The Russian roulette: Rosneft, BP, and the unknowns of Russian politics

The Russian roulette: Rosneft, BP, and the unknowns of Russian politics

TNK-BP, the British giant’s 50% joint venture with a group of Russian oligarchs, was bringing in about quarter of the firm’s production, and a lot of its political problems. BP’s solution: swap its shares in TNK-BP for cash and a near 20% stake in Rosneft, Russian state-owned company run by Igor Sechin, one of Vladimir...