Russian ambitions

摘要

Russia, by far the largest member of the BRIC quartet in terms of land mass, is intent on taking advantage of its oil and gas reserves and securing its energy future through exploration in the Caspian Sea, the Arctic offshore, eastern Siberia and the cou ntry's f a r east. Oil and gas production has been declining in Russia for some time and President Vladimir Putin's government has been introducing ways of stemming the fall, including tax breaks and govern- ment incentives for offshore exploration and production.