural gas prices. Steps taken to optimise the Group's cost structure did here as well contribute to this positive development.

In the Asia & Eastern Europe operating segment, sales in the nine months to 30 September 2009 were 1.343 billion euro, 8.0 percent below the figure for the prior-year period of 1.459 billion euro. On a comparable basis, the fall in sales was 6.4 percent. Operating profit, on the other hand, of 415 million euro was almost as high as the figure for the nine months to 30 September 2008 of 417 million euro. As a result, the operating margin rose significantly in the reporting period from 28.6 percent to 30.9 percent. The accelerated implementation of our HPO programme again contributed to this positive trend. Additional contributions to earnings also arose from Linde's joint venture activities in China.

Just as in the second quarter, very clear signs of an economic recovery continued to be evident as the year progressed in the Asia & Eastern Europe operating segment. This trend could be seen, for example, in the improved capacity utilisation of our tonnage plants.

In the South Pacific & Africa operating segment, Linde also achieved an increase in sales in the first nine months of the year: of 8.6 percent to 1.052 billion euro (2008: 969 million euro). The consolidation for the first time of the Australian LPG business Elgas more than offset adverse movements in the exchange rate of the Australian dollar. On a comparable basis, sales in the first nine months declined by 6.1 percent. Operating profit increased by 9.6 percent to 250 million euro (2008: 228 million euro), a faster rate of increase than that of sales. The operating margin rose accordingly from 23.5 percent to 23.8 percent.

In the individual product areas of the Gases Division, business trends were also affected by global economic conditions, which remained challenging. In comparison with the first half of the year, however, the trend here was positive in the third quarter. On a comparable basis, Linde's sales in the liquefied gases business fell by 8.7 percent to 1.636 billion euro (2008: 1.791 billion euro). In the cylinder gas business, there was a decline in sales of 9.1 percent to 2.713 billion euro (2008: 2.984 billion euro). Sales of 1.513 billion euro in the on-site (tonnage) business, where we supply industrial gases from plants situated on the user's site, were 4.2 percent below the figure for the prior-year period of 1.579 billion euro. Meanwhile, the Healthcare product area once again proved very robust. Here, sales rose by 5.6 percent to 767 million euro (2008: 726 million euro).

Gases Division - Outlook
The continuing uncertainty in the market environment has not caused us to change in any way our original target for the gases business. Linde wants to grow at a more rapid pace than the market and to continue to increase its productivity. Given the current tendency towards economic recovery and based on positive trends in the third quarter, The Linde Group expects business performance in the Gases Division to be better in the second half of 2009 than in the first six months of the year. This will, however, not suffice to ensure that sales and earnings for the full year 2009 will reach the levels achieved in 2008.

Engineering Division
In the Engineering Division, Linde achieved sales of 1.677 billion euro in the first nine months of 2009, although it was unable to achieve the very high level of sales achieved in the prior-year period of 2.063 billion euro. This decline is mainly due to the variation in project structure and the state of completion of projects in the two different periods. Operating profit of 145 million euro was also below the comparable figure for the nine months to 30 September 2008 of 183 million euro. The operating margin was 8.6 percent. This significantly exceeded Linde's target margin of 8 percent, which is well above the industry average. Due to a marked reluctance by customers to award new projects, order intake in the first nine months of 2009 of 1.514 billion euro was, as expected, lower than the figure for the prior-year period of 2.295 billion euro.

The order backlog at 30 September 2009 was 3.911 billion euro, which is still a very high level (31 December 2008: 4.436 billion euro). Most of the current order backlog relates to the air separation plant and olefin plant product areas. As in the first six months of the year, the geographical focus remains the Middle East. Major projects in this region include, for example, the new ethylene plant in Ruwais commissioned by the Borouge consortium, the Enhanced Gas Recovery plant which is operated together with Linde's joint venture partner ADNOC, and the Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) plant which Linde is supplying for Shell in Qatar.

Engineering Division - Outlook
The continuing high level of our order backlog forms a basis for relatively stable business performance in the Engineering Division over the next one to two years. However, the impact of the economic crisis on global large-scale plant construction can be seen from the much lower level of order intake and the current reluctance of customers to award new projects. Against this background and given the variation in project structure and the state of completion of projects from year to year, Linde continues to assume that it will not be able to achieve the same high level of sales in the 2009 financial year as in 2008. Nevertheless, the target for our operating margin remains at 8 percent.

