Energy Blast – Jan 20, 2011

Transneft are calling online campaigner Alexei Navalny a ‘village idiot‘ and a ‘Nazi‘ in response to his allegations that they stole $4 billion from the ESPO construction fund, and say that Navalny is not the only one with objections to the pipeline.  This article explains the reasoning behind WWF’s concern that a new oil platform off the Sakhalin Island could pose a threat to the endangered gray whale.  BHP Billiton says that its coal mining operations will suffer for the next six months as a result of the floods in Eastern Australia.  Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko is paving the way for oil and gas cooperation with Jordan with a new agreement on direct investment and local ventures.  Socar, Azerbaijan’s state energy company, says it plans to export 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Russia in 2011.  RFE/RL reports on the change of circumstance that has brought a ‘smiling‘ Robert Dudley back to Moscow, after his fleeing the capital in 2008.  BP’s Rosneft deal will not affect its US interests.  ‘I think most people recognise that a 5% shareholding [by Rosneft in BP] will not change our direction,‘ he said.  Rosneft’s CEO says that it has no claims to TNK-BP assets.  BP says that Opec plans to increase its share of oil production to 46% – which would put its contribution at its highest level since the 1970s.