Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDS.A) subsidiary Shell Deutschland recently inked a deal to divest its non-operating 37.5% stake in Germany-based PCK Schwedt Refinery to Austria-based Alcmene GmbH (part of the Liwathon Group). The transaction is slated to close in the second half of this year upon fulfilling all the necessary conditions and pending approvals.The sale is part of Shell's target to shrink its worldwide refinery footprint to key locations connected to the company's trading centers, chemical facilities and marketing operations. Robin Mooldijk, EVP of manufacturing at Shell believes that “This is yet another milestone in our journey toward a reduced refining portfolio.” He further said that this transaction contributes to Shell's refining portfolio transition, which involves the construction of the high-value Energy & Chemicals Park Rheinland.The PCK refinery, located 120 kilometers to the northeast of Berlin, Germany, presently processes around 220,000 barrels of crude oil per day. PCK is handled autonomously. The other owners with pre-emption rights in the joint venture are Rosneft (54.17%) and Eni S.p.A. E (8.33%).Last year, management reported that five of Shell’s eleven refineries will be sold by 2025. So far it has secured buyers for its 70,000 barrel per day (bpd) worth Fredericia refinery in Denmark, besides its Puget Sound facility with 145,000 bpd capacity in Washington and 340,000-bpd Deer Park plant in Texas. On the flip side, failing to find a potential buyer for the company’s 240,000 bpd refinery in Convent, LA, the site was closed down in November.About ShellShell is one of the primary oil majors, which constitutes a group of U.S. and Europe-based energy giants with global operations. The company is fully integrated as it participates in every aspect related to energy from oil production to refining and marketing.Zacks Rank & Key PicksShell has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), currently. Some better-ranked players in the energy space are Matador Resources Company MTDR and Continental Resources, Inc. CLR, each presently flaunting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Bitcoin, Like the Internet Itself, Could Change Everything Blockchain and cryptocurrency has sparked one of the most exciting discussion topics of a generation. Some call it the “Internet of Money” and predict it could change the way money works forever. If true, it could do to banks what Netflix did to Blockbuster and Amazon did to Sears. Experts agree we’re still in the early stages of this technology, and as it grows, it will create several investing opportunities. Zacks’ has just revealed 3 companies that can help investors capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly. See 3 crypto-related stocks now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A): Free Stock Analysis Report Eni SpA (E): Free Stock Analysis Report Continental Resources, Inc. (CLR): Free Stock Analysis Report Matador Resources Company (MTDR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research