N.B.: To coincide with the publication of our quarterly report, a teleconference for analysts will take place today at 2pm (German time) in English with Georg Denoke, CFO of Linde AG. Journalists will have the opportunity to listen to the conference live by dialling +49.69.589.99-0509. Please tell the operator your name and the name of your company. Following the teleconference, you will be able to hear a recording of the event by calling +49.30.726.167-224. Please give the following reference number: 847120.

The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. It achieved sales in the 2008 financial year of 12.7 billion euro. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the world. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, please see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com

— WebWireID106863 —

The new unit* will have an electrical output of over 900 MW and will supply 25% of the Rhein-Neckar region's electricity, the equivalent of approximately 600,000 households. It will replace the existing units 3 and 4 (with an output of only 220 MW each), which will be taken out of service after the commissioning of the new unit in 2013.

Grosskraftwerk Mannheim is a coal-fired cogeneration plant with an installed base of 1675 MW which produces up to 1000 MW of heat as well as electricity, and has been supplying both heat and power to the region for over 85 years. District heating applications such as these help save 200,000 TCE (ton of coal equivalent) primary energy and 300,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The new unit will help increase this figure.

The combined heat and power production significantly contributes to reduce emissions. The new unit will use less coal, reducing the power plant's overall CO2 emissions by about 1 million tonnes per year and conforming to the objectives of the German government, with a strong focus on reducing the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

'Innovative technology such as that installed at Mannheim 9 is essential for reducing CO2 emissions in our customers' coal-fired plants, commented Guy Chardon, Senior Vice President Thermal Products, Alstom Power, and we look forward to further supporting the implementation of cleaner power generation on the German market'.

*The scope of the Mannheim 9 project includes a STF 100 5 casing steam turbine, a Gigatop 2-pole turbogenerator and a condenser, and has been completed by a Tower Type Boiler island with SCR and preheater, including coal bunkers, mills, and auxiliary systems. Alstom will also carry out transportation to the site, full erection, commissioning, trial -run and performance tests both for the steam turbine generator set and the boiler island.

— WebWireID106862 —

Gas-to-liquid technology, which consists of converting natural gas into liquid fuels, is an attractive option for making the most of abundant gas reserves. This technology produces a fuel that has the high energy efficiency of diesel while producing less pollution.

Oryx GTL is a SASOL / Qatar Petroleum joint venture that produces clean diesel, naphtha and LPG. Its first commercial gas-to-liquids (GTL) unit located in Ras Laffan, Qatar, is the largest GTL unit in service in the world. GTL production capacity is rapidly increasing in Qatar thanks to the North Field, the world's biggest reserve of natural gas.

Oryx GTL and GASAL Q.S.C., Air Liquide's subsidiary in Qatar, have signed a long-term oxygen supply agreement after Oryx GTL decided to increase its production capacity. GASAL will invest US$70 million (more than €47 million) in a new oxygen and nitrogen production unit with a capacity of 750 tonnes of oxygen per day.

The new unit, designed and built by Air Liquide Engineering, will be commissioned at the end of 2010. It will further reinforce GASAL's industrial gas production asset base in Ras Laffan Industrial City. GASAL will then have two production sites in this key industrial basin, thanks to the successful start-up earlier this year of a nitrogen unit for Ras Laffan Olefin Company.

Besides, the new GASAL unit will be the base for gaseous nitrogen supply to GASAL's nitrogen pipeline network currently under construction in Ras Laffan. The total production capacity of nitrogen available in the network will be more than 1,500 tonnes per day. This ASU will also produce liquid gases which will serve as a reliable source for other customers in Qatar and in neighboring countries.

Pierre Dufour, Senior Executive Vice-President of the Air Liquide Group, responsible for the Middle East Region, commented: 'With this new, large scale project in Qatar, Air Liquide is proud to be the selected outsourcing partner of Oryx GTL through its subsidiary GASAL. We will be able to support the growing needs of our long-term customer Sasol and of our partner Qatar Petroleum. It is a further illustration of Air Liquide's commitment to the development of emerging economies, one of the Group's growth drivers.'

— WebWireID106856 —

Friday October 30, 2009 – A big fanfare greeted news this week that internet giant Google was looking to increase its 'green' credentials by offering customers a way of monitoring their energy use in 'real time'.

