Russian court bars CEO of TNK-BP

MOSCOW (AP) | A court in the Russian capital Thursday barred the chief executive officer of troubled Russian joint venture, TNK-BP, from office for two years.

BP said it was disappointed by the court’s decision, adding that Robert Dudley will retain his position until completion of an appeal process.

“We will appeal with the Moscow Appellate Court within 10 days,” TNK-BP spokeswoman Marina Dracheva said. The decision is not final until the appeal is filed and considered, she said.

Mr. Dudley will remain CEO of TNK-BP pending completion of an appeal process, BP confirmed.

Moscow’s Presnensky district court disqualified Mr. Dudley for failure to obey instructions of the labor watchdog, TNK-BP said.

American-born Mr. Dudley left Russia last month when his work permit was not renewed, but he has been continuing to work as CEO from outside the country.

BP has been battling Russian shareholders for control of the company for months.

A consortium of Russian shareholders in the 50-50 joint venture with BP have repeatedly called for Mr. Dudley’s removal, saying he has mismanaged the company in favor of BP’s interests.

BP has accused the Russian owners of using corporate raider tactics to wrest control of the company. “We believe this is clearly a further example of administrative activity orchestrated by the other shareholders of BP,” said Sheila Williams, a spokeswoman for the company.

Meanwhile, BP says it has resumed pumping gas into a pipeline that runs through Georgia, while two oil pipelines that also run through the country remain closed.

BP says it began pumping gas into the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline earlier Thursday. It had stopped pumping gas into the pipeline on Tuesday because of security fears.

BP’s Baku-Supsa oil pipeline - also shut down on Tuesday - remains closed as the company continues to assess the security situation.

The larger Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan line remains out of action after a fire earlier this month on the Turkish section of the line. BP says engineers are still trying to review the damage and no time has been set for the reopening of that line.