Does BP has the worst sense of timing imaginable? They shut down their pipeline just as Medvedev said the Russians were ceasing combat operations. Those guys really can't win when it comes to Russia. Or any other petrostate, like Texas.
Does BP has the worst sense of timing imaginable? They shut down their pipeline just as Medvedev said the Russians were ceasing combat operations. Those guys really can't win when it comes to Russia. Or any other petrostate, like Texas.
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 12:11PM
I wish I had the intellectual capital of a BP trader.
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 12:19PM
What Russians say and what they do are two entirely separate things. Witness TNK-BP for example.
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 12:27PM
It's entirely possible that BP's shutdown of Baku-Supsa was a condition imposed by Russia. With the BTC shut down due to PKK attacks on the Turkish section and Baku-Supsa not operating, all Azeri oil will now have to go through the Russian owned Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline. This would represent Russian influence over the oil export routes without physically controlling the pipelines, which could be a good "compromise" solution for the time being. The true test will be how quickly Baku-Supsa and the BTC are reopened...
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 12:35PM
BP has been very quiet about what its relationship is with the Russian authorities since the head of the joint BP-Russian operation fled Russia in fear for his life. They have a huge investment in Russia and another huge investment in Georgia. I don't think BP is banking on the benign rule of international law.
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 1:00PM
no question this was a russian influenced decision.
Posted by polizeros , Aug 12, 2008 1:07PM
Russia said their cease fire will allow them to keep shooting at whoever, so it seems a dicey cease fire at best.
Expect unsettled conditions for quite a while.
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 1:24PM
"does BP has..."
bush league
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 2:02PM
@7 I don't understand it either...Where's Bess?
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 2:02PM
These are probably the most intelligent sounding DB comments I've read in a long time. Probably means a top in the crude market is in.
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 2:44PM
their product volume was going down before this. Let's see, if demand is constant and volumes are down...
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 2:57PM
@2
Exactly right. They're still fighting, just not heading towards the capital anymore.
Posted by guest , Aug 12, 2008 3:58PM
Israel Trains Quad Bikers?
"Jewish Georgian Minister Temur Yakobshvili on Sunday praised the Israel Defense Forces for its role in training Georgian troops and said Israel should be proud of its military might, in an interview with Army Radio."
"Soldiers left by any means available. Dozens of troops clung to cars on the back of a transporter lorry, while five other soldiers fled on one quad bike."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4509692.ece
that video is a peach