TNK-BP Wants to Take Part In Siberian Project

Russian-British oil company TNK-BP has drawn a draft protocol of intent, to include TNK-BP in a consortium for the development of oil and gas fields in Eastern Siberia and Yakutia, ?to make their development economically viable?, according to words of TNK-BP Managing Director for Production and Technology Victor Vekselberg.
But Gazprom stated that it has not received a concrete proposal from TNK-BP on joining the participants in the consortium - Gazprom, Rosneft and Surgutneftegas. Gazprom Deputy CEO said that the agreement to set up the consortium does not cover increasing the number of its participants. However, he added that they were ready to consider any proposal for cooperation, if they were concrete.

Rosneft President Sergei Bogdanchikov said they were not against TNK-BP participation in Eastern Siberia.
Gazprom, Rosneft and Surgutneftegas signed an agreement on January 24, 2004 to set up a consortium to join forces to develop oil and gas fields, develop a scheme and set up a single system to supply gas to consumers in Eastern Siberia and Yakutia.