... superpower has moved in, its presence spelled out on the distinctive logos plastered on the trucks used by U.S.-based oil services company Halliburton. It's all part of Poland's ambitious goal to exploit Europe's biggest estimated deposits of shale gas. Beginning in 2014, Warsaw wants to tap an estimated 5.3 trillion cubic meters of recoverable reserves of gas — enough, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, to supply Poland with more than 300 years of its domestic energy...

In the run-up to a fresh round of gas price negotiations Ukraine promised Friday that there would be no resumption of a energy war with Russia, despite an escalating public spat between Gazprom and Kiev's Naftogaz. In the run-up to a fresh round of gas price negotiations...

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Krasnodar Region — Gazprom said it signed a deal with the Azeri national energy company, Socar, to increase Russian purchases of Azeri gas to 3 billion cubic meters per year. The deal was an addendum to a 2009 supply deal, which initially envisaged 500 million cubic meters in annual deliveries from Azerbaijan to Russia. Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller, speaking at a Black Sea ski...

Gazprom said its power utilities' net income under Russian accounting standards fell 13 percent to 14.9 billion rubles ($496 million) because of higher fuel prices and financing expenses. Electricity output declined 1.1 percent to 173 billion kilowatt-hours in 2011 after extreme cold the previous year, Gazprom Energoholding, the producer's power division, said Thursday in an e-mailed statement. Revenue rose 8.4 percent to 323.5 billion rubles ($10.8 billion) as prices for electricity and heat increased...

Gazprom said Tuesday that it had revised gas prices for several European companies as it seeks to keep its market share in the face of weakening fuel demand due to economic difficulties in the region. Gazprom said Tuesday that it had revised gas prices for several...

Lithuania took a step toward less dependence on Russian gas by deciding Monday to pick Norway's Hoegh LNG to provide an offshore platform for liquefied natural gas imports. VILNIUS — Lithuania took a step toward less dependence on Russian gas by deciding Monday to pick Norway's...

Gazprom promised to fill the current 10 percent shortfall in gas flows from Russia to Italy by the end of the week, the head of communications at Italian oil and gas group Eni said Wednesday. Gazprom deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev has given reassurances that the 10 percent gas flow shortfall will be...

Ukraine, struggling to pay rising bills for Russian gas and with some areas suffering power rationing due to the severe cold, could halve its gas use by using it more efficiently. KIEV — Ukraine, struggling to pay rising bills for Russian gas and with some areas suffering power rationing...

Novatek, Russia's second-largest natural gas producer, is targeting a market value of $100 billion to surpass Britain-based gas product peer BG Group, as the Siberian company boosts reserves and production. Novatek, Russia's second-largest natural gas producer, is...

... RIA-Novosti reported, citing deputy chief executive Andrei Kruglov. That's 300 million to 400 million cubic meters more than last year's levels, the news service reported Saturday. Nonetheless, "Gazprom isn't currently able to meet the additional gas volumes requested by our partners in Western Europe," Kruglov said. The state-run company reduced deliveries to Europe by 10 percent for several days because of cold weather and is now fully delivering contracted volumes, RIA-Novosti reported...

Ukraine intends to gradually reduce the volume of gas bought from Russia starting from 2013. Ukraine intends to gradually reduce the volume of gas bought from Russia starting from 2013, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yury Boiko said. "We have told our Russian partners that...

... enough to stop ExxonMobil from spurting into the lead again as the world's most profitable publicly traded energy company. Gazprom's net income for last year will likely represent 25 percent growth from the previous year, as it ramped up its natural gas exports and production, the company said in a statement on its tentative results for last year. ExxonMobil earned $41.1 billion in last year's profit, the company announced earlier this week. It was a 35 percent boost over 2010, the year when Gazprom...

... "Gazprom showed itself as a big elephant that walks ahead despite attacks of mosquitoes," said Valery Nesterov, an analyst at Troika Dialog, who attended the meeting Friday at the company's Moscow headquarters. "Despite known difficulties in the gas markets, Gazprom is acting very confidently." Demand in Europe, Gazprom's biggest market by revenue, is recovering after a two-year slump when buyers turned to the spot market for cheaper supplies than under Russian contracts. Facing competition...

North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Un, supports an agreement to build a natural gas pipeline from Russia to South Korea via his communist state. North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Un, supports an agreement to build a natural gas pipeline from Russia to South Korea via his communist state, the Russian envoy in Pyongyang...

A $4.2 billion pipeline into Norway's Arctic to bring natural gas to European markets must be funded by the private sector, and the government does not intend to take a financial role. OSLO — A $4.2 billion pipeline into Norway's Arctic to bring natural gas to European markets must...

Gazprom said it has pushed forward the start of construction of the South Stream pipeline, designed to bypass countries such as Ukraine through which Russian natural gas is now piped to Europe. "The plan ... will allow us to start the gas pipeline construction as early as December 2012, not in 2013 as had been planned before," Gazprom said, adding that the board of South Stream Transport will be presented...

... Vladimir Putin to consider the proposal. Pierre Nerguararian, head of Total E&P Russie, said in September that the tax breaks are critical for the partners to make a positive investment decision. The project in the Barents Sea, which plans to supply gas by pipeline and tanker, has been repeatedly delayed. Gazprom didn't disclose the project's costs. While there are "no doubts" that the project will be granted exemptions from the mineral extraction tax because the conditions for field development...

... Russia's right to develop rich hydrocarbon reserves" in the Arctic Ocean, the ministry said Wednesday, citing a report by Anatoly Ledovskikh, head of the subsoil resources agency. Exploration in 2011 is expected to add 700 million tons of crude and gas condensate and 1.1 trillion cubic meters of natural gas to the country's reserves. Russia produced 511 million tons of crude and condensate and 638 billion cubic meters of gas in 2011, the ministry said. (Bloomberg)

... alcohol, tobacco, the collection of rents in those sectors where it is currently low," he wrote. Putin has borrowed the idea from Delovaya Rossia, a lobby group for small and mid sized businesses that backs selective tax hikes — on oil and gas extraction, tobacco and alcohol and property — to finance business tax cuts. "In Russia, those taxes that hinder development are either very high or very uncompetitive, and those taxes that don't hinder development are on the contrary very...

GOLTSBLAT BLP is pleased to announce that Andrei Baev is joining BLP as a senior partner to strengthen further the firm's oil&gas and energy practice and its russian offer to clients. GOLTSBLAT BLP IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT ANDREI BAEV IS JOINING BLP AS A SENIOR PARTNER TO STRENGTHEN FURTHER THE FIRM'S OIL&GAS AND ENERGY PRACTICE AND ITS RUSSIAN OFFER TO CLIENTS. ...