Energy Blast – March 21, 2011

Vladimir Putin visited Sakhalin in Russia’s Far East over the weekend to launch a new gas distribution station, and used the opportunity to ease fears about radiation, although the Foreign Ministry is still advising Russians against traveling to Japan.  The Prime Minister offered Japanese companies stakes in Siberian gas fields and said that Gazprom was prepared to increase gas deliveries to Europe and re-route LNG tankers to Japan: an offer that he will discuss with the European Union.  Bangladesh has no plans to halt its nuclear program, and has signed a ‘framework agreement‘ with Russia to set up a first plant, to be operational by 2017. Rosneft would like export duty exemption on the Vankor field for another 2 years. ‘The Finance Ministry does not understand us.‘  Subject to Kremlin approval, MRSK Holding will give managerial control of its Tomsk Distribution company to France’s EDF.  Putin’s ‘judo partner‘ has bought a drilling unit from Gazprom, says Bloomberg.  Hungary’s EMFESZ has been ordered to pay $527 million to RosUrkEnergo for gas supplied in 2008.