FSU Energy articles from December 2000

FSU Energy archives from December 2000

Surgut changes allegiance.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 29, 2000... Surgutneftegaz is diverting crude exports from Novorossiysk to Germany, ostensibly on `economic' grounds Russian oil firm Surgutneftegaz has diverted substantial volumes of crude from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk to Germany. The...

All things to all men.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Vladimir Putin promised a break with Russia's recent past. A year on and the jury is still out on his performance It is almost exactly a year since Boris Yeltsin's surprise resignation propelled Vladimir Putin into power. Putin pledged to...

Yukos owners buy back shares.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 29, 2000... Core Yukos shareholders, including management and affiliated companies, last week bought back 19.7pc of the company's shares from London-based Standard Bank. The core shareholders now own 69pc of Yukos. Standard was one of a group of...

Transport ministry offers discounts.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 29, 2000... Russia's transport ministry approved a reduction in rail tariffs for crude and product exports on 19 December, and two days later issued additional discounts on specific routes. The decisions will offset some of the negative impact for...

Rosneft ejects SMNG shareholders.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Russia's state-owned Rosneft is pressuring minority shareholders in its subsidiary Sakhalinmorneftegaz (SMNG) to sell up. A company source tells Argus that Rosneft, which holds 51pc of SMNG, is in talks with the Depository Clearing Company,...

Russia increases export quota.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Russia's energy ministry has ruled that Russian oil firms will be able to export 15pc of fuel oil from 1 January 2001, with the rest delivered to the domestic market. At present, exports are officially restricted to 5pc of output, although...

VNG bankruptcy ends.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... The West Siberian arbitration court has ruled to end bankruptcy proceedings against Sidanco's 2.6mn t/yr (52,000 b/d) Varyeganneftegaz (VNG) production subsidiary. The decision will be challenged by VNG's major creditor, the Alliance...

Ventspils 2H Jan schedule '000t.(Statistical Data Included)
December 29, 2000... Date Supplier/exporter Volume 18-19 Tatneft/Suvar 70 20-21 Tatneft/Suvar 27 77 Total/Total 50 22-23 Sidanco/Sidanco 83 24-25 Lukoil/Lukoil 107 26-27 ...

Putin to sign Lukoil sale decree.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 29, 2000... Russian president Vladimir Putin is set to sign a decree to sell a 6pc state-owned stake of Lukoil on the New York Stock Exchange (FSUE, 1 December, p6). The sale will be carried out by an entity called the Project Privatisation Company...

Associated gas wrangle continues.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Russian Duma deputies have re-worked a controversial draft law on the use of associated gas, backed by Gazprom affiliate Sibur. But oil companies and energy firms remain opposed to the proposals on the grounds that they only serve the...

Russia & CIS.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Interros ups Rusia stake Vladimir Potanin's Interros has boosted its share in Rusia Petroleum, licence-holder for the 1.4 trillion [m.sup.3] Kovykta gas field in eastern Siberia, to just under 24pc. Interros, a leading Sidanco...

Caspian/central Asia.
December 29, 2000... Ramco finalises ACG sale UK independent Ramco has finalised the sale of its stake in Azerbaijan's giant Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) project for $150mn. Two AIOC members will split the 2.0825pc stake with US firm Amerada Hess, which had...

Hurricane plans big Kazakh investment.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 29, 2000... Canada's Hurricane Hydrocarbons plans to invest $180mn next year. Around half of this will be spent on new blocks in southern Kazakhstan, including Qyzylkia, Maibulak and Aryskum, which have estimated reserves of 125mn bl. The firm...

Export schedule transparency fears.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Crude exports from Russia to destinations outside the FSU have been scheduled at 26.3mn t (2.06mn b/d) for first-quarter 2001 (see pp14-15). But final approval of transit volumes for Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Belarus were...

Central/eastern Europe.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 29, 2000... Sibur takes Borsodchem stake Gazprom subsidiary Sibur has taken direct control of a 24.8pc stake in Hungarian petrochemical firm Borsodchem, acquired earlier this year by Gazprom affiliate Milford Holdings (FSUE, 22 September, p5)....

Estonian railway sold.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... The Rail Estonia consortium has won the tender for 66pc of Estonian Railways, which handles most oil shipments to Estonia. Rail Estonia, which offered 1,715bn kroons ($107.19mn) for the stake, comprises international consultants Kinsley Group...

Great expectations, little progress.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Foreign investors in Russia briefly abandoned the cynicism borne of bitter experience and held their breath in the hope of a production-sharing agreement (PSA) breakthrough. It never came. Meanwhile, changes in the political landscape led to...

