Energy Blast – Dec 20, 2011

Rescuers are pessimistic on the prospects of finding any further survivors from the Kolskaya oil rig which sank in the Okhotsk sea over the weekend.  Investigators are trying to uncover the cause of the accident, as the 14 confirmed dead are mourned.  Will a Ukraine-Russia partnership take care of Ukraine’s gas pipeline infrastructure in return for cheaper prices?  Reports from Ukraine indicate that it will reach a new gas accord with Russia in a few days, despite earlier negative outlooks on the matter from Russia.  EU jitters over the Yulia Tymoshenko case ‘could push Kiev back into Russia’s orbit’, warns the Washington Post.  Tatneft has denied yesterday’s reports that it had agreed to develop the Zagheh oil field in Iran.  TNK-BP has announced plans to triple investment for development of the Rospan Gasfield next year, and increase production fivefold.  Thousands of protesters gathered in Kazakhstan yesterday against what they call state-triggered violence against striking workers at the Karazhanbas oil deposit.  Total expects its onshore operations in Libya to resume this week.