sc14d1fza
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14D-1F/A
(AMENDMENT NO. 1)
TENDER OFFER STATEMENT PURSUANT TO RULE 14d-1(b) UNDER THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Shell Canada Limited
(Name of the Subject Company)
Canada
(Jurisdiction of Subject Companys Incorporation or Organization)
Royal Dutch Shell plc
Shell Investments Limited
(Bidders)
Common Shares
(Title of Class of Securities)
822567103
(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)
Michiel Brandjes
Company Secretary
Royal Dutch Shell plc
30, Carel van Bylandtaan
2596 HR The Hague
The Netherlands
+31 70 377 9111
(Name, Address, and Telephone Numbers of Person Authorized to Receive
Notices and Communications on Behalf of Person Filing Statement)
Copy to:
William P. Rogers, Jr., Esq.
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
CityPoint, One Ropemaker Street
London EC2Y 9HR
United Kingdom
+44 207 453 1000
February 8, 2007
(Date tender offer first publisehd, sent or given to security holders)
Calculation of Filing Fee*
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Transaction Valuation |
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Amount of Filing Fee |
$1,438,719,986*
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$287,744 |
* |
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For purposes of determining the filing fee pursuant to Rule 0-11(b)(1) under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the transaction value of the Shell Canada common shares to be
received by Royal Dutch Shell plc, assuming acceptance of the Offer by all holders of Shell Canada
Limited common shares and options in the United States, is calculated as follows: multiplying (x)
38,016,118, the number of shares of Shell Canada Limited held by shareholders in the U.S. or
subject to options held by persons in the U.S., by (y) CAD $45.00, the price to be paid for the
shares held by such shareholders, and (z) applying an exchange rate of $0.8410 USD$/CAD$, the
Federal Reserve Bank of New Yorks noon buying rate for Canadian dollars on February 6, 2007. |
þ Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the
filing with which the offsetting fee was previously paid. Identify the previous filing by
registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
Amount previously paid: $287,744
Form or registration no.: Schedule 13E-3
Filing Party: Royal Dutch Shell plc
Date Filed: February 8, 2007
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE SENT TO SHAREHOLDERS
Item 1. Home Jurisdiction Documents
(a) Offer and Circular dated as of February 8, 2007 including the Letter of Transmittal and
Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. (1)
(b) Directors Circular dated as of February 8, 2007.(1)
(c) Offer and Circular Supplement dated as of March 5, 2007.
(d) Directors Circular Supplement dated as of March 5, 2007.
Item 2. Informational Legends.
(a) See page 1 of the Offer and Circular dated as of February 8, 2007.(1)
(b) See page 3 of the Offer and Circular Supplement dated as of March 5, 2007.
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(1) |
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Previously filed with Bidders Schedule 14 D1-F filed on February 8, 2007 (File No.
005-50218) |
This Supplement to the Offer
to Purchase disclosure document dated February 8, 2007 is
being made available to shareholders of Shell Canada Limited in
compliance with applicable U.S. securities laws.
Neither the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission nor any securities commission of any state
of the United States of America or any province or territory of
Canada has approved or disapproved of this transaction or passed
upon the merits or fairness of this transaction or upon the
adequacy or accuracy of the information contained in this
document. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
March 5, 2007
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
SHELL
INVESTMENTS LIMITED
a wholly-owned
indirect subsidiary of
ROYAL
DUTCH SHELL plc
OFFER
TO PURCHASE FOR CASH
all of the Common
Shares
of
SHELL
CANADA LIMITED
not already held
by Shell Investments Limited or its affiliates
at a price
of
Cdn. $45.00 per
Common Share in Cash
The offer (the Offer) by Shell Investments Limited
(the Offeror), a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of
Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS) (which, for
purposes of the U.S. securities Laws, is also a
bidder), to purchase all of the issued and
outstanding common shares (the Common Shares) in the
capital of Shell Canada Limited (Shell Canada),
including all Common Shares which may become outstanding on or
after the date of this Offer and prior to the Expiry Time (as
defined below) upon the exercise of Options (as hereinafter
defined) or other rights to acquire Common Shares, but excluding
Common Shares already held by the Offeror or its affiliates,
will be open for acceptance until 8:00 p.m. (Toronto
time), on March 16, 2007, unless the Offer is extended or
withdrawn by the Offeror (the Expiry Time). The
Offeror, together with its affiliates, holds as of the date
hereof 643,308,858 Common Shares, representing
approximately 78% of the currently issued and outstanding
Common Shares.
