BP's Russian partners in its joint venture with TNK tightened the screws on the British company to scrap or modify a rival tie-up with state oil group Rosneft by voting against a $1.8 billion dividend payout. Monday's move could limit BP's scope to increase its own dividend and overshadow its 2010 results on Tuesday, when the company is expected to reinstate its payout, which it cancelled at the height of its Gulf of Mexico oil spill last summer. The vote against the TNK-BP dividend also comes a day before a London court is due to hear TNK-BP's lawsuit seeking an injunction against the BP-Rosneft deal.
Source
