Joint Rosneft

The state-owned company has agreed with BP to study the Arctic

Rosneft decided to work together not only with Gazprom, but also with BP. Yesterday she announced that she had agreed with the British to study the Arctic shelf. As noted in the bilateral protocol, the main goal of cooperation is “to identify areas of mutual interests in the region for the purpose of jointly carrying out hydrocarbon exploration work.” In turn, Gazprom may sign a similar agreement with LUKOIL - it was going to do this back in mid-November, but due to the resignation of deputy chairman of the board Alexander Ryazanov, the event was postponed indefinitely. Thus, it can be stated that competing state corporations have not stopped fighting: after all, it is known that BP has a difficult relationship with Gazprom, and LUKOIL has a difficult relationship with Rosneft.

The protocol signed by BP and Rosneft will be valid until the end of next year with the possibility of further extension. Within a month, the companies undertake to create a joint group to develop a cooperation agreement in the Arctic region. The press services of both companies assure that no specific projects were discussed as part of the signing of the protocol: “The companies intend to establish joint cooperation in the field of collection, processing and interpretation of geological data in order to understand the prospects of the Arctic and further participate in auctions and competitions in this region,” BP explained to Vremya Novostei.

Rosneft and Gazprom agreed on approximately the same thing as part of their bilateral cooperation agreement. As noted in the joint press release of state-owned companies, Rosneft and Gazprom, on a parity basis, will “coordinate actions and exchange geological information on jointly implemented projects during prospecting and geological exploration, as well as in the development and creation of geological and geophysical databases.” information."

Rosneft assures that they will work with each company separately, and the joint projects created under these agreements will not compete with each other. “The Arctic shelf is large, and, as we know, there is enough space for everyone,” say the state oil company.

In principle, Rosneft has long been working with foreign companies, including BP, on risky offshore projects on Sakhalin. At the same time, the state-owned company adheres to a simple scheme: foreigners invest in exploration and drilling up to the commercial discovery of fields, and Rosneft returns their share of capital costs from its income received from the sale of oil from this area.

Anna GORSHKOVA