Rosneft officer scoffs at BP’s link-up
A SENIOR executive at state oil company Rosneft , whose alliance with BP has a drawn a legal challenge from the BP’s co-investors in rival TNK-BP, scoffed at the prospect of TNK-BP as a potential partner.
“They have neither the technology, nor the experience, nor the personnel,” said Rosneft’s chief financial officer Peter O’Brien.
A London court on Tuesday blo cked the tie-up pending arbitration over a claim by the Russian consortium that owns half of TNK-BP that BP must pursue its business in Russia through the joint venture.
Mr O’Brien’s remarks were at odds with the conciliatory tone struck by BP chief executive Bob Dudley, over the court challenge.
Rosneft, the top oil company in Russia which is the world’s largest producer, won a deal to drill for oil in the Arctic Kara Sea with BP, which will also swap stakes with Rosneft to increase its holdings to nearly 11 per cent.