Vidu quits Rompetrol over Black Sea gas scandal

"I do not know Mr. Patriciu, we have never shaken hands. I have only seen him on TV or at press conferences, but we never talked," said Nicolae Vidu, Deputy General Manager of Sterling Resources' local branch, Midia Resources, a company that leased two Black Sea perimeters with significant natural gas reserves.

Vidu recently resigned as administrator of Rompetrol Well Services company, part of the Rompetrol energy group, led by one of Romania's wealthiest businesspeople, Dinu Patriciu.

His resignation comes amid a scandal that broke out on Tuesday, after the Hague-based International Court of Justice ruled in favor of Romania in a dispute with Ukraine regarding the maritime perimeter around the Serpents' Island, which has estimated reserves of 100 billion cubic meters of gas and 10 million tons of oil.

Hours after the ruling, comments surfaced on the lease to Canadian Sterling Resources energy group of two perimeters, Midia and Pelican, in connection with the viability and size of the lease. The scandal resulted in the sacking of the President of the National Agency for Mineral Resources (ANRM), Bogdan Gabudeanu, and Prime Minister Emil Boc ordered that legal proceedings be initiated to make public the annex to the Government Ordinance regarding the approval contained therein in connection with the contract for the Pelican and Midia perimeters.

The lease of the two areas was made through Midia Resources, led by Stephen Birrell, who is also Vice President of Sterling Resources Ltd.

Business Standard