Eduard Khudainatov

Russia's state oil champion Rosneft signed a major new Arctic agreement with Italy's ENI on Wednesday as it sought to build on its historic alliance with US giant ExxonMobil.

Russia's state oil giant Rosneft signed a strategic partnership agreement with Italy's ENI on Wednesday as it sought to build on the international success of its historic alliance with ExxonMobil.

Russia's vice premier is dropping hints he would welcome greater international cooperation to explore for oil in his country.

Russia's oil giant Rosneft on Monday detailed a strategic alliance with ExxonMobil including agreements on offshore exploration and Rosneft's participation in North American projects.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The president of Russian oil producer Rosneft <ROSN.MM> could soon be replaced, industry sources said on Friday, little more than a week after the state company signed an Arctic offshore development deal with ExxonMobil <XOM.N>.

Russia's largest oil firm Rosneft on Friday said net profits for the second quarter rose 10.8 percent from the same period a year earlier to $2.83 billion, on high crude oil prices and increased output.

Russia's state oil giant Rosneft charted a global future without BP on Friday after the British firm pronounced their much-maligned alliance effectively dead.

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell could become a partner in Arctic oil exploration of Russia's biggest producer Rosneft, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

Russia's Rosneft oil company is discussing a strategic Arctic development partnership exclusively with Shell after its alliance with BP fell apart last week, a report said on Thursday.

Russia's energy czar Igor Sechin met Wednesday with Shell chief executive Peter Voser as the Anglo-Dutch firm tried to muscle in on an Arctic oil development project that was held until this month by BP.

Russia's largest oil company Rosneft on Thursday handily beat analysts' expectations by reporting a 58.2 percent jump in quarterly profits that it attributed to rising energy prices and sales.

BP's Russian partners in TNK-BP said on Friday that they were awaiting proposals from BP over its deal with Russia's Rosneft and denied that they have plans to exit the British oil giant's local joint venture.

BP's Russian partners in TNK-BP said Friday that they were awaiting proposals from BP over its deal with Russia's Rosneft and denied plans to exit the oil giant's local joint venture.

Russia's largest oil firm Rosneft, which struck a milestone partnership with BP and is eyeing ambitious global expansion, said Friday its net profits rose 64 percent in 2010 to $10.67 billion.

The Russian shareholders of TNK-BP are considering selling their stake in the Russian-British oil joint venture to the Russian state or BP's partner state-controlled Rosneft, a report said Friday.

British oil giant BP and Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft will finalise their share-swap within the next three to four weeks, the Russian firm said on Wednesday, after the two firms agreed to jointly exploit Russia's Arctic energy resources.

Shares in British energy giant BP edged higher on Monday as investors gave a very cautious welcome to its Arctic tie-up with Russian state firm Rosneft.

European stocks mostly drifted lower Monday with Wall Street on holiday, but BP shares rose after the British oil giant announced an Arctic exploration deal and share-swap with Russia's Rosneft.

British oil giant BP has agreed a huge Arctic exploration deal and share-swap with Russian state firm Rosneft, but the green lobby Saturday slammed the move so soon after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The heads of energy giant BP and state-run Russian oil firm Rosneft announced an "historic" deal to swap shares in a joint venture to exploit the vast untouched energy resources of the Arctic.