Speculations
Analysts have suggested three versions about Baikalfinansgroup. According to the first version, Baikalfinansgroup is a front for Gazprom. Gazprom was unable to secure the funding for the purchase from Western banks and may have been unwilling to seek the funding from Russian banks, due to the risk of the Houston court taking action against Gazprom assets.
The second version is that Baikalfinansgroup may be a front for the secretive pro-government Surgutneftegaz company, Russia's fourth biggest energy supplier, which has extensive business interests in Tver. The Vedomosti and Gazeta newspapers reported that the man and woman representing Baikalfinansgroup at the auction are both employees of Surgutneftegaz and identified them as Igor Minibayev, an administrative manager, and Valentina Komarova, deputy head of Surgutneftegaz's finance division.
Third, Baikalfinansgroup could be a front for the Russian government itself. The company must pay the full auction price within two weeks; if it defaults, the auction is declared to be invalid. Then, Yuganskneftegaz would become state property and can then be assigned wherever the Russian government wishes.
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http://www.skweezer.net/s.aspx/2/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikalfinansgroup#Yuganskneftegaz_auction