PSA law: the breakthrough that never happened.
December 29, 2000... President Vladimir Putin made several calls for the finalisation of Russia's production-sharing agreement (PSA) framework, culminating in his appearance at the PSA 2000 conference in Sakhalin in September (FSUE, 8 September, p1). Here he...

Russian firms adjust to life under Putin.
December 29, 2000... High oil prices delivered a hamper of millennial cheer for Russian oil companies, providing bumper earnings and allowing them to boost production and allocate funds for upstream development. But the government was swift to claim its...

Caspian export puzzle remains unsolved.(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... In the first half of the year, Kazakh sources began speaking of a major discovery -- possibly as much as 30bn bl -- at the offshore Kashagan field, operated by the Offshore Kazakhstan International Operating Company (Okioc). But Okioc, which...

Shakh Deniz takes the lead in gas race to Turkey.(surrounding countries compete for Turkey's natural gas business)(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... In the race to supply Turkey's growing gas market, the BP-led group developing Azerbaijan's 700bn [m.sup.3] Shakh Deniz field appears to have taken the lead. It is rehabilitating a pipeline through Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey, and is...

Central/eastern Europe: revolution and consolidation.(oil sanctions have been lifted against Yugoslavia, and Russia's Lukoil is interersted in investments)(this and other items are discussed)(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Yugoslavia's revolution provided a dramatic backdrop to events in central and eastern Europe. The fall of Slobodan Milosevic prompted the EU to lift oil sanctions against Yugoslavia, opening up the prospect of foreign investment in the...

RTS claws back lost ground.(Russian Trading System; includes related stock price statistics)(Illustration)
December 29, 2000... STOCK MARKETS Russian share prices recovered slightly from last week's year-low, boosted by support from global markets. But traded volumes fell sharply as the Russian holiday season loomed closer. The Russian Trading System (RTS)...

Products market.(fuel oil oversupply in Russia)(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... No buyers for fuel oil * Colder weather and surging IPE futures allowed Russian gasoil prices to recover in northwest Europe. But fuel oil continued to tumble because of oversupply and a lack of demand. * Russian gasoil in northwest...

Crude market.(petroleum industry: Europe)(Brief Article)
December 29, 2000... Another good week for Urals * Outright prices fell in line with market perceptions of ample crude supply and a rebuilding of global stocks. European refining margins remained strong, while cold weather in northwest Europe and higher...

Russian 1Q oil exports.(price statistics)(Illustration)
December 29, 2000... Russia's crude export schedule outside the FSU, 1Q 2001 '000t Exporter Novorossiysk Tuapse (1) Total through Russia 8,240 1,440 Total Russia 7,005 ...

Netbacks.(petroleum industry: Russia)(Illustration)
December 29, 2000... [GRAPHS OMITTED] Russian crude netbacks 28 Dec Ventspils Butinge Urals (cif-fit) ($/bl) 21.50 21.50 Urals (cif-fit) ($/t) ...

Russia to resume Cuba oil swap.(oil for sugar)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Moscow and Havana are sweet-talking each other again. A revival of the oil-for-sugar deal looks likely Russia and Cuba are gearing up to revive their oil-for-sugar deal, following President Vladimir Putin's visit to Cuba last week. Putin also...

Terra incognita.(former Soviet Union)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... The new US president has a lot to learn if he is to broaden his narrow world view. Not least about the FSU The only certainty about George W Bush's foreign policy is that he will face a steep learning curve. His unfamiliarity with foreign...

Pipeline battle blocks Sakhalin I budget.(Russian oil project)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... The ExxonMobil-led Sakhalin I consortium has run into fresh trouble, this time in a wrangle with the island's authorities over the project's 2001 financing plan. A long-running dispute with the Russian authorities over export routes for the...

TotalFinaElf wants to lead Shtokman.(gas production consortium)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... TotalFinaElf wants to take a leading role in the 4 trillion [m.sup.3] Shtokman gas project in the Barents Sea. And the French firm is banking on state backing after Russian premier Mikhail Kasyanov signalled his support during an official...

Ukraine gas deal doubts remain.(new pact with Russia)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Russia and Ukraine were expected to finalise on 22 December a long-debated deal guaranteeing Russian gas transit and restructuring Ukraine's gas debts. The intergovernmental agreement will be signed during a visit by Ukrainian president...

Moscow delays 1Q export schedule.(crude oil)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... The Russian government's export commission last week rejected the proposed crude export schedule and domestic supply balance for the first quarter of 2001. The commission's chairman, deputy-premier Viktor Khristenko, has insisted on a more...

