For the fourth quarter it expects profits of $1.6bn to $1.9bn, less than half the $4.2bn it made a year ago.
It expects full year profits of $10.4bn to $10.7bn, below its $10.8bn guidance.
The oil firm has issued the preliminary results to enable investors to have up-to-date information on its performance ahead of the vote on 27 January.
Its shares fell 3.7% in early trading.
But chief executive Ben van Beurden said he was "pleased" with the results.
"The
completion of the BG transaction, which we are expecting in a matter of
weeks, will mark the start of a new chapter in Shell, to rejuvenate the
company, and improve shareholder returns," he added.
Royal Dutch Shell's
results are calculated on the basis of replacement cost, which reflects
the current cost of supplies and is widely seen as the best measure of
an oil firm's underlying performance.
