Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
ABERDEEN
by Alexis Flynn
BP said Wednesday its subsidiary BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd. is appealing a Russian court order that allowed bailiffs to search the company's Moscow office last week.
BP said the raid by authorities, to seize documents related to a lawsuit filed by a minority shareholder in BP's Russian joint venture TNK-BP, was unlawful as BP EOC had no connection with TNK-BP.
The minority shareholder is seeking compensation for losses following the failure of BP's Arctic exploration agreement with Rosneft.
"BP EOC believes that the court decision contradicts the applicable Russian legislation and is misconceived," said the U.K. energy giant.
"The request to BP EOC to hand over documents is based on an inaccurate and false premise and should not be allowed to stand," BP said in a statement. "The ruling authorizes a search for documents which would allow the plaintiff's representatives to gain access to almost all corporate documentation of BP EOC, which cannot be lawful or reasonable."
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