And while this is a great way for householders to monitor their energy consumption with a view to cutting it, home improvement comparison service LocalQuoter says it should be just part of consumers' armoury alongside a range of other money-saving tactics which it can help people adopt.

'Realising how much energy your house is consuming in 'real time', as Google's new service allows people to do, is sure to be a wake-up call for many cost-conscious householders,' said Les Yates of LocalQuoter.

'Many people may not realise that they are losing an average of £135 a year* if their windows are not up to the latest energy-efficient standards,' Yates added.

'The key to achieving savings which make a real difference lies in then acting on this information, and taking steps which can make a long-term, lasting difference to a home's energy consumption levels.'

And this means having a home which has energy efficiency built into it, in the form of the latest double glazing, fitted to the highest standard, and using the latest types of energy-efficient glass.

That's where LocalQuoter comes into its own. By using www.localquoter.net, householders can get a double glazing quote from the pick of a carefully-chosen list of companies operating in their area.

The companies used by LocalQuoter are all specificially chosen for their reliability and quality of work, based on feedback provided by their customers, so using LocalQuoter guarantees that householders will be put in touch with an established, reputable company with a good reputation to uphold.

That means customers get full guarantees on the products, and on the quality of the work carried out – an especially important factor given the recent news that energy bills will continue to rise, to help us pay for the building and commissioning of new, more efficient and less polluting energy sources.

'When we are all being told that we should expect energy prices to rise by well above inflation in the coming years to help pay for making the country's energy production more efficient, the time to start seriously looking at cutting our energy costs is now,' Yates said.

'The Green Party has also recently installed double glazing at its headquarters, and this has produced massive savings in both costs and CO2 emissions. This shows the direction we should all be taking to help ensure that our energy supplies remain secure for the foreseeable future – and we at LocalQuoter are ready to help anyone looking to make their home more energy-efficient, and reduce the impact of those looming higher bills.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

*According to the Energy Saving Trust, Energy Saving Recommended double glazing can cut heat lost through windows by half, as well as saving around £135 a year on the average heating bill.

— WebWireID106787 —

The proposed JV would establish a research and design center in China's Anhui province for application engineering development, product design and technology advancements. Diesel engines produced by the new venture would primarily be used in China, as well as certain export markets.

'This proposed joint venture would bring together the resources of two leaders, JAC in China's commercial vehicle segment and Navistar in the global diesel engine business,' said Eric Tech, president, Navistar Engine Group. 'The result would yield outstanding advanced technology products for commercial truck owners throughout the region.'

'This key initiative would not only give JAC access to world-class engine products, technology and management but would also support our long-term business growth strategy,' said Zuo Yanan, Chairman, JAC.

Formation of the joint venture is subject to the completion of due diligence, approval by each party's board of directors, negotiation of definitive agreements, corporate and regulatory approvals. Management structure would consist of eight directors, four from JAC and four from Navistar.

About JAC
Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. Ltd. (JAC) is principally engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of sport recreational vehicles, passenger cars, commercial vehicles and related parts. The company offers business vehicles under the brand name of Refine, light and heavy trucks, sports recreation vehicles (SRVs) under the brand name of Rein, carriage chassis and cars. http://jacen.jac.com.cn.

About Navistar
Navistar, Inc., the operating company of Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV), produces International® brand commercial vehicles, MaxxForce® brand diesel engines, IC Bus™ brand school and commercial buses, Monaco RV brands of recreational vehicles, and Workhorse® brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. It also is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company also provides truck and diesel engine service parts. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com/newsroom.

— WebWireID106790 —

SAN RAMON, Calif. - Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today reported earnings of $3.83 billion ($1.92 per share - diluted) for the third quarter 2009, compared with $7.89 billion ($3.85 per share - diluted) in the 2008 third quarter. Earnings in the 2009 period included gains of approximately $400 million ($0.20 per share) from asset sales and tax items. Foreign-currency effects reduced earnings in the 2009 quarter by $170 million, compared with a benefit to income of $303 million a year earlier.

For the first nine months of 2009, earnings were $7.41 billion ($3.71 per share - diluted), down 61 percent from $19.04 billion ($9.23 per share - diluted) in the first nine months of 2008.