Government postpones tax crunch.(oil industry)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... Russian premier Mikhail Kasyanov has dismissed unpopular plans to end transfer pricing and to start auctioning capacity in export pipelines as premature. He has also ordered the government to draft a proposal on revision of oil industry...

Iran completes first phase of Caspian oil project.(pipeline)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... Iran has completed the first phase of the long-delayed Neka-Tehran pipeline project, designed to boost Caspian crude swap volumes. The news lends credibility to Tehran's attempts to promote itself as a transit route for rising crude output...

Nazarbayev tightens grip.(Nursultan Nazarbayev/ Kazakhstan oil)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2000... Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev is tightening his grip on the country's oil sector. Nazarbayev last week launched a government reshuffle, which insiders say is designed to put control of the country's crude production and exports...

Let's work together, Kukes tells rivals.(Simon Kukes, Russian oil firms)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Tyumen Oil Company (TNK) wants Russian oil companies to join forces to develop the far north region of Timan-Pechora, company president Simon Kukes told Argus in a recent interview. And the firm is still hoping to forge a partnership with BP...

Alfa-Eko reinforces upstream drive.(oil and gas project)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Influential Russian financial-industrial conglomerate Alfa Group appears to be contemplating formation of a new oil firm based around its Alfa-Eko trading arm. Observers suggest Alfa Group wants to secure crude supply for its trading unit to...

Russia & CIS.(Commonwealth of Independent States)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Kharyaga stake for sale Oil industry sources say far north oil firm Nenets Oil is planning to sell its 10pc stake in the TotalFinaElf-led Kharyaga project. TotalFinaElf, which financed Nenets Oil's participation in the 12,000 b/d...

Caspian/central Asia.(oil and gas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Majors cold-shoulder Baku-Ceyhan Fresh efforts to drum up support among western oil majors for the $2.4bn Baku-Ceyhan pipeline at recent presentations in Washington and Paris have had little impact. Azerbaijan and Turkey, backed by the...

Baltics.(Klapeida oil terminal tariffs)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Klaipeda introduces new tariff Lithuania's Klaipeda oil terminal will introduce a new tariff scale next month, with a basic handling charge of $6/t for oil products. Traders expect most discounts to be ended, with exceptions for Belarus'...

Central/eastern Europe.(oil and gas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Germany's Sunimex gets thumbs-up Hamburg-based crude trader Sunimex has received another boost from German buyers, as Russian oil companies finalise their export policies for next year. German buyers reiterated earlier this month their...

The decline continues.(Russia's oil and gas stocks)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Russian share prices crashed again, registering a fresh low for 2000. Analysts have now written the year off, and the approaching holidays have restricted traded volumes. The Russian Trading System (RTS) index closed at just over 135...

Yukos aims to change company culture.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... Yukos -- Russia's second-largest oil firm in terms of production -- is confident it can operate its upstream projects alone, boosting production by introducing new technologies and by changing company culture. In particular, it hopes to...

Company news.(various oil and gas companies)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... * Lukoil made a Rbs46.8bn ($1.7bn) net profit in January-September this year according to Russian accounting standards, up from Rbs 15.9bn a year ago. The company has pledged to present internationally approved results for 1998-1999 in 2001....

Crude keeps the pressure on.(prices)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... * Russian products could not escape the downward pull of crude. Warmer weather put further pressure on gasoil, while poor demand for alternative feedstocks and an oversupplied bunker pool sharply eroded prices for fuel oil. * As warm...

Kirkuk shortage shores up Urals.(petroleum prices)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 22, 2000... * Outright prices were largely unchanged, reflecting the new market perception that there is abundant crude supply. Further problems with Iraqi exports did nothing to strengthen prices. This kept European refining margins strong. * Sour...

Russian rail exports/imports, Nov 2000 '000t.(Illustration)
December 22, 2000... Crude '000 b/d % chg Oct Overland Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bulgaria Czech China 50.14 ...

Itera probe looms for Gazprom.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Gazprom's relationship with Itera will be investigated next year. It's up to the government now Gazprom's board has decided to postpone hearings on the Russian gas giant's relationship with trader Itera until the new year. But it has...

Better the devil you know.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Romania has restored its discredited ex-president to office. Desperate times require desperate measures To the outside world, Romania appears to have stepped backwards by returning former president Ion Iliescu to office. As president from...

Itera/Turkmenistan fail to agree.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Gas trader Itera and the Turkmen government failed this week to reach an agreement on supplies of Turkmen gas to Russia in 2001. Earlier, US-registered Itera had asked Turkmenistan to ship 30bn [m.sup.3] next year. The firm has close --...

