Moscow puts legal pressure on Shell to halt Sakhalin pipeline

(Guardian, London, 4 August 2006) Shell has clashed with the Russian government over an oil project off Sakhalin Island which has already attracted the wrath of environmentalists and run way over budget. The latest setback comes days after Shell, BP and other western firms were hit by a back-tax claim, albeit much smaller than the one which finally sent Yukos into bankruptcy this week. Several OECD based ECAs are considering support for the Sakhalin project.