Russia Sanctions Spread Pain From Putin to Halliburton

Story by Bloomberg
Written by David Wethe and Joe Carroll

U.S. and European Union sanctions against Russia’s Vladimir Putin threaten to shut off some of the world’s largest energy companies from one of the biggest untapped energy troves on the planet.

As violence escalates in eastern Ukraine between government and separatist forces, the EU yesterday sought to punish Russia for its involvement by restricting exports of deep-sea drilling and shale-fracturing technologies. The U.S. followed suit, with President Barack Obama announcing a block on specific goods and technologies exported to the Russian energy sector.

“Because we’re closely coordinating our actions with Europe, the sanctions we’re announcing today will have an even bigger bite,” Obama told reporters yesterday at the White House. “Russia’s energy, financial and defense sectors are feeling the pain.”

The new restrictions, which Obama described as the region’s most significant to date, “will make it more difficult for Russia to develop its oil resources over the long term,” he said.

Russia relies on companies including Exxon Mobil Corp., BP Plc, Halliburton Co. and Schlumberger Ltd. for the latest technology and expertise it needs to develop an estimated $7.58 trillion in oil and natural gas resources that sprawl across nine time zones. Exploration and production companies like Exxon were expected to spend $51.7 billion in Russia this year, according to estimates from Barclays Capital Inc. -- much of which would go to service and equipment companies such as Schlumberger and Halliburton.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-29/energy-companies-gear-up-for-more-pain-in-russia-with-sanctions.html