To be effective, the Panel will need to work hard to gain the trust and respect of key stakeholder groups including local communities, state governments, the federal government, NGOs, Shell Nigeria itself, and hopefully as well the other oil and gas companies operating in the region.

FORBES: Shell's New Biodiversity Action in the Niger Delta

The Shell Oil hoax did not announce itself as a parody (though a discerning viewer could detect it), and so neglects the second standard.

CNN: Was the Shell oil hoax ethical?

In South Africa, which may have the largest shale-gas reserves on the continent, the shales in the Karoo basin have attracted the attention of Shell, which is increasingly billing itself as a gas-focused company.

ECONOMIST: Shale gas should make the world a cleaner, safer place