kolanuraven
Well-known member
While Palin's been away, the Russians invaded. Reuters and Bloomberg both report that Gazprom, the world's largest gas producer, says it was just in Alaska to talk to Conoco Phillips and BP about gas production, transport and supply.
"Gazprom has accumulated great experience in exploring hydrocarbon deposits, building and using gas pipelines in the Far North environment. Gazprom's experience will be relevant in realization of similar projects in Alaska," it said in the statement, without specifying what projects were discussed.
Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller, who headed the delegation, said in June his firm wanted to join a gas pipeline project to pump the fuel from Alaska across Canada to the U.S. market and had made a proposal to oil majors BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Conoco Phillips.
Gazprom, which already supplies a quarter of Europe's gas, has been actively eyeing a way into the North American market for several years.
Earlier this week, a French stakeholder in Canada's Rabaska liquefied natural gas terminal said Gazprom could get a 27 percent stake in the project.
Bloomberg says Gazprom did not specifically discuss pipeline projects and met with state officials and private industry leaders. Conoco Phillips confirmed by e-mail that its CEO met Russian officials, but over at BP Alaska, spokesman Steve Rinehart would "neither confirm nor deny" any meetings.
Alaska Dispatch has the most fun with the news, suggesting that Putin reared his head while the governor wasn't watching.
The Russian invasion comes about a month after presidential candidate John McCain suggested in an interview that Palin, in office less than two years, has gained foreign policy experience because, as he put it, "Alaska is right next to Russia. Sarah Palin understands that." When Palin agreed to one of her rare media interviews since joining the McCain ticket, she told Katie Couric she knows a thing or two about Russia. "As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska," Palin said.
Unfortunately for Palin, she just missed a golden opportunity to prove her expertise in Alaska-Russia policy. Gazprom is a giant in the oil and gas industry - the largest company in Russia and, in fact, the third largest in the world. What former Alaska oilman (and now convicted felon) Bill Allen would call "one of the big boys." With the Russian government holding a majority stake, Gazprom is an aggressive player now spreading itself around the globe. Gazprom controls more than 90 percent of Russia's gas and 17 percent of the world's reserves.
Here's a link to the original Katie Couric interview on CBS from September 25.
***
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/555618.html
"Gazprom has accumulated great experience in exploring hydrocarbon deposits, building and using gas pipelines in the Far North environment. Gazprom's experience will be relevant in realization of similar projects in Alaska," it said in the statement, without specifying what projects were discussed.
Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller, who headed the delegation, said in June his firm wanted to join a gas pipeline project to pump the fuel from Alaska across Canada to the U.S. market and had made a proposal to oil majors BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Conoco Phillips.
Gazprom, which already supplies a quarter of Europe's gas, has been actively eyeing a way into the North American market for several years.
Earlier this week, a French stakeholder in Canada's Rabaska liquefied natural gas terminal said Gazprom could get a 27 percent stake in the project.
Bloomberg says Gazprom did not specifically discuss pipeline projects and met with state officials and private industry leaders. Conoco Phillips confirmed by e-mail that its CEO met Russian officials, but over at BP Alaska, spokesman Steve Rinehart would "neither confirm nor deny" any meetings.
Alaska Dispatch has the most fun with the news, suggesting that Putin reared his head while the governor wasn't watching.
The Russian invasion comes about a month after presidential candidate John McCain suggested in an interview that Palin, in office less than two years, has gained foreign policy experience because, as he put it, "Alaska is right next to Russia. Sarah Palin understands that." When Palin agreed to one of her rare media interviews since joining the McCain ticket, she told Katie Couric she knows a thing or two about Russia. "As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska," Palin said.
Unfortunately for Palin, she just missed a golden opportunity to prove her expertise in Alaska-Russia policy. Gazprom is a giant in the oil and gas industry - the largest company in Russia and, in fact, the third largest in the world. What former Alaska oilman (and now convicted felon) Bill Allen would call "one of the big boys." With the Russian government holding a majority stake, Gazprom is an aggressive player now spreading itself around the globe. Gazprom controls more than 90 percent of Russia's gas and 17 percent of the world's reserves.
Here's a link to the original Katie Couric interview on CBS from September 25.
***
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/555618.html