The board of directors of Shell Canada (the Board of
Directors), on the recommendation of a committee of
independent directors of Shell Canada (the Special
Committee), has concluded that the Offer is fair to
holders of Common Shares other than the Offeror or its
affiliates (Shareholders). The Board of Directors
recommends that Shareholders accept the Offer and tender their
Common Shares pursuant to the terms of this Offer. CIBC World
Markets Inc., the independent valuator and financial advisor to
the Special Committee, has provided an opinion to the Special
Committee that the consideration under the Offer is fair, from a
financial point of view, to Shareholders. The Board of Directors
has informed the Offeror that the directors of Shell Canada
intend to deposit pursuant to the terms of this Offer any
outstanding Common Shares owned by them before the Expiry Time.
For further information, see the accompanying Directors
Circular.
For a discussion of important factors of the Offer, please
see Special Factors starting on page 4.
Questions and requests for assistance may be directed to CIBC
Mellon Trust Company (the Depositary), to
Morgan Stanley Canada Limited or Scotia Capital Inc. (together,
the Dealer Managers), or to Kingsdale Shareholder
Services Inc. (the Information Agent). Additional
copies of this document, the Letter of Transmittal and the
Notice of Guaranteed Delivery may also be obtained without
charge from the Dealer Managers, the Information Agent, or the
Depositary at their respective addresses shown below.
The Dealer Managers for the Offer are:
Morgan Stanley Canada Limited
Suite 3700, 181 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5J 2T3
Telephone:
(416) 943-8400
Facsimile:
(416) 943-8320
For further information contact:
Matthew Hind
- and -
Scotia Capital Inc.
Suite 1800, Scotia Centre
700
2nd
Street S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 2W1
Telephone:
(403) 213-7777
Facsimile:
(403) 298-4099
For further information contact:
David Baboneau
The Information Agent for the Offer is:
Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc.
The Exchange Tower
130 King Street West, Suite 2950
P.O. Box 361, Toronto, Ontario
Shareholders Call Toll Free: (866) 851-4179 (English and French)
Banks and Brokers Call Collect: (416) 867-2272
E-mail: contactus@kingsdaleshareholder.com
The Depositary for the Offer is:
CIBC Mellon Trust Company
199 Bay Street
Commerce Court West
Securities Level
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5L 1G9
or
600 The Dome Tower
333
7th
Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 2Z1
For Information Call:
Telephone: (416) 643-5500
Toll Free: (800) 387-0825
E-mail: inquiries@cibcmellon.com
2
NOTICE TO
SHAREHOLDERS IN THE UNITED STATES
The Offer is made for the securities of a Canadian issuer and
while the Offer is subject to applicable disclosure requirements
in Canada, Shareholders should be aware that such requirements
are different from those in the United States. Financial
information regarding Shell Canada included or referred to
herein has been derived from publicly available financial
statements which have been prepared in accordance with Canadian
generally accepted accounting principles and thus may not be
comparable to financial statements of United States
companies.
The enforcement by Shareholders of civil liabilities under
United States federal securities Laws may be affected adversely
by the fact that the Offeror is incorporated under the Laws of
Canada and RDS is incorporated under the laws of England and
Wales and that some or all of their respective officers and
directors are resident outside the United States, that certain
of the Dealer Managers, the Information Agent and the Depositary
and most of the experts named in the Circular are residents of
Canada, and that all or a substantial portion of the assets of
the Offeror, RDS and said Persons may be located outside the
United States. The enforcement by Shareholders of civil
liabilities under United States federal securities Laws may also
be affected adversely by the fact that Shell Canada is
incorporated under the Laws of Canada, that some or all of its
directors are residents of Canada and that all or a substantial
portion of the assets of Shell Canada and said Persons may be
located outside the United States.
Shareholders should be aware that the Offeror, RDS or their
respective affiliates, directly or indirectly, may bid for or
make purchases of Common Shares, or of any related securities of
Shell Canada, during the period of the Offer, as permitted by
applicable Canadian provincial or territorial Laws. See
Section 12 of the Offer, Market Purchases.
Shareholders in the United States should be aware that the
disposition of Common Shares by them pursuant to the Offer may
have tax consequences both in Canada and in the United States.