Ruhrgas lifts Gazprom share to 5pc.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Germany's Ruhrgas has boosted its share in Gazprom from 4pc to 5pc, deputy chairman Burkhard Bergmann said in Moscow last week. The shares were bought in the domestic market by Gerosgaz, a joint venture uniting Gazprom export arm...

Moscow investment forum flops.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Russia's energy minister last week used a Moscow investment forum to urge the country's energy firms to boost oil and gas output, having apparently given up hope of attracting substantial inflows of foreign capital in the near future. But the...

Mazeikiu Nafta talks to suppliers.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... A delegation from Mazeikiu Nafta (MN) -- in which US firm Williams has a 33pc operating stake -- was in Moscow last week to promote the Lithuanian firm's Butinge terminal. Referring to EU plans to increase oil shipments from Russia, MN...

Lukoil in talks with Yugo oil firm.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Russian oil giant Lukoil is in talks with Yugoslavia's state-owned oil firm Nafta Industrija Srbije (NIS) on a possible acquisition of a controlling stake in the firm. A Lukoil source says the company is considering Yugoslavia's proposal but...

Chevron looks to Sakhalin.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... US major Chevron is preparing to reassess its strategy in Russia in the light of its takeover of Texaco. It will be around a year before the takeover is finalised, but a Chevron source says Texaco's 33.3pc stake in the Sakhalin III project's...

Mitsubishi raises its Sakhalin stake.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Shell is to sell a 7.5pc stake in Sakhalin Energy, operator of the Sakhalin II production sharing agreement (PSA) project in Russia's far east, to Japan's Mitsubishi. The news follows completion of an exchange agreement signed earlier this...

Kazakhs tease pipeline partners.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Kazakhstan continues to keep its crude export options open, holding discussions with both the US and Iran about potential pipeline projects. At the same time, Tehran says it is ready to resume crude swaps with Kazakhstan (see box below). ...

Iran is ready to swap.(crude oil with Kazakhstan)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Iranian deputy foreign minister Sadegh Kharazzi says Iran is ready to resume crude swaps with Kazakhstan. This would involve moving Kazakh crude from Aktau to the newly built port at Amirabad in northern Iran, from where it can be shipped...

Kukes contract up for renewal.(Semyon Kukes at Tyumen Oil Co.)(Abstract)
December 15, 2000... The expiry of Tyumen Oil (TNK) president Semyon Kukes' employment contract in January could provoke conflict between TNK shareholders Alfa Group and Access/Renova Industries. Normally, renewal of the contract would be a routine matter,...

In brief.
December 15, 2000... Russia & CIS Government hikes export taxes The Russian government tariffs commission ruled on 9 December to increase the crude export tax to 48/t [European Dollar] ($5.80/bl) from 34/t [European Dollar]. The tax was automatically...

RTS fails to break free.(Russian trading system)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Russian shares roller coastered over the course of their four-day week, tracking global markets. Shares fell sharply on 7 December, prompted by a sharp fall on Turkish markets as a result of that country's financial crisis. But the...

Lukoil gets its US foothold.(Getty Petroleum Marketing Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Russian oil giant Lukoil this week won control of US retailer Getty Petroleum Marketing, beating off a hostile bid by United Refining (FSUE, 17 November, p8). Lukoil becomes the first Russian company to own a public US firm. Lukoil will...

Company news.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... * Yukos plans to increase capex on oil production next year to $800mn, from $650-700mn this year. Yukos also plans to invest $200mn in upstream servicing in 2001. For this, Yukos has created Sibir Service Firm and transformed it into a...

Poland awaits bids.(on Gdansk refinery)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Poland expects to receive bids for its 90,000 b/d Gdansk refinery by 21 December. Thirteen firms have expressed interest in a 75pc stake in the state-owned plant, which the government hopes to finalise in the first half of next year. A...

Products market.(petroleum prices)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Products follow crude lower * Another slump in crude futures undermined Russian product prices. Gasoil was hit hard as the IPE contract shed another $15/t. Fuel oil also came under pressure, although straight-run losses were limited by...

Crude market.(crude petroleum)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2000... Iraqi exports compound price slide * The resumption of Iraqi crude exports on 13 December removed a further prop from outright crude prices, which had been falling since the start of the month. This coincided with a changing perception of...

Netbacks.(crude petroleum)(Statistical Data Included)
December 15, 2000... Russian crude netbacks 13 Dec Ventspils Butinge Urals (cif-fit)($/bl) 24.69 24.69 Urals (cif-fit) ($/t) 180.24...

