Having turned round its North American shale business, Royal Dutch Shell is putting so-called unconventional energy at the heart of its growth plans, and believes lessons from the revamp can be applied across the company. Greg Guidry, head of the Anglo-Dutch group’s unconventionals business, told Reuters a drive to slash costs and streamline decision-making had put his division largely on a par with leading rivals in terms of productivity and efficiency. And now the rest of Shell could reap the benefits too. “The executive committee charged us to be a catalyst for change within the broader Shell,” Guidry said in an interview. He also said Shell planned to make small acquisitions near its existing North American shale areas, notably from producers struggling in the current industry downturn, […]