"The Russian Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case against senior officials of the Russian government staff, who illegally handed photocopies of documents containing confidential information, to a representative of [Anglo-Russian joint oil venture] TNK-BP," the office said.
TNK-BP [RTS: TNBP], the result of a 2003 merger, is a leading crude producer in Russia and among the top 10 privately owned oil companies in the world. The company's operations are located in West and East Siberia, and the Volga-Urals region. The venture also runs a network of about 1,600 filling stations in Russia and Ukraine.
Prosecutors said the documents had been prepared for a government session and contained classified information, which if used improperly could affect Russia's energy security, i.e. impede its energy sector development and influence the country's position on foreign markets.
TNK-BP's major projects include the Kovykta gas field, one of the largest in East Siberia, with 1.9 trillion cubic meters of proven reserves. TNK-BP owns 62.4% of the deposit, crucial for Russia, which is pursuing ambitious plans to build a gas pipeline network to meet the needs of the Asian market, primarily energy-hungry China, and to diversify its export destinations.
Regional officials said Thursday, TNK-BP, along with Siberia-based Surgutneftegaz [RTS: SNGS], had won tenders for licenses to four deposits in North Siberia, worth about $43 million. The sites, located on the Taimyr Peninsula in the far north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, have estimated reserves of 92.7 million metric tons of oil and 60.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas.