Read the Entire Press Release (111 KB): http://www.chevron.com/documents/pdf/earnings_30october2009.pdf

NOTICE

Chevron's discussion of third quarter 2009 earnings with security analysts will take place on Friday, October 30, 2009, at 8:00 a.m. PDT. A webcast of the meeting will be available in a listen-only mode to individual investors, media, and other interested parties on Chevron's Web site at www.chevron.com under the "Investors" section. Additional financial and operating information will be contained in the Earnings Supplement that will be available under "Events and Presentations" in the "Investors" section on the Web site.

Chevron will post selected fourth quarter 2009 interim performance data for the company and industry on its Web site on Monday, January 11, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. PST. Interested parties may view this interim data at www.chevron.com under the "Investors" section.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT RELEVANT TO FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF "SAFE HARBOR" PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to Chevron's operations that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections about the petroleum, chemicals, and other energy-related industries. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "targets," "projects," "believes," "seeks," "schedules," "estimates," "budgets" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the company's control and are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Unless legally required, Chevron undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are crude-oil and natural-gas prices; refining, marketing and chemicals margins; actions of competitors or regulators; timing of exploration expenses; timing of crude-oil liftings, the competitiveness of alternate-energy sources or product substitutes; technological developments; the results of operations and financial condition of equity affiliates; the inability or failure of the company's joint-venture partners to fund their share of operations and development activities; the potential failure to achieve expected net production from existing and future crude-oil and natural-gas development projects; potential delays in the development, construction or start-up of planned projects; the potential disruption or interruption of the company's net production or manufacturing facilities or delivery/transportation networks due to war, accidents, political events, civil unrest, severe weather or crude-oil production quotas that might be imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); the potential liability for remedial actions or assessments under existing or future environmental regulations and litigation; significant investment or product changes under existing or future environmental statutes, regulations and litigation; the potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; the company's acquisition or disposition of assets; gains and losses from asset dispositions or impairments; government-mandated sales, divestitures, recapitalizations, industry-specific taxes, changes in fiscal terms or restrictions on scope of company operations; foreign-currency movements compared with the U.S. dollar; the effects of changed accounting rules under generally accepted accounting principles promulgated by rule-setting bodies; and the factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" on pages 30 and 31 of the company's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, such statements could be affected by general domestic and international economic and political conditions. Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this press release could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.

— WebWireID106789 —

According to a Reuters article distributed on October 21st, 2009, South Korea's state-run Gas Corporation, KOGAS will invest roughly 400 billion Won into the new DME processing facility capable of turning out 300,000 tonnes per annum.

To view the entire Reuters article please visit http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINSEO11055620091021

To view the entire AFTC release, please visit http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Alternative-Fuel-Technologies-iw-1528067931.html?x=0&.v=1

SmallCapNewsRelease gainers are Revlon (NYSE:REV) Giga-tronics Inc (NASDAQ:GIGA) Timberland Co. (NYSE:TBL) Radio One Inc (NASDAQ:ROIA) Gramercy Cap Corp (NYSE:GKK) K V Pharma (NYSE:KV-A) Newcastle Investment Corp (NYSE:NCT) Valassis Communications Inc (NYSE:VCI)

SmallCapNewsRelease decliners are SkyPeople Fruit Juice (AMEX:SPU) Transcept Pharma (NASDAQ:TSPT) Central Pacific (NYSE:CPF) 1st Pacific Bancorp (NASDAQ:FPBN) Aarons Inc (NYSE:AAN-A) Chardan 2008 China Acquisition (NASDAQ:CACAU)Cytokinetics Inc (NASDAQ:CYTK) Transcat Inc (NASDAQ:TRNS)

Information, opinions and analysis contained herein are based on sources believed to be reliable, but no representation, expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. The opinions contained herein reflect our current judgment and are subject to change without notice. We accept no liability for any losses arising from an investor's reliance on or use of this report. This report is for information purposes only, and is neither a solicitation to buy nor an offer to sell securities. A third party has hired and paid Small Cap News Release twelve hundred and ninety five dollars for the publication and circulation of this news release. Certain information included herein is forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements concerning manufacturing, marketing, growth, and expansion. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could affect actual results and cause them to differ materially from expectations expressed herein. We have no ownership of equity, no representation do no trading of any kind and send No Faxes or emails.

— WebWireID106707 —

"The renewal of our hedged inventory facility was solidly supported by our existing bank group as well as several new relationship banks, with the number of participating institutions increasing from nine to twenty-three," said Al Swanson, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Plains All American Pipeline. "This renewal, combined with our proactive financing efforts, reinforces PAA's solid financial positioning and enables us to maintain a high level of committed liquidity. We would like to publicly express our appreciation to these banks for their continued support of PAA."

