Energy Blast – Sept 9, 2010

BP has released the report of its internal probe into the Deepwater explosion and oil disaster, acknowledging its own culpability but also blaming its partners, provoking an immediate backlash. ‘Of their own eight key findings, they only explicitly take responsibility for half of one. BP is happy to slice up blame as long as they get the smallest piece.‘  Legal experts say that the report provides no grounds for a conclusive position.  BP says it would consider selling assets to Russian companies ‘like Lukoil‘, but the company’s Azeri president says that it will cling to its Azeri assets, after Gazprom apparently offered to buy all of Shakh Deniz’s gas and take over BP’s role.  Poland wants flexibility in its gas deal with Russia that would allow it to reduce imports in the event that it can secure other sources or diversify with its own production.  The Ukrainian government will not agree to a takeover of Naftogaz by Gazprom, nor to a merger of the two which would ‘effectively give Gazprom control over Ukraine’s pipelines‘, although a ‘joint venture‘ is apparently being considered.