Such consequences may not be fully described herein and such
holders are urged to consult their tax advisors. See
Section 18 of the Circular, Certain Canadian Federal
Income Tax Considerations and Section 19 of the
Circular, Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax
Considerations.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
The Offer and Circular Supplement contains forward-looking
statements concerning the financial condition, results of
operations and businesses of RDS, the Offeror and the Shell
Group. 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 managements current expectations,
assumptions and other factors 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 RDS, the Offeror or the Shell Group to market risks
and statements expressing managements 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 RDS, the Offeror and the Shell Group and
could cause those results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements included in the
Offer and Circular Supplement, including (without limitation):
(a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas;
(b) changes in demand for the Shell Groups products;
(c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production
results; (e) reserve estimates; (f) loss of market 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
3
recategorization of reserves; (k) economic and financial
market conditions in various countries and regions;
(l) political risks, project delay or advancement,
approvals and cost estimates; and (m) changes in trading
conditions. All forward-looking statements contained in the
Offer and Circular Supplement 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.
Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the
Offer and Circular Supplement. None of RDS, the Offeror, or any
member of the Shell Group undertakes any obligation publicly to
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 the Offer and Circular Supplement.
The following is a Supplement to the Offer to Purchase
disclosure document comprised of the Offer and the Circular,
dated February 8, 2007. This Supplement should be read in
conjunction with the Offer, the Circular, Shell Canadas
Directors Circular (the Directors
Circular), and the Supplement to the Directors
Circular. Shareholders are urged to read the Offer, the
Circular, the Directors Circular, the Supplement to the
Directors Circular and this Supplement to the Offer and
Circular in their entirety. Unless context requires otherwise,
capitalized terms used herein out not defined herein have the
respective meanings set out in the Offer and Circular.
I. THE
OFFER
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4.
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Conditions
to the Offer (Offer, page 14)
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The following will replace the second to last paragraph of
Section 4 of the Offer in its entirety:
The foregoing conditions are for the sole benefit of the
Offeror and may be asserted by the Offeror during the pendency
of the Offer in its sole discretion at any time. The Offeror may
waive any of the foregoing conditions in whole or in part at any
time and from time to time during the pendency of the Offer in
its sole discretion, without prejudice to any other rights which
the Offeror may have. Although RDS is deemed to be a bidder for
U.S. securities law purposes, it may not assert and/or waive any
of the foregoing conditions. The failure by the Offeror at any
time to exercise any of the foregoing rights will not be deemed
a waiver of any such right, the waiver of any such right with
respect to particular facts and other circumstances will not be
deemed a waiver with respect to any other facts and
circumstances, and each such right shall be deemed an ongoing
right that may be asserted at any time and from time to time by
the Offeror during the pendency of the Offer. If the Offeror
waives a material condition, it will extend the expiration date
of the Offer, if necessary, so that the Offer will remain open
for at least five days following the waiver (or longer if
required under applicable Canadian laws). All conditions to the
Offer, other than those involving the receipt of governmental
approvals, must be satisfied or waived prior to taking up,
purchasing or paying for the Common Shares.
II. SPECIAL
FACTORS
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7.
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Purpose
of, Alternatives to, Reasons for and Effects of the Offer and
Plans for Shell Canada Plans for Shell Canada and
Effects of the Offer (Circular, page 29)
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The first paragraph of Section 7 of the Circular is
substituted with the following in its entirety:
Upon completion of the Offer, and assuming the Offer
results in the Offeror acquiring all of the Common Shares, each
of the Offerors and RDSs interest in the earnings
and net book value of Shell Canada as of December 31, 2006,
would increase from approximately 78% to 100%, which, in each
case, represents an increase of $384 million and
$2,116 million, respectively. For reporting purposes under
IFRS and U.S. GAAP, RDS currently consolidates Shell Canada and
records a minority interest. Accordingly, the Offeror and its
shareholders will be the beneficiaries of any future increases
in the value of Shell Canada and will bear the entire risk of
all losses incurred in the operation of, and all decreases in
the value of, Shell Canada. Shareholders will no longer have an
4
equity interest in Shell Canada and will therefore cease to
benefit from, and bear any of the risks incident to, ownership
of an equity interest in Shell Canada.
