By John Helmer in Moscow Volatility in Uralkali share price is no sign of change in value. A month ago, when Mineweb reported that the spot price of potash had cleared the $1,000-tonne threshold and was continuing to rise, the Russian stock market reacted by lifting the share price of lead potash producer, Uralkali (ticker […]

by John Helmer - Friday, May 23rd, 2008
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News analysis in Business Day, Johannesburg By John Helmer in Moscow A campaign of smears and innuendo linking Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to powerful Russian oil interests, launched last week by a newspaper in London, has drawn a withering counter-attack by Gennady Timchenko, controlling shareholder of Gunvor, and one of the leading oil traders […]

by John Helmer - Friday, May 23rd, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow The fight between shareholders Mikhail Prokhorov and Vladimir Potanin over the future of Polyus Gold, Russia’s leading goldminer, escalated angrily at the board meeting on May 21, when chief executive Evgeny Ivanov called for a vote to eliminate independent director, Lord Patrick Gillford, from the slate to be submitted to […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Market cuts $2 billion in capital value from Russian steelmaker as US acquisitions mount up. In a market of booming coal, coke, iron-ore and scrap prices, and still insatiable Chinese and Indian demand for steel, it stands to reason that the great vertically integrated Russian steelmaking groups, largely self-sufficient in […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Independent director Lord Gillford effectively warns Polyus Board against potential asset stripping plan while emphasising his independence of the warring factions. Lord Patrick Gillford, the influential independent on the board of Polyus Gold, Russia’s leading goldminer, has warned the board that the company is in danger of an asset stripping […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow The largest oil concession in the world is changing direction as Glencore may be losing out in Russia again. Announcements last week from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin indicate that the movement of Russian oil for export is now to be supervised by Putin’s former chief Kremlin aide, Igor Sechin, who […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
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On Saturday May 17 this site was attacked by a Russian, who left behind a trail of technical identifiers, and whose identity is known. The feedback confirms the accuracy and value of the materials posted on the site during the past week. We appreciate the backhanded acknowledgement.

by John Helmer - Sunday, May 18th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Announcement from ADC suggests there is more value in the Grib pipe than De Beers report calculates. Archangel Diamond Corporation (ADC), the Toronto-listed junior diamond miner, headed by De Beers lawyer Jonathan Dickman, has trapped itself in an awkward contradiction over the value of its Russian asset, the Grib pipe […]

by John Helmer - Sunday, May 18th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow De Beers report heightens geotechnical and political challenges in Archangel diamond mining project. To adapt the old saw, a great many fresh girls are going to be obliged to make diamonds their best friends before Grib, Russia’s newest, and possibly largest, diamond pipe, can make enough profit to justify digging. […]

by John Helmer - Friday, May 16th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Fate of Rusal shareholding hinges on evidence in UK, Swiss and Israeli courts In what is shaping up as the most significant case against the Russian business oligarchy ever argued in an international court, Oleg Deripaska, Russia’s richest man, has told the UK High Court, in his defence, that he […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
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