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A British expatriate in the global oil and gas industry.
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Category Archives: Russia
On the death of Boris Berezovsky
Amid all the speculation, I found this most interesting: In an informal interview with journalist Ilya Zhegule on the eve of his death, and published on Forbes’ Russian language website, Mr Berezovsky reportedly said his life no longer made sense … Continue reading
Posted in Russia
2 Comments
Baltic Trip Part 1 – St. Petersburg
I’m not sure if St. Petersburg can really be called part of the Baltic region, but this is where I started my trip anyway. There were a couple of reasons for it: firstly, I had a duty to visit my … Continue reading
Who, me?
This article in Upstream Online caught my eye: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is all but certain to become president again next month, has said non-state companies should be given access to the hydrocarbon-rich offshore Russian Arctic. Right, but … Continue reading
Posted in Oil & Gas, Russia
3 Comments
Why Some Countries are Poor
“Why do some places prosper and thrive while others just suck?”, asks P.J. O’Rourke at the start of Eat the Rich, “It’s not a matter of brains. No part of the earth (with the possible exception of Brentwood) is dumber … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Economics, Nigeria, Russia
15 Comments
The Police Is Your Friend*
Today I got pulled over by a dodgy traffic policeman for the first time since I came to Lagos over a year ago. I wasn’t driving (I never do: a pale face behind a wheel may just as well be … Continue reading
Posted in Nigeria, Russia
10 Comments
Buying Airline Tickets in Russia
In February 2011 some changes were made to how you can book tickets on Thai Airways from Moscow. The website on which the new rules are described speaks volumes about how business is conducted in Russia. Please be informed that … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Russia
2 Comments
Self-Parody
What follows is an email sent from an employee living in company accomodation to the estate services department of a Russian oil company. Dear Olga M., I am resident of Block B leaving in (349). I wanted to inform you … Continue reading
Posted in Oil & Gas, Russia
8 Comments
Cherry Picking
The BBC reports on Russian president Dmitri Medvedev speaking about Yuri Gagarin: Space exploration remains a priority for Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev has said, as the country marks the 50th anniversary of the first human space flight by cosmonaut Yuri … Continue reading
Posted in Russia
13 Comments
Business as Usual Part II
It’s good to see that following the Macondo well blowout last year, BP have taken all necessary steps to ensure they don’t lurch into yet another embarassing crisis: UK supermajor BP and Russian giant Rosneft have been blocked by an … Continue reading
Posted in Oil & Gas, Russia
3 Comments
Some Shit They Supposed To Do
In Chris Rock’s Bring the Pain he observes that: Niggaz always want credit for some shit they supposed to do. … A nigga will say some shit like “I take care of my kids!” You’re supposed to, you dumb mother … Continue reading
Posted in Russia
6 Comments