The third paragraph of Section 7 of the Circular is
substituted with the following in its entirety:
If permitted by applicable Law, subsequent to the
completion of the Offer and any Compulsory Acquisition or
Subsequent Acquisition Transaction, the Offeror intends:
(i) to de-list the Common Shares from the TSX; (ii) to
cause Shell Canada to cease to be a reporting issuer
for purposes of relevant Canadian securities Laws; and
(iii) to terminate the registration of Shell Canada under
the U.S. Exchange Act such that Shell Canada will no longer be
subject to the periodic reporting obligations tender offer
regulations or securities ownership reporting obligation of the
U.S. Exchange Act, or otherwise be subject to the U.S. federal
securities Laws applicable to public companies. The effect of
these actions will be that Shell Canada will no longer be
required to file publicly, or provide to security holders or
others, financial information or timely disclosure with respect
to its business and affairs, Shell Canada, and that the
liquidity and market value of any remaining Common Shares held
by the public may be adversely affected. See Section 16 of
this Circular, Effect of the Offer on the Market for
Common Shares; Stock Exchange Listing; and Public Disclosure by
Shell Canada. Shell Canada, however, will remain part of
the RDS consolidated reporting group for U.S. Exchange Act
purposes. For a further discussion of the effects of the Offer,
please see Section 4 of this Circular, Background to
the Offer.
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11.
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Fairness
of the Proposed Transaction (Circular, page 31)
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Section 11 of the Circular is substituted in its entirety
with the following:
The boards of directors of the Offeror and RDS believe
that the Offer is fair to the unaffiliated Shareholders of Shell
Canada. In reaching this conclusion, the Offeror and RDS noted
the CIBC World Markets Valuation, the CIBC World
Markets Fairness Opinion delivered to the Special Committee of
the Board of Directors of Shell Canada, the recommendation of
the Board of Directors and the factors being considered by, and
the analyses and conclusions being made by, the Board of
Directors and have expressly adopted these factors, analyses and
conclusions, including the analyses and conclusions set forth in
the Directors Circular Supplement under
Recommendation of the Special Committee and the Board of
Directors. See also Section 6 of this Circular,
Reasons to Accept the Offer.
The transaction proposed herein does not require the approval of
unaffiliated security holders of Shell Canada. Except as
disclosed herein, none of RDS, the Offeror or Shell Canada is
aware of any firm offer by an unaffiliated third party during
the past two years with respect to a merger or consolidation of
Shell Canada, the sale or other transfer of all or any
substantial portion of the assets of Shell Canada, or a purchase
of securities of Shell Canada that would enable such person to
exercise control over Shell Canada.
III. THE
CIRCULAR
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30.
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Financial
Information (Circular, page 51)
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The information set forth in Section 30 of the Circular is
supplemented by the following:
The balance sheet information shown below as of
December 31, 2005 and as of December 31, 2006 and the
statement of operations data for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2005 and for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2006, which are set forth below, are derived
from the unaudited consolidated financial statements of Shell
Canada for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2006,
included in Shell Canadas Report on
Form 6-K
for the month of January 2007. All information is reported in
Canadian dollars.
5
Summary
Financial Information of Shell Canada
Limited(a)
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
(Canadian GAAP)
($
millions)
(unaudited)
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Dec. 31, 2005
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Dec. 31, 2006
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(restated)(b)
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Assets
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Current assets
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$
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2,912
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$
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3,929
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Non current assets
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14,644
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9,737
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Total assets
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17,556
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13,666
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Liabilities
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Current liabilities
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4,626
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2,996
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Noncurrent liabilities
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3,350
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2,471
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Total liabilities
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7,976
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5,467
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Shareholders
Equity
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Capital stock
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530
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524
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Retained earnings
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9,050
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7,675
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Total shareholders
equity
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9,580
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8,199
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Total liabilities and
shareholders equity
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17,556
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13,666
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Consolidated
Statement of Earnings and Retained Earnings
(Canadian GAAP)
($ millions,
except as noted)
(unaudited)
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Total Year
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2005
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2006
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(restated)(b)
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Total Revenues
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$
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14,806
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$
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14,394
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Total Expenses
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12,571
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11,627
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Earnings
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Earnings before income tax
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2,235
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2,767
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Total income tax
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497
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766
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Earnings
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1,738
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2,001
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Per common share (dollars)
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Earnings basic
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2.11
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2.43
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Earnings diluted
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2.09
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2.40
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Common shares outstanding
(millions weighted average)
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825
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825
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6
Earnings
and Total Comprehensive Income
(U.S. GAAP)
($ millions,
except as noted)
(unaudited)
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Year
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2005
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Canadian GAAP
earnings(b)
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$
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2,001
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GAAP Adjustments increase
(decrease):
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3
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U.S. GAAP earnings attributable
to common shareholders
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2,004
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Minimum liability adjustment net
of tax
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(82
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)
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Other comprehensive
income
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1,922
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Earnings
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Per common share (dollars)
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Earnings basic
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2.43
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Earnings diluted
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2.40
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(a)
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Shell Canada does not prepare U.S. GAAP reconciliations to its
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows or to its Consolidated
Balance Sheet based on the assessment that the differences are
immaterial.
