The
foray
by
the
French
company
follows
strategic
offshore
exploration
alliances
struck
in
January
by
state-controlled
oil
major
Rosneft
with
Britain's
BP
and
US
ExxonMobil.
The
deals,
all
signed
under
the
patronage
of
Prime
Minister
Vladimir
Putin,
represent
a
major
shift
in
Russia's
energy
strategy
away
from
the
knockabout
oligarchic
capitalism
of
the
1990.
Now,
companies
either
controlled
by
or
allied
with
the
Kremlin,
are
contributing
reserves
and
keeping
control,
while
foreign
partners
get
minority
stakes
in
return
for
contributing
know-how
and
experience.
The
latest
deal,
under
discussion
since
the
middle
of
last
year,…
