- Its U.S. GAAP net profit had increased 54.8%, year-on-year, in January-June, to $4.01 billion
- It plans to boost its oil refining capacity by more than 70% in 2007-10, to 2 million barrels per day
- The price of natural gas in Russia may grow almost two-fold in 2007
- It plans to acquire new assets in Russia, Europe, and Central Asia
- It does not intend to buy shares of U.S. giant ConocoPhillips, the third-largest energy company in the U.S. and the fifth-largest refiner in the world
- It intends to sign a contract with Venezuela soon on the development of a heavy crude deposit with total reserves of 300 million metric tons (2.2 billion barrels)
- LUKoil and state-controlled oil company Rosneft are discussing the possible creation of a consortium to supply oil to China
* The Russian Foreign Ministry said:
- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will arrive in Russia October 21
- Moscow hopes North Korea will move to alleviate the international community's concerns over its nuclear ambitions
- The international response to Iran's controversial nuclear program should be based on reports by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency
* Russia's President Vladimir Putin said:
- conflicting sides in the Middle East must put an end to mutual accusations, release hostages and resume talks
- Russia will do all in its power to help bring about a resolution to the Middle East conflict
* Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said his country will not put up with an Iran armed with non-conventional weapons
* The first launch of the Soyuz 2-1A, Russia's new generation carrier rocket, from the Baikonur space center has been postponed again due to bad weather, a space industry source said
* Oleg Deripaska, Russia's sixth-richest man according to Forbes Russia, is planning to buy a large stake in Expert magazine, a source close to the Russian weekly business publication said
* Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly Atomstroiexport said the first power unit of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China has been tested at 75% of its capacity
* British Telecom (BT), a leading provider of communications services to customers throughout the world, plans to double its client base in Russia every year over the next three years and capture 1-3% of Russia's telecoms market, the company's president said
* A Moscow court extended the custody for two of three suspects in an August market explosion, which killed 11 people, until February 21, 2007
* The parliament of Abkhazia, a self-proclaimed republic on Georgian territory, issued a resolution asking for Russia's recognition of its independence and associated membership
* Vladislav Tetyukhin, director general of Russian titanium producer Vsmpo-Avisma, said he plans to sell a 26% stake in the company to state arms exporter Rosoboronexport
* Russia's Federal Anti-Monopoly Service said it has initiated legal proceedings against the CIS division of U.S. automotive giant General Motors, and the Russian division of Japan's Nissan Motor Co. for violating competition laws
* The price of natural gas imported by Ukraine will not exceed $130 per 1,000 cubic meters, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said
* Police have seized documents from Russia's Service for the Oversight of Natural Resources, said Oleg Mitvol, deputy head of the environmental watchdog
* Severstal, Russia's second largest steel maker, has been authorized to float 25% of its stock abroad in an IPO, the state financial watchdog said