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(b)
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Change in Accounting Policy: Shell Canada adopted Emerging
Issues Committee (EIC) Abstract 162 Stock Based
Compensation For Employees Eligible to Retire Before The Vesting
Date with prior period restatement as required. The EIC
mandates that employees who are eligible to retire at the grant
date, or will become eligible to retire during the vesting
period, should have their stock-based compensation awards
recognized at the earliest eligible retirement date.
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The impact of this change resulted
in a long-term incentive plan (LTIP) reduction in expense of
$10 million for the year ended December 31, 2006
(2005 $13 million increase in expense). These
changes also resulted in corresponding increases/decreases to
the Cash from Operating Activities section of the Consolidated
Statement of Cash Flows. Earnings per common share are increased
by 0.01 for the period ended December 31, 2006
(2005 0.01 decrease). On a diluted basis, earnings
per common share are increased by 0.02
(2005 0.01 decrease).
7
This Supplement to the Shell
Canada Limited Directors Circular dated February 8,
2007 is being made available to shareholders of Shell Canada
Limited in compliance with applicable U.S. securities
laws.
This Supplement to the Directors Circular, together
with the Supplement to the RDS Circular and related documents,
are being sent to both registered and non-registered owners of
Shares. If you are a non-registered owner and have received
these documents directly from RDS or Shell Canada, your name,
address and information about your holdings of Shares have been
obtained in accordance with applicable securities regulatory
requirements from the intermediary holding on your behalf.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE
SHELL CANADA LIMITED
DIRECTORS
CIRCULAR
relating to the Offer by
SHELL INVESTMENTS
LIMITED
a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL plc
to purchase all of the common shares of
SHELL CANADA LIMITED
not already held by Shell Investments Limited or its affiliates
for
CDN$45.00 IN CASH PER COMMON
SHARE
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SHELL
CANADA LIMITED HAS RECOMMENDED
THAT SHAREHOLDERS ACCEPT THE
OFFER AND TENDER THEIR
COMMON SHARES TO THE
OFFER.
March 5, 2007
NOTICE TO
UNITED STATES SECURITYHOLDERS
The Offer referred to herein is made for the securities of a
Canadian issuer and while the Offer and Directors Circular
are subject to Canadian disclosure requirements, Shareholders
should be aware that these requirements are different from those
of the United States. The enforcement by Shareholders of civil
liabilities under United States federal securities laws may be
adversely affected by the fact that Shell Canada is located in
Canada, a majority of its officers and directors are Canadian
residents and all or a substantial portion of the assets of
Shell Canada and said persons may be located outside of the
United States.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This Supplement to the Directors Circular contains or
references forward-looking statements by Shell
Canada that are based on expectations, estimates and projections
as of the date of this Supplement to the Directors
Circular. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words
such as anticipate, believe,
expect, plan, intend,
forecast, target, project or
similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding
an outlook.
This cautionary statement expressly qualifies the
forward-looking statements by Shell Canada contained or referred
to in this Supplement to the Directors Circular. Readers
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. Although Shell Canada believes that the expectations
represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable
based on the information available to it on the date of this
Supplement to the Directors Circular, there can be no
assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known
and unknown risks, and uncertainties that may cause Shell
Canadas actual performance or results to differ materially
from any estimates or projections of future performance or
results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, the risks of the oil and gas industry (including
operating conditions and costs), market competition, demand for
oil, gas and related products, disruptions in supply, project
start-up,
schedules and execution, market competition, labour
availability, material and equipment shortages, constraints on
infrastructure, the uncertainties involving the geology of oil
and gas deposits and resources and reserves estimates, including
the assumption that the quantities estimated can be found and
profitably produced in the future, the receipt of regulatory
approvals, stakeholder engagement, the fulfillment of Shell
Canadas sustainable development criteria, fluctuations in
oil and gas prices and foreign currency exchange rates, general
economic conditions, changes in law or government policy, and
other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Shell
Canada. These risks and uncertainties also include the risks
that the Offer will be unsuccessful for any reason and the
Offeror will not be able to obtain the required approvals or
clearances from regulatory authorities on a timely basis, if at
all, or will otherwise not complete the Offer.
