UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

Report of Foreign Issuer Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the month of July 2005

 

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N.V. Koninklijke Nederlandsche Petroleum Maatschappij

Royal Dutch Petroleum Company

 

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART INTO ITALY OR JAPAN

19 July 2005

Joint Announcement by Royal Dutch Shell plc ('Royal Dutch Shell'), N.V. Koninklijke Nederlandsche Petroleum Maatschappij ('Royal Dutch') and The "Shell" Transport and Trading Company, p.l.c. ('Shell Transport')

Scheme of Arrangement sanctioned

Royal Dutch Shell announced this morning that the public exchange offer for all ordinary shares of Royal Dutch (the ‘Royal Dutch Offer’) had become unconditional subject to court sanction of the Shell Transport scheme of arrangement and registration of the court order by the Registrar of Companies in England and Wales (the ‘Scheme Condition’). Shell Transport is pleased to announce that, at a hearing held today, the High Court sanctioned the scheme of arrangement.

It is expected that the unification transaction will become effective before 8:00 a.m. (London time) tomorrow, 20 July 2005, following registration of the Order of the High Court by the Registrar of Companies. Trading in Royal Dutch Shell shares will commence on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam and trading in Royal Dutch Shell ADRs will commence on the New York Stock Exchange as markets open on 20 July 2005.

Enquiries:

Media

Private Investor Call Centres

US Call Centres:

Holders of Royal Dutch New York Registered Shares: Within the US call toll free (877) 278 4235, outside of the US call +1 212 440 9800 Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m., New York time

Holders of Shell Transport ADRs: Within the US call toll free (877) 278 6357, outside of the US call +1 212 440 9800 Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m., New York time

Legal notices

Holders of ordinary shares of Royal Dutch are urged to carefully review the registration statement on Form F-4 (including the prospectus) and other documents relating to the Royal Dutch Offer that have been filed with, or furnished to, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') by Royal Dutch Shell and the related solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 that has been filed with the SEC by Royal Dutch and, as the case may be, the Royal Dutch Offer document and the prospectus which have been filed with, or furnished to, Euronext Amsterdam N.V. and the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets by Royal Dutch Shell, regarding the Royal Dutch Offer, because each of these documents will contain important information relating to the Royal Dutch Offer. A free copy of any of these do cuments filed with the SEC (once filed) and other documents made public or filed with, or furnished to, the SEC by Royal Dutch Shell, Royal Dutch and Shell Transport can be obtained at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These documents may also be obtained, free of charge at the Royal Dutch Shell website at www.shell.com/unification or free of charge by contacting Investor Relations, Shell International B.V., FSK, PO Box 162, 2501 AN The Hague, The Netherlands.

The Royal Dutch Offer and the Shell Transport scheme of arrangement (the ‘Scheme’) are not being and will not be made, directly or indirectly, in or into or by the use of the mails or any other means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, telex, telephone or internet) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or any such facilities of a national securities exchange of, Japan, and are not and will not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facilities from or within Japan. The Royal Dutch Offer and the Scheme are not being made to residents of Japan or in Japan. This announcement and other documents related to the transaction must not be electronically provided to, nor accessed by, residents of Japan or persons who are in Japan. Copies of this ann ouncement and any other documents related to the transaction are not being, and must not be, mailed or otherwise distributed or sent to any person or company in or from Japan. Persons receiving this announcement (including custodians, nominees and trustees) or other documents related to the transaction must not distribute or send them to any person or company in or from Japan.

The Royal Dutch Offer and the Scheme have not been notified to the Commissione Nazionale per le Societàe la Borsa pursuant to applicable Italian securities laws and implementing regulations. Absent such notification, no public offer can be carried out in the Republic of Italy. Consequently, this announcement and other documents relating to the transaction have not been, and cannot be, disclosed to any Italian residents or person or entity in the Republic of Italy and no other form of solicitation has been and can be, carried out in the Republic of Italy. This announcement and any document relating to the transaction may not be mailed, distributed, disseminated or otherwise disclosed to any Italian residents or persons or entities in the Republic of Italy.

The Royal Dutch Offer is not to be made in New Zealand and may not be accepted by persons in New Zealand except as set out below. No prospectus has been registered with the New Zealand Registrar of Companies in accordance with the Securities Act 1978 (New Zealand) (the 'New Zealand Securities Act'). Accordingly, neither the Royal Dutch Offer documents nor any other offering materials or advertisement in relation to the Royal Dutch Offer may be received by a person in New Zealand nor may Royal Dutch Shell shares be offered directly or indirectly in New Zealand except in circumstances where there is no contravention of the New Zealand Securities Act (or any statutory modification or re-enactment of, or statutory substitution for, the New Zealand Securities Act).

The distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than The Netherlands, England or the US may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdiction. Interested persons should inform themselves about and observe all applicable requirements. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

All investment is subject to risk. The value of the Royal Dutch Shell shares may go down as well as up. Past performance is no guarantee for future returns. Investors are advised to seek expert financial advice before making any decisions as regards the proposals, including the Royal Dutch Offer referred to in this announcement.

 

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SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrants have duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorised.

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL plc		ROYAL DUTCH PETROLEUM COMPANY
(Registrant)		(Registrant)
Chief Executive (J. van der Veer)		President/Managing Director (J. van der Veer)
Company Secretary (M.C.M. Brandjes)		Company Secretary (M.C.M. Brandjes)
THE "SHELL" TRANSPORT AND TRADING COMPANY, PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
(Registrant)
Assistant Company Secretary (M. Edwards)
Date: 19 July 2005