When do we start hearing results from the Ukrainian election? (nt)

[UrbScotty]

[havocmom]

1. Maybe as soon as BFEE & Putin cut their deal & decide who "won".

Am guessing, sometime after a Bushista Cronie gets a really good deal on the purchase of that Russian oil company. Been away from any news for a spell, is that oil company still on the market for pennies on the dollar?

[DrDebug]

2. Yukos has been sold

Under-the-radar group's $9.3 billion bid wins Yukos
By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
The future of the Russian oil industry took an unexpected turn Sunday when a previously unknown investment group won an auction for the main production assets of embattled oil company Yukos.

BaikalFinansGroup bid $9.3 billion for the assets, which had been expected to go to government-owned Russian natural-gas giant Gazprom. Industry experts speculated that Baikal could be an entity created by Gazprom, which had been the front-runner to win the auction. Gazprom officials could not be reached for comment Sunday.
- http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2004-12-20-yukos-usat_x.htm

It's a company nobody heard about either...

[havocmom]

4. Thank you, DrDebug, and welcome to the DU

company no one has heard of? Hmmm? another ghost company on the horizon, what a surprise. LOL

[DrDebug]

5. It's a ghost company alright

Speculations

Analysts have suggested three versions about Baikalfinansgroup. According to the first version, Baikalfinansgroup is a front for Gazprom. Gazprom was unable to secure the funding for the purchase from Western banks and may have been unwilling to seek the funding from Russian banks, due to the risk of the Houston court taking action against Gazprom assets.

The second version is that Baikalfinansgroup may be a front for the secretive pro-government Surgutneftegaz company, Russia's fourth biggest energy supplier, which has extensive business interests in Tver. The Vedomosti and Gazeta newspapers reported that the man and woman representing Baikalfinansgroup at the auction are both employees of Surgutneftegaz and identified them as Igor Minibayev, an administrative manager, and Valentina Komarova, deputy head of Surgutneftegaz's finance division.

Third, Baikalfinansgroup could be a front for the Russian government itself. The company must pay the full auction price within two weeks; if it defaults, the auction is declared to be invalid. Then, Yuganskneftegaz would become state property and can then be assigned wherever the Russian government wishes.
- http://www.skweezer.net/s.aspx/2/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikalfinansgroup#Yuganskneftegaz_auction

[havocmom]

6. Hmmm, handy dandy way to nationalize again, isn't it?

Thanks for the info! Really looking forward to reading MUCH more from you. Get the feeling a lot of interesting things happening under the radar in that part of the world and since oil men are oil men, the world over, their actions are worth trying to keep track of.

Thanks again! :toast:

[rfkrfk]

3. the pineapple guy needs to hire a foodtaster

is he expected to recover?