The forward-looking statements contained in this Supplement to
the Directors Circular are made as of the date hereof and
Shell Canada does not undertake any obligation to update
publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements
contained or referenced in this Supplement to the
Directors Circular, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as required by
law.
The following is a Supplement to the Shell Canada Limited
Directors Circular dated February 8, 2007. This
Supplement should be read in conjunction with the RDS Circular,
the Supplement to the RDS Circular and the Directors
Circular. Shareholders are urged to read the RDS Circular, the
Supplement to the RDS Circular, the Directors Circular and
this Supplement in their entirety. Unless the context requires
otherwise, capitalized terms used herein but not defined herein
have the respective meanings set out in the Directors
Circular.
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I.
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Recommendation
of the Special Committee and the Board of Directors
(Directors Circular, page 6)
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This Section is supplemented by replacing the first paragraph
with the following:
The Special Committee has unanimously concluded that the
Offer is fair to Shareholders and unaffiliated Shareholders, and
has recommended that the Board of Directors recommend that
Shareholders accept the Offer and tender their Shares to the
Offer. The Board of Directors has unanimously concluded (subject
to the abstentions referred to below) that, based on the
recommendations of the Special Committee and the factors
referred to below, the Offer is fair to Shareholders, and that
the Offer is fair to unaffiliated Shareholders and recommends
that Shareholders accept the Offer and tender their Shares to
the Offer. The Board of Directors has approved the entering into
of the Support Agreement, which requires the making of the Offer
by the Offeror.
2
This Section is supplemented by replacing the third through
sixth paragraphs with the following:
The conclusions of the Special Committee and the Board of
Directors that the Offer is fair to Shareholders and
unaffiliated Shareholders, and the recommendations of each of
the Special Committee and the Board of Directors are based on
the following material substantive factors:
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the Offer Price is at the midpoint of the fair market value
range for the Shares of $42 to $48 per Share as determined by an
independent valuator, CIBC World Markets, in the Valuation (See
Valuation and Fairness Opinion below);
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the opinion of an independent valuator, CIBC World Markets,
that, as of January 22, 2007, the consideration to be
offered to Shareholders under the Offer is fair, from a
financial point of view, to Shareholders (See Valuation
and Fairness Opinion below);
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the Offer Price represents a substantial premium (of
approximately 37.2%) over the closing trading price of the
Shares on the TSX on October 20, 2006, the last trading day
immediately preceding the announcements by RDS and Shell Canada
of the Proposal, and a premium of 45.4% over the closing trading
price of the Shares on the TSX on September 22, 2006, the
trading day 30 calendar days prior to such announcement;
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the consideration offered under the Offer is cash, which
provides Shareholders who tender into the Offer an opportunity
to immediately realize value for their Shares, especially when
viewed against the risks inherent in any long term business plan
(including, in the case of Shell Canada, risks associated with
fluctuations in oil and gas prices, operating conditions and
costs, demand for oil and receipt of regulatory approvals);
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if the Offer is not successful, trading prices for the Shares on
the TSX may decline significantly;
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the fact that, given RDS shareholdings in Shell Canada,
there is no practical prospect of a competing offer for the
Shares by a third party;
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the active arms-length negotiations between the Special
Committee and RDS, which resulted in the Offer Price being
increased from $40.00 per Share to $45.00 per Share;
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the Offer in effect requires the approval of
unaffiliated Shareholders, either through their individual
tender to the Offer or by way of the majority of the minority
approval required for any Subsequent Acquisition Transaction (as
defined in the RDS Circular) (subject to exemptions available in
Rule 61-501
and
Regulation Q-27);
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in the event of a Subsequent Acquisition Transaction,
non-tendering Shareholders would likely have the right to apply
to a court for a determination of the fair value of their Shares;
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the Board of Directors considered and decided to support the
Offer by approving the Support Agreement and recommending that
Shareholders accept the Offer;
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other terms of the Support Agreement, including the limitations
on the ability of the Offeror to modify certain terms of the
Offer in a manner which is adverse to Shareholders, and the
right of Shell Canada to terminate the Support Agreement under
certain circumstances (See Support Agreement below);
and
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in the case of the Board of Directors, the Special Committee
process, including the retention of Ogilvy Renault LLP as
independent legal advisors and CIBC World Markets as independent
valuator and the recommendation of the Special Committee.
