The Russian visas of most expatriate TNK-BP Holding (TNBP.RS) employees are scheduled to expire in late July, TNK-BP Chief Operating Officer Tim Summers said at a news briefing Thursday, Prime-Tass news agency reported.
Only 10 expatriate TNK-BP employees have had their visas renewed, he said.
Four TNK-BP expatriates had to leave Russia last week and another six are expected to leave this week, Summers said.
He added that TNK-BP hopes the expatriates' visa problems will be resolved.
Summers also said that, if TNK-BP CEO Robert Dudley were to leave Russia, he would be replaced by one of the company's four top managers: German Khan, Viktor Vekselberg, Jim Owen, or Summers himself. Russian authorities have so far refused to issue Dudley a new work visa, arguing that he has no valid employment contract with TNK-BP.
In addition to TNK-BP's own foreign staff, specialists seconded by U.K.-based oil company BP PLC (BP) to TNK-BP have also had problems with their visas. BP said Tuesday it would withdraw all of the secondees from Russia.
BP and TNK-BP's Russian shareholders, which hold 50% each in the venture, are currently embroiled in a conflict over control over the company.