The Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F (this Report) serves as the Annual Report and Accounts in accordance with UK requirements and as the Annual Report on Form 20-F as filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the year ended December 31, 2018, for Royal Dutch Shell plc (the Company) and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as Shell). This Report presents the Consolidated Financial Statements of Shell (pages 167-214), the Parent Company Financial Statements of Shell (pages 237-246) and the Financial Statements of the Royal Dutch Shell Dividend Access Trust (pages 251-255). Except for these Financial Statements, the numbers presented throughout this Report may not sum precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures, due to rounding. Cross references to Form 20-F
are set out on pages 02-03 of this Report.
Financial reporting terms used in this Report are in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The Consolidated Financial Statements comprise the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries. “Subsidiaries” and “Shell subsidiaries” refer to those entities over which the Company has control, either directly or indirectly. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as “joint ventures” and “joint operations”, respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as “associates”. “Joint ventures” and “joint operations” are collectively referred to as “joint arrangements”.
This Report contains certain following forward-looking Non-GAAP measures such as free cash flow, capital investment and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking Non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures, because certain information needed to reconcile those Non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of the company, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Royal Dutch Shell plc’s financial statements. All outlooks on financial metrics and/or alternative performance measures exclude the effect of the implementation of IFRS 16 Leases, which will take place effective as of January 1, 2019.
In addition to the term “Shell”, in this Report “Shell Group”, “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to the Company and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement. The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly or indirectly own investments are separate legal entities. Shell subsidiaries’ data include their interests in joint operations.
