Jeroen van der Veer, CEO of Royal Dutch/

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS: Jeroen van der Veer, CEO of Royal Dutch/Shell arrives for the presentation of the results over the fourth quarter and the full year of 2004 at the headquarters of the Dutch/British oil multinational in The Hague, Thursday 3 February 2005. Energy giant Royal Dutch/Shell, reported a 48-percent annual net profit rise to 18.536 billion dollars (14.233 billion euros) from the equivalent figure in 2003. But Shell's share price dropped 1.51 percent to 472.75 pence because investors were disappointed that the group had again been forced to revise downwards its oil and gas reserves, this time by 1.4 billion barrels. AFP PHOTO ANP/PHOTO/KOEN SUYK (Photo credit should read KOEN SUYK/AFP via Getty Images)