Foreign firms vying for BP takeover
[Iran Press TV Latest] A sharp drop in BP's market value has triggered a fierce competition among foreign energy firms to take over the energy giant, a senior analyst has told Press TV.
BP "has lost 50 percent of its market tap but is still earning up to $100 million in revenue per day," said Roger Von Hanwehr in a phone interview with Press TV.
Rosneft and Gazprom, two major Russian oil companies, are seeking to take over BP amid the Gulf oil spill crisis, he said.
However, "the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council, even China and certainly the western nations don't want to see Russia become the predominant oil producing power within 15 years from now," Von Hanwehr added.
When asked whether a possible government takeover of the oil giant would be in the public's interest, he said, "Certainly it's not the question of the public's interest or the state holders of BP which in the majority are the British labor unions."
The BP-leased Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 22, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the coast of Louisiana, killing 11 workers.
An estimated 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil have gushed per day from the ruptured well ever since.
An estimated 1.9 to 3.6 million barrels of oil have contaminated the Gulf of Mexico amid fears of an international oil slick calamity and no sign of containment.
BP continues to sell fuel to the US government despite its poor record in maintaining environmental standards.
Posted by: Fred 2010-07-06 |