In Gaffe, Sechin Says BP Chief Is Quitting
The Russian government was left embarrassed yesterday, after Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin told reporters that BP CEO Tony Hayward would quit soon and reveal his successor during a visit to Moscow.
BP denied a management shuffle, and a Sechin aide was forced to admit that the deputy prime minister had meant to confirm that he had read media reports that Hayward might leave amid criticism over his response to an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
But Sechin's remarks caused the government to scramble to contain any fallout in its relations with BP. Government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "I would want to hope that what Mr. Sechin said would not damage this relationship."
Hayward assured Sechin during their talks that BP remained committed to its Russian projects. Sechin's aide said that there was no talk of Hayward leaving his post. Sechin, who is also Rosneft's chairman, has said the company was prepared to buy out BP's stake if offered. But the aide said Hayward had indicated that BP had no plans to unload shares in Rosneft or TNK-BP.