BP admits Kremlin security talks

BP owns 50% of TNK-BP

UK oil giant BP has confirmed it is in talks with the Kremlin regarding the protection of Russian state secrets.

Its comments followed a report in a Moscow newspaper which said the Russian secret service, the FSB, had suspended some operations at BP's TNK-BP unit.

BP denied that any TNK-BP sites had been shut down, but said talks were continuing with the Russian government.

The Kremlin is said to be sensitive to foreign firms having access to exact data on the country's oil reserves.

Ongoing negotiations

Moscow's Vedomosti business daily reported on Monday that the FSB, the successor to the Soviet-period KGB, had shut a number of TNK-BP facilities in western Siberia.

The company is fully aware of the need to safeguard [Russian] state secrets BP spokesman

"The FSB came and said that a licence permitting work with state secrets was suspended," the paper quoted a TNK-BP official as saying.

Vedemosti also said that the problem was that foreigners were not allowed to see large-scale maps of Russia.

TNK-BP is half-owned by BP.

"We are not aware of any suspensions and work [at TNK-BP] continues normally," said a BP spokesman.

"The company is fully aware of the need to safeguard [Russian] state secrets.

"We are taking to the [Russian] government to find a solution to this."