Energy Blast – April 15, 2011

BP has apparently made an offer to buy out the 50% stake held in TNK-BP by Alfa-Access-Renova for $27 billion – but AAR has rejected it. ‘AAR may not get a better opportunity to exit. No other investor is likely to want to participate in a business with such an unstable relationship between the two main shareholders.‘  New EU energy policies pose problems for Russia, particularly the provision that requires ‘unbundling‘, or separation of production and distribution.  President Dmitry Medvedev is talking about ‘peaceful nuclear energy taking into account the Japanese tragedy‘, in a bid to ensure that Russia’s atomic energy development can continue unhindered. ‘Catastrophes should not stop human progress, but they should be used to make proper conclusions.‘ Statoil, Total and Gazprom, all partners in the Shtokman gas project, have postponed a ‘long-awaited final investment decision‘, causing further delays to the project, the production date of which is now set at 2016.  Turkey’s state-owned pipeline company Botas will pay $2.64 billion to Russia and Azerbaijan for gas it didn’t use, under a take-or-pay contract.  The idea that Russia is plagued by a ‘resource curse‘ doesn’t make sense when you look at the United States, Canada or Australia, says Konstantin Simonov.  Energy trader Gunvor will acquire Mikhail Prokhorov’s coal deposit when it takes a controlling stake in Kolmar, the company that owns it.