Rosneft is mulling partnerships to explore Russia's Arctic offshore with Chinese and Indian oil companies, chief executive Eduard Khudainatov said Wednesday.
"We are eyeing partnerships with Chinese, Indian companies and others. I should tell you that the whole world is interested in the Arctic, this is a fact," Khudainatov told reporters.
Khudainatov confirmed that CNPC, CNOOC and Sinopec were among the contenders, but he did not name any Indian firms. Rosneft partners with ONGC offshore from the island of Sakhalin.
State-controlled Rosneft has this year struck offshore alliances with BP in the Arctic and ExxonMobil in the Black Sea. Khudainatov said he expected a joint venture with Exxon to be set up by Oct. 1.
The Rosneft-BP deal has faced opposition from the local tycoons who own half of BP's Russian venture, TNK-BP. They argue that it violates the terms of their shareholder agreement and have won a court injunction to put the deal on hold pending the outcome of arbitration proceedings.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
