Energy Blast – July 15, 2010

Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko has reportedly said that BP has good prospects in Russia, and he views it unlikely that the beleaguered company will leave.  The minister also told reporters that Rosatom may begin to work with Siemens in atomic energy fields where Areva SA, the German giant’s former partner, isn’t competing.  RFE/RL reports on the Armenian government’s reaction to the possible privatization of a pipeline through Georgia that supplies Russian natural gas to the country.  The British government is apparently putting pressure on Russia to postpone Rosneft’s plans to conduct a seismic survey due to fears for the safety of endangered western gray whales.  Does Russia’s energy roadmap with Iran not undermine the sanctions introduced two weeks ago?  Russia’s largest independent gas producer, Novatek, is looking to offer a 49% stake in developing the country’s biggest LNG project to a foreign partner.  The Ukrainian government has succumbed to IMF pressure and introduced a 50% hike in the price of domestic gas from next month.