Funding for the facility was led by Banc of America Securities LLC and BNP Paribas, which are serving as Joint Book Runners. Bank of America, N.A. is serving as Administrative Agent, BNP Paribas is serving as Syndication Agent, and Societe Generale is serving as Documentation Agent.

Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. is a publicly traded master limited partnership engaged in the transportation, storage, terminalling and marketing of crude oil, refined products and liquefied petroleum gas and other natural gas related petroleum products. The Partnership is also engaged in the development and operation of natural gas storage facilities. The Partnership is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

— WebWireID106741 —

Devices that draw vampire energy, also known as 'phantom' or 'stand-by' energy, can account for as much as 20 percent of a home's power use, according to some studies. The most common culprits: plug-in adapters for rechargeable, battery-powered electronics such as cell phones, cordless phones, digital music players, power tools, electric toothbrushes and other similar devices.

Most of these adapters consume energy whenever they are plugged into an outlet, even if the device is not connected. Appliances and electronic equipment with stand-by capability also use electricity when they are not in use; flat-panel televisions and digital video recorders are examples.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power devices while they are supposedly off or in stand-by mode. This vampire power collectively adds up to more than $10 billion in annual energy costs.

As Halloween approaches, Duke Energy offers the following tips to combat energy vampires:

* Wait until nightfall, then turn off the lights in your home and look for the eyes that glow. The eerie stand-by lights on devices such as cable boxes, LCD televisions and cell phone chargers are tell-tale signs that you're falling victim to energy vampires. (Keep in mind that some devices may need to be on 24-7 in order to function as intended.)
* Unplug devices that are not in use, especially adapters for battery-powered devices that are already fully charged or not connected.
* Equip yourself with power strips or surge suppressors. Plugging appliances and other electronic equipment into these units make it easy to turn the power off with a single switch. (Surge suppressors will also protect your valuable electronics during storms.)
* Look for electronic devices and appliances with the Energy Star® label because they use less electricity when in use and during stand-by mode.

Duke Energy provides energy and cost-saving tips, videos and online tools on its Web site at http://www.duke-energy.com/. Additional information is also available on the U.S. Department of Energy Web site at http://www.energy.gov/energytips.htm.

— WebWireID106737 —

Off Limits Policies

To prevent this from happening off limits policies are created and agreed to by both parties. This assures that the headhunter will not attempt to recruit people from the client company during the course of the assignment and for a designated period after the assignment is finished. There is no doubt that these off limits policies are required and should be respected.

The Challenge

The challenges become how these off limits policies are enforced and how they impact the headhunter's ability to serve its new client. As a result, before a company selects a headhunter, it should ask the firm about its off limits policy, including questions about how long the off limits policy lasts and if it effects the entire company or only a division or geographical area.

The new client must also consider the impact of this off limits policy in relation to its search needs. Large executive search firms may have a few hundred (or even thousand) clients and if the firm has off limits agreements with most of these clients, will the firm really be able to provide a thorough, objective search of the marketplace?

Ironically, even one of the leaders of a large executive search firm admits: "The single biggest operational issue we have is the off limits issue, because it prevents us from going after a lot of the best and the brightest. The more business we get, the more talent is blocked for us. "

Forbes magazine in a recent article cautioned: "The largest recruitment firms are handicapped in doing the very job for which they are hired. "

What About Smaller Specialized Search Firms?

Off limits policies may also impact smaller executive search firms that specialize in a particular industry or functional area. These firms often have so many clients in their particular discipline or practice area that they too are blocked from providing new clients with a thorough and objective search of the marketplace.

Conclusion

Since most companies do not make key management level or one-of-a-kind hires frequently, it is that much more important to make sure their headhunter, recruiter or executive search firm is able to perform an objective and thorough search of the marketplace. Companies should not have limited options because the headhunter cannot approach one or more target companies in the marketplace.

About the Author

Carl Taylor is the president of Carl J. Taylor & Co., an executive search firm based in Dallas. For over 20 years, the firm has successfully completed challenging search assignments for clients of all sizes in Texas and around the country. For more information about this or other executive search related topics, please call Carl Taylor at (972) 490-7697 or email him at ctaylor@carltaylorco.com. The company website is www.carltaylorco.com.