Riga challenges Baltic neighbours.
December 15, 2000... The Latvian port of Riga is overshadowed by its larger neighbour Ventspils, but it has developed it own niche in FSU oil products transit. And it hopes to lure volumes away from Ventspils by offering lower rail tariffs because it is closer to...

Gref treats Gazprom with caution.(governmental restructuring of gas industry's Gazprom Russian Joint Stock Company)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... The government has toned down its Gazprom restructuring plans. But there is no guarantee they will stick Russia's influential trade and economic development minister German Gref has formulated new plans for restructuring Gazprom. But the...

Deeds, not words.(effects of political instability and corruption on foreign investments in Kazakhstan)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... Kazakhstan is at pains to stress its investor-friendliness. But lately the gloss on its image has worn thin Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev is a pragmatic leader, who has long recognised that stability and economic success for the...

Oil bosses clash with Kudrin over transfer pricing.(protests over oil industry regulations proposed by Russia's Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... Senior officials from Russia's top oil companies met last week with deputy premier and finance minister Alexei Kudrin to protest at plans to tighten the financial screws on the oil sector. The main topic of discussion was Kudrin's...

Wintershall proceeds without PSA.(gas and oil exploration by German corporate entity in Russia without production-sharing agreement with Government)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... German energy firm Wintershall, a subsidiary of BASF, will begin developing Russia's offshore Prirazlomnoye field in the far north without a production-sharing agreement (PSA). The firm appears to be banking on good relations with Gazprom and...

TotalFinaElf enters Siberia.(possible involvement of TOTAL FINA Societe Anonyme in gas exploration project)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... France's TotalFinaElf is mulling involvement in western Siberia and is examining Rosneft's Komsomolskoye, Severo-Komsomolskoye and Kharampurskoye oil and gas fields. All three are on the list of sites eligible for development under...

New Kazakh crude hits Black Sea market.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 8, 2000... Aida Munai, which is developing the South Turay oil field in southern Kazakhstan, is sending its first 23,000t cargo of light crude to the Ukrainian port of Odessa. Previously, small volumes were sent to Novorossiysk. Trading sources say...

Higher rail tariffs will alter export flows.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 8, 2000... New rail tariffs from January 2001 will raise transport costs for crude and product exporters. Russian firms will absorb the rise through barter deals, but transit shipments are likely to suffer. Rail tariffs for distances of up to...

Sakha woos Surgutneftegaz.(for the exploration and development of its oil fields)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... The Sakha-Yakutia region in eastern Siberia is seeking closer ties with one of Russia's most powerful oil firms, Surgutneftegaz. Having signed a cooperation agreement with Surgutneftegaz last year, regional oil firm Sakhaneftegaz wants to...

Tyumen gripped by election fever.(elections for the governor of the oil-rich Tyumen)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... Russia's oil giants are grappling with the problem of whom to support for governor of the oil-rich Tyumen region on 14 January. The issue has been complicated by conflicting signals from the Kremlin. Of the six candidates, only incumbent...

BP's Sakhalin appetite grows.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... BP has indicated to Rosneft that it could take part in both the Sakhalin 1 and Sakhalin IV projects. But the major wants to deal with Sakhalin I -- on which it has held preliminary talks with the state-owned Russian firm before proceeding...

CPC gets new director.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... Shareholders in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which is building a $2.5bn oil pipeline from Kazakhstan's Tengiz oil field to Novorossiysk, have appointed a new general-director. Sergei Gnatchenko. Gnatchenko is former head of the...

November crude exports soar.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 8, 2000... November exports to non-CIS destinations and Ukraine were 2.89mn b/d, up from 2.72mn b/d in October (see p16-17). Even allowing for exports of 194,000 b/d to Ukraine, this also represents a sharp increase on shipments of 2.21mn b/d --...

Russian product exports bounce back.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 8, 2000... Russian product exports rose by over 25pc on last month to almost 4mn t. Fuel oil shipments accounted for the bulk of the increase, but are still well below last year's levels thanks to Russia's 5pc-of-output export quota. Around...

Lithuania OKs new Klaipeda director.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... Donatas Kaubris was appointed as director of Lithuania's Klaipeda oil terminal on the Baltic Sea this week. The previous director was dismissed after shipments through the terminal plunged to 60,000t in October (FSUE, 27 October, p6). ...

Gazprom warns Europe.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2000... The EU is keen to extend and deepen energy links with Russia, in particular by increasing gas deliveries. Russia's Gazprom is willing to play ball, but only by its own rules, according to a board member from the gas giant. "The crucial...