With this announcement, all of the 148 technical experts assigned to TNK-BP have now been withdrawn to be redeployed in BP’s businesses globally.
The decision to redeploy the staff is reported to be a business choice, as there is a global shortage of skilled people in the industry and BP has numerous other ventures, especially in Azerbaijan, the Middle East and the Gulf of Mexico, where their skills are needed and valued.
The staff have been unable to provide their services to TNK-BP since work visa complications prevented them from doing so in March 2008. Once this problem had been dealt with, they were prevented from returning to their duties by security staff in TNK-BP and subsequently by a court injunction.
BP noted that, even though the Omsk court recently lifted an injunction brought by a company called Tetlis, the litigation in the Tyumen court continues and has made little progress with no indication that this or other attempts to interfere with BP’s ability to deliver technical support will be resolved in the immediate future.
Lamar Mckay, BP’s executive vice president, said: We are taking this action reluctantly. These technical experts have played a huge part in making TNK-BP one of Russia’s most successful oil companies in the past few years. Since it was formed in August 2003 the company’s oil output has grown by an annual average of 5.8%. It has also paid some $70 billion in taxes and duties as well as $20 billion in dividends to its shareholders.
