Interesting - when I worked for an oil co in cali decades ago (summers/college) it was the ONLY oil co. allowed in/out of Russia (Dr. Armand Hammer had Russian connections - mother or father Russian born and he provided them with necessary medical products/etc. and pencils/necessities) and seems they had some serious oil then/resource rich. Hammer had already hit YUGE in Libya - I mean hit mammoth!
Russia needs help with exploration or what's the problem. Who cares where it comes from either they have it or they don't.