CBS News: How Russian oil giant Rosneft could claim U.S. oil
How Russian oil giant Rosneft could claim U.S. oil
Rosneft, an oil corporation majority-owned by the Russian government, says it has the right to claim an ownership stake in U.S. oil company Citgo Petroleum if Citgos cash-strapped parent company defaults on billions in loans, according to a lien Rosneft recently filed in Delaware. If that claim succeeds, Rosneft, which is run by one of President Vladimir Putins closest allies, would own a sizable chunk of a company that is among the 10 largest petroleum refiners in America.
Russian ownership of a large portion of a U.S.-based oil company would be unprecedented, according to experts contacted by CBS News. Those experts also emphasize that the White House has the power to block the deal -- either on national security grounds or simply by leaving in place Obama administration sanctions against Russia.
Citgos parent company, the Venezuela state-owned PDVSA, pledged a 49.9 percent stake in Citgo to Rosneft as collateral for a $1.5 billion loan signed on Nov. 30. That same day, attorneys for Rosneft filed the lien with the Delaware Department of State, asserting that Rosneft whose CEO, Igor Sechin, has long been considered Putins right-hand man would claim the collateralized 49.9 percent if the struggling Venezuelan debtor defaults or folds.