Energy Blast, April 4, 2008

Oil company Yukos, declared bankrupt in a $30 billion tax claim, overpaid its tax bill by more than $3.8 billion. Lawyers say it would be impossible to recover the money. Yukos Finance, a subsidiary of the company, could sell its stake in pipeline operator Transpetrol to Slovakia. Gazprom and Siemens have signed an agreement on strategic partnership. Gazprom could take control of BP‘s stake in the vast Kovykta field by the end of the month, following a meeting between the companies’ heads. BP’s chief also met with the head of Rosneft to discuss the fate of TNK-BP. WORLD ENERGY British Energy Group, the UK’s biggest nuclear power producer, rose in London trading after it was reported that Electricité de France‘s board approved plans to make an offer for the company.

Centrica is to pay $300 million cash to buy US electricity supplier Strategic Energy, as part of the group’s North American expansion strategy.