Energy Blast – Jan 27, 2011

NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin has warned the organization that it must investigate the Stuxnet virus which hit Iranian nuclear facilities last year, as a cyber-assault of this nature could, he claims, lead to a catastrophe of Chernobyl’s proportions.  Bloomberg has a brief video interview with BP’s Robert Dudley on the challenges facing BP in the Arctic.  The British major and Rosneft have agreed to develop their strategic alliance beyond a share-swap and an Arctic development deal to work in third countries.  Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin has,  according to Reuters, attempted to assuage the fears of BP’s Russian partners in the TNK-BP venture, saying the new alliance between BP and Rosneft will not threaten the ‘separate successful business unit’ which is TNK-BP.  Rosneft has also apparently signed a deal with ExxonMobil to develop offshore oil resources in the Black Sea.  The South Stream pipeline has tried to illicit some EU support; the New York Times reports on the verbal rivalry between Russian and European energy officials on how the European Union could best diversify its supplies of natural gas.  Venezuela may, according to Oil and Gas Eurasia, soon obtain a stake in Belarusian refineries.