Russia: Permission for Gazprom to Rule the Energy Sector

The Moscow Arbitrage court has ruled that state-controlled natural gas monopoly Gazprom may purchase domestic production assets, contrary to an earlier decree by the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service, Russian business daily Kommersant reported Jan. 15. Gazprom already monopolizes natural gas export and transit in Russia, and stands to control the entire sector as it takes over the remaining independent producers. This does not bode well for overall production levels, as Gazprom is not known for investing in its assets.