Russia is planting flags in the Middle East
Pragmatism and a tolerance for risk are giving Russian energy interests an edge in the region
Sometime in 2024, capacity at Iran's sole nuclear power facility, at Bushehr on the Gulf coast, will double to 2 gigawatts. A couple of years after, another 1GW reactor is due online. If nothing else, Iran is coming good on its civilian nuclear ambitions. Russia, whose state atomic firm Rosatom is building the two new plants, is the enabler. Russia's and Iran's energy plans don't stop at reactors. Lukoil, a private firm but Russia's second-biggest oil producer, and state-controlled Gazprom both have Tehran's approval to bid for upstream projects. Lukoil, which hopes to develop the Abe Timur and Mansuri fields, in western Iran, says the country "is our target area at the moment". Gazprom, whi
Also in this section
27 February 2026
LNG would serve as a backup supply source as domestic gas declines and the country’s energy system comes under stress during periods of low hydropower output and high energy demand
27 February 2026
The assumption that oil markets will re-route and work around sanctions is being tested, and it is the physical infrastructure that is acting as the constraint
27 February 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress to take place in tandem as part of a coordinated week of high-level ministerial, institutional and industry engagements
27 February 2026
The deepwater sector must be brave by fast-tracking projects and making progress to seize huge offshore opportunities and not become bogged down by capacity constraints and consolidation
