Oil boss 'driven out of Russia'

A row between oil giant BP and several shareholders in its Russian joint venture TNK-BP has deepened after the venture's British boss announced he was leaving the country.

TNK-BP chief executive Robert Dudley said he had decided to leave Russia temporarily due to the "sustained harassment of the company and myself".

The move comes amid an increasingly bitter dispute between the venture's Russian shareholders and BP management in the UK, which has seen TNK-BP offices raided by the Russian authorities, BP staff barred from obtaining work visas and criticism of BP management from a billionaire Russian shareholder.

Earlier this week the oil firm announced it had withdrawn the remaining 60 technical staff from the Moscow-based business, following 90 who had previously left.

Mr Dudley said: "Despite having a valid employment contract I have been unable to obtain a work visa. The uncertainty which has been created by the transit visa, expiring this Sunday, that I now have creates acutely unstable working conditions for me and a distraction to the TNK-BP Group.

"In addition to the much-publicised dispute between shareholders, the company and I have faced unprecedented investigations, proceedings, enquiries and other burdens."

He said he would remain chief executive of TNK-BP, which was formed in 2003.

BP's chairman Peter Sutherland also launched a broadside against the Russian shareholders, accusing them of trying to gain control of the venture. He also accused them of "manipulation" of elements of the Russian state as part of the campaign.

Mr Sutherland said: "It saddens me to say that nowhere in our recent history have we been treated as we are currently being treated in Russia where our fellow shareholders - called AAR - have been orchestrating a campaign of harassment in order to gain control of our joint venture TNK-BP.

"There has even been manipulation of elements of the Russian state as part of this campaign. AAR are doing enormous damage to Russia and to globalisation."