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Lincs will be situated eight kilometres off the coast of Skegness next to Centrica's existing wind farm developments at Lynn and Inner Dowsing and will comprise of 75 3.6MW Siemens turbines. Investment in this project is expected to total approximately £725 million and the wind farm should start generating power towards the end of 2012. When Lincs is completed, Centrica will have equity interests in operating renewable energy projects with an installed capacity of 650MW.

Under current UK Government proposals, Lincs will attract two Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) for every megawatt hour (MWh) produced, following the UK Government's decision in April to enhance the level of support provided for new offshore wind projects.

Centrica also announced that it has agreed the sale of a 50 per cent equity stake in its Lynn, Inner Dowsing and Glens of Foudland wind farms to the US-based investment management company TCW for a cash consideration of £84 million, and entered into agreements to raise approximately £340 million of non-recourse project finance facilities from a consortium of banks for these assets. The transactions value the wind farms at approximately £460 million in aggregate. Profit on disposal of this 50 per cent equity stake will be around £50 million. Reported operating profit in the year ended 31 December 2008 from these wind assets was £17 million, however, the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms were not fully commissioned until December 2008.

Centrica is also entering into a joint venture agreement with TCW to govern their ongoing relationship as co-owners of the Lynn, Inner Dowsing and Glens of Foudland wind farms. The agreement contains customary rights for each party to acquire the other party's shares in the joint venture company at fair market value following a material default by, or on the insolvency of, the other party.

Through its subsidiary British Gas Trading Ltd, Centrica will also enter into a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to off-take all the electricity production together with 50 per cent of the ROCs generated by the three refinanced wind farms.

Financial close on the non-recourse project finance facilities is expected to occur in November 2009 and the equity sale is expected to close before year end, conditional on receipt of European Community Merger Regulation (ECMR) approvals.

Sam Laidlaw, Chief Executive of Centrica, said: "Our decision to build Lincs illustrates our continued commitment to develop renewable generation and confirms our position as one of the UK leaders in green energy. The Government's enhanced financial framework for offshore wind has been fundamental in improving the overall project economics of this development.

'The refinancing and equity sale of part of our existing wind portfolio underlines the quality of the operational assets and creates a structure for recycling Centrica's capital and mobilising third party funds efficiently. This is a milestone in our renewables strategy and we look forward to working together with TCW who bring significant global expertise in energy investments.'

Notes to Editors

1. Lincs wind farm will be capable of generating electricity for around 200,000 British Gas customers. Centrica has also submitted planning consent applications for the Docking Shoal wind farm (540MW, submitted in December 2008) and the Race Bank wind farm (640MW, submitted in January 2009), both situated in the Greater Wash area.
2. Lincs has planning consent for 250MW with a proposed additional 20MW to be constructed in the footprint of the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm development but connected to the Lincs transmission.
3. The wind farms included in the refinancing are currently wholly owned by Centrica: the Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms (each with 97 MW installed capacity with combined maximum grid export capacity of 180 MW) and the Glens of Foudland onshore wind farm (26 MW). These wind farms are owned by Centrica's subsidiary GLID Wind Farms Topco Ltd.
4. TCW is a subsidiary of Société Générale Asset Management, which has approximately $400 billion under management. TCW is making the investment in GLID Wind Farms Topco Ltd through two of the investment funds it manages: the US$2.6 billion TCW Energy Fund XIV and the €354 million TCW European Clean Energy Fund.
5. The following lenders form the consortium of banks providing debt finance to GLID Wind Farms Topco Ltd; Bank of Ireland, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Bayern LB, BBVA, BNP Paribas Fortis, Calyon, Dexia, HSBC Bank plc, KfW IPEX Bank, Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, National Australia Bank, NIBC Bank N.V., RaboBank, Santander
6. Lincs is expected to be a transitional project for OFTO purposes, which means that the offshore transmission assets for this project will be built by Centrica and their cost will be recovered post construction through an auction process. Centrica expects the costs related to these assets to amount to approximately £230 million, in addition to its own investment of approximately £725m in the wind farm itself. The Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms are not subject to the Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) regime.
7. Centrica was advised by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited in respect of the refinancing of the Lynn, Inner Dowsing and Glens of Foudland wind farms and the sale of an equity interest in GLID Wind Farms Topco Ltd. Slaughter & May provided legal advice to Centrica. Linklaters provided legal advice to the consortium of banks.

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