BP Back on Collision Course over TNK

British Petroleum (BP) is heading for another potentially damaging showdown with its partners in its Russian subsidiary TNK-BP, less than a year after the chief executive of the business was forced to quit amid arguments between the two sides.

The oil giant yesterday nominated Pavel Skitovich as its choice for the post of chief executive of TNK-BP, putting it on a collision course with AAR, the group of four Russian billionaires who co-own the business. They are hoping to install one of their own, Viktor Vekselberg, as a temporary chief executive at the beginning of June.