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The Special Committee and the Board of Directors also considered
that, if the Board of Directors did not agree to recommend the
Offer to Shareholders pursuant to the Support Agreement and RDS
or the Offeror decided not to make an offer to Shareholders,
Shareholders would not have the opportunity to consider a cash
offer at a premium to market. Further, if RDS or the Offeror
were to make an offer directly to Shareholders without the
recommendation of the Special Committee and the Board of
Directors, it may have been at a price less than the price
negotiated by the Special Committee.
3
The conclusions of the Special Committee and the Board of
Directors that the Offer is fair to Shareholders and
unaffiliated Shareholders, and the recommendations of each of
the Special Committee and the Board of Directors are based on
the following material procedural factors:
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the Special Committee was composed of independent directors who
were not officers of, nor affiliated with, the Offeror or RDS;
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the Special Committee members were adequately compensated for
their time and their compensation did not hinge on the decision
of the Special Committee;
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the Special Committee members will not benefit from the
successful completion of the Offer in a manner different from
any unaffiliated Shareholders;
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the mandate of the Special Committee included the authority to
negotiate with RDS the terms, conditions, structure and other
matters relating to the Proposal;
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the mandate of the Special Committee provided that the Special
Committee would act as the primary point of contact for Shell
Canada in respect of contacts made by RDS in connection with the
proposal;
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the Special Committee knew it had no obligation to recommend any
particular course of action or endorse any particular position
to the Board of Directors;
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the fact that the Special Committee retained and was advised by
Ogilvy Renault LLP as its independent legal advisors;
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the fact that the Special Committee retained and was advised by
CIBC World Markets as its independent valuator;
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the active arms-length negotiations between the Special
Committee and RDS, which resulted in the Offer Price being
increased from $40.00 per Share to $45.00 per Share;
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the opinion of an independent valuator, CIBC World Markets,
that, as of January 22, 2007, the consideration to be
offered to Shareholders under the Offer is fair, from a
financial point of view, to Shareholders (See Valuation
and Fairness Opinion below);
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the Offer Price is at the midpoint of the fair market value
range for the Shares of $42 to $48 per Share as determined by an
independent valuator, CIBC World Markets, in the Valuation (See
Valuation and Fairness Opinion below);
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the Offer in effect requires the approval of
unaffiliated Shareholders, either through their individual
tender to the Offer or by way of the majority of the minority
approval required for any Subsequent Acquisition Transaction
(subject to exemptions available in
Rule 61-501
and
Regulation Q-27);
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in the event of a Subsequent Acquisition Transaction,
non-tendering Shareholders would likely have the right to apply
to a court for a determination of the fair value of their
Shares; and
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the Board of Directors considered and decided to support the
Offer by approving the Support Agreement and recommending that
Shareholders accept the Offer.
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While the Special Committee and the Board of Directors believe
each of the factors set out above supported its decision to
recommend that Shareholders accept the Offer, the Special
Committee and the Board of Directors also recognize as an
adverse factor that if the Offer is successfully completed, it
will eliminate the opportunity for current Shareholders whose
Shares are acquired under the Offer to participate in the longer
term potential benefits of the business of Shell Canada to the
extent that those benefits exceed those potential benefits
reflected in the Offer Price. The Special Committee and the
Board of Directors also considered that Shareholders who do not
tender their Shares to the Offer will be able to continue to
participate in those longer term potential benefits of the
business of Shell Canada (subject to the ability of the Offeror
to acquire their Shares through a Compulsory Acquisition or a
Subsequent Acquisition Transaction, as defined in the RDS
Circular), but, if the Offer is completed, may, depending upon
the number of Shares acquired by the Offeror, encounter
increased illiquidity which could affect the market value of
their Shares. Furthermore, depending upon the number of Shares
purchased by the Offeror pursuant to the Offer, Shell Canada may
fail to continue to qualify for listing on the TSX (which could
further affect the liquidity and market value of the Shares held
by any Shareholder who
4
chose not to tender their Shares in the Offer) and may cease to
be subject to U.S. and Canadian reporting requirements, in which
case, Shell Canada may cease to regularly provide its
Shareholders with reports concerning its performance.
As described above, in assessing the fairness of the Offer, the
Special Committee and the Board of Directors considered the
current market price of the Shares and the historical market
prices of the Shares and compared them to the Offer Price. The
Special Committee and the Board of Directors considered the
valuation approach set out in the Valuation, in particular the
discounted cash flow (DCF) approach and the net
asset value approach set out therein which, based on the advice
of CIBC World Markets, the Special Committee and the Board of
Directors believe to be the most appropriate valuation
methodologies for the Shares. In particular, the Special
Committee and the Board of Directors considered CIBC World
Markets advice that the DCF analysis is the most broadly
used valuation methodology in the oil and gas industry and that
the DCF analysis reflects the growth prospects and risks
inherent in Shell Canadas operations by taking into
account the free cash flow operating capability of it assets.
