Energy Blast – Jan 19, 2010

GDF Suez and International Power have abandoned several months of discussions of a tie-up, says the Financial Times.  Russia and Belarus are engaging in ‘constructive dialogue‘ today over pricing structures for this year’s oil deliveries. China National Petroleum, which owns half of Kazakh oil producer Mangistaumunaigas, says the company produced 5.7 million tons of oil last year.  Deputy Energy Minster Vyacheslav Sinyugin, named as partly responsible for last year’s accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant last year, is leaving his post.  Although his new position likely won’t be too far afield.  A senior Royal Bank of Scotland executive told the High Court that the company made special efforts to retain Enron as a client in 2000. ‘Virtually every month someone is taking someone from Enron to a sporting or other occasion.‘  BP is in talks with Sinopec to take a share in developing China’s potentially large shale gas fields.