In 1979, Shell purchased Belridge Oil Company for $3.65 billion, which at the time was called the "biggest cash takeover in American history" by US government sources.

[7] In recent years, The Shell Oil Company's Midstream, and Downstream, in particular, have become limited to petroleum, and chemical products.

The companies have entered into a multi-year agreement, with the fuel received being distributed by Shell and subsidiaries across the country to accelerate decarbonization.

In the 1980s, Shell Oil's independence began to gradually erode as the "parent company" took a more hands-on approach to running the business.

[20] In January 2018, Royal Dutch Shell acquired a 44% interest in solar energy company Silicon Ranch, run by CEO Matt Kisber.

[29] Will Oremus from Slate magazine states, "The company's business depends on being able to anticipate and respond quickly to seismic shifts in the energy market.

In 2008, the company released a fresh pair of scenarios for how the world might respond to climate change over the coming decades.

A class action lawsuit was filed in 1995 against Shell Oil when the polybutylene pipes caused flooding in many households in the U.S. and Canada.

[31] The settlement required Shell Oil to pay for the re-installation of piping for millions of houses for claims filed through May 2009.

[32] About 6,000 Shell workers and contractors were instructed to attend a Donald Trump speech held on August 13, 2019, or take the day off without pay, losing about $700 from overtime and per diem.

Many of the union leaders present were not consulted before the event, and memos sent to contractor management forbade any protest.