The Special Committee and the Board of Directors believe, based
on CIBC World Markets advice, that the approach taken in
the Valuation in essence values the Shares on a going concern
basis. The Special Committee considered the use of other
possible approaches to valuation, such as a net book value
approach and a liquidation value approach, and concluded based
on the advice of CIBC World Markets that such approaches were
not as appropriate as those set forth in the Valuation. In
particular, the Special Committee did not consider liquidation
value to be relevant because such an analysis would assume the
liquidation of Shell Canada. As there are no plans to liquidate
Shell Canada, such an analysis would not be appropriate in the
circumstances.
The Special Committee and the Board of Directors are not aware
of any firm offers from an unaffiliated third party during the
past two years for: (i) the merger or consolidation of
Shell Canada with or into another company, (ii) the sale or
transfer of all or the substantial part of the assets of Shell
Canada, or (iii) a purchase of Shares that would enable the
holder to exercise control of Shell Canada and therefore did not
consider any such offers in assessing the fairness of the Offer.
As the Special Committee and the Board of Directors are not
aware of any prior valuations, as defined in the Rules, prepared
in respect of Shell Canada or the Shares during the last two
years, they did not consider any valuations other than the
Valuation in assessing the fairness of the Offer. A number of
shareholders provided to the Special Committee their views on
the value of the Offer, which the Special Committee considered
in the course of its deliberations as to the fairness of the
Offer.
The foregoing discussion of the factors reviewed by the Special
Committee and the Board of Directors is not intended to be
exhaustive. In view of the wide variety of factors considered in
connection with their evaluation of the Offer, the Special
Committee and the Board of Directors did not find it practicable
to, and therefore did not, quantify or assign relative weights
to specific factors or methodologies in reaching its conclusion.
In addition, individual members of the Special Committee and the
Board of Directors may have given different weights to different
factors.
5
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED TO BE SENT TO SHAREHOLDERS
The following documents are filed as exhibits to this Schedule:
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Exhibit |
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No. |
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Description |
A
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Audited consolidated financial
statements of Shell Canada for
the years ended December 31,
2005, 2004 and 2003, and the
related U.S. GAAP
reconciliation, incorporated
by reference to pages 62
through 82 of Exhibit 99.B and
pages 33 through 35 of Exhibit
99.A, respectively, of Shell
Canadas Annual Report on Form
40-F for the fiscal year ended
December 31,2005.(1) |
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B
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Unaudited consolidated
financial statements of Shell
Canada for the quarter and
year ended December 31, 2006,
incorporated by reference to
pages 24 through 38 of Exhibit
99.1 of Shell Canadas Report
on Form 6-K for the month of
January 2007, furnished to the
SEC on January 29, 2007. (1) |
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(1) Previously filed with Bidders Schedule 14 D1-F filed on February 8, 2007 (File No.
005-50218) |
PART III
UNDERTAKINGS AND CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS
Item 1. Undertakings.
(a) The bidder undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone,
representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish
promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to this
Schedule or to transactions in said securities.
(b) The bidder undertakes to disclose in the United States, on the same basis as
it is required to make such disclosure pursuant to applicable Canadian federal and/or
provincial or territorial law, regulations or policies, or otherwise discloses, information
regarding purchases of the issuers securities in connection with the exchange offer covered
by this Schedule. Such information shall be set forth in amendments to this Schedule.
Item 2. Consent to Service of Process
(a) The bidder has filed with the Commission a written irrevocable consent and
power of attorney on Form F-X.(1)
(b) Any change to the name or address of the agent for service of the Registrant
shall be communicated promptly to the Commission by amendment to Form F-X referencing the
file number of the Registrant.
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(1) Previously filed with Bidders Schedule 14 D1-F filed on February 8, 2007 (File No.
005-50218) |
PART IV
SIGNATURES
After due inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information
set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
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Date: March 5, 2007 |
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Royal Dutch Shell plc |
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By:
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/s/ Michiel Brandjes
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Name: Michiel Brandjes |
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Title: Secretary |
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Shell Investments Limited |
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By:
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/s/ Arnold MacBurnie
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Name: Arnold MacBurnie |
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Title: Chief Executive Officer |