????此外，在組建合資企業之前，英國石油公司委托相關機構對秋明石油公司至少進行了三次背景調查。調查報道對秋明石油公司的管理層及其所有者俄羅斯AAR財團（Access-Renova and Alfa Group）的描述令人擔憂。2001年的一份報告指出，AAR財團與俄羅斯政府關系密切，是該國最有影響力的金融工業集團之一。在英國石油公司公司1999年出具的一份內部報告中，目前擔任秋明英國石油公司執行董事的AAR財團創始人之一戈爾曼?罕被形容為“炸藥”；英國石油公司一位高管在2002年撰寫的一封電子郵件中更是把他說成一位“臭名昭著”的人物。

????但秋明石油公司在俄羅斯的權勢也使得該公司成為一個不可抗拒的合作伙伴。英國石油公司內部的一份報告（同樣出自1999年）顯示，秋明石油公司正在迫使英國石油公司在Chernogorneft公司問題上達成某種妥協。這份報告說，一位秋明石油公司高層成員建議“英國石油公司阿莫科- TNK應該收購Chernogorneft公司，并將其當作一個獨立的加盟公司來運作。”2002年，Norex公司就Yugraneft油田問題對秋明石油公司提起訴訟，英國石油公司高層刻意拉開了跟Norex公司的距離。“雖然我們的歷史跟Norex公司遭遇的事件交織在一起，但我們早就與其分道揚鑣，”英國石油公司官員薩姆?貝內特在一份標注日期為2002年2月27日的電子郵件中這樣寫道。貝內特曾經在Sidanco公司工作過。“我們的正式回應是，這件事跟我們毫無關系。”

????最終，英國石油公司抱著盡量往好處想的態度，還是決定與秋明石油公司合作。2003年2月份，英國石油公司宣布雙方將成立一家各持50％股份的合資企業（其中一條規定這家公司將吸收Sidanco公司的資產），并表示將為這家合資企業注資65億美元。據英國石油公司內部文件顯示，這份協議還包括這樣一項條款：英國石油公司將不承擔秋明石油公司與Norex公司糾紛有可能引發的任何損失、索賠或其他任何性質的要求。

????英國石油公司時任CEO布朗勛爵聲稱，這份協議是“一個重大的戰略步驟，英國石油公司將由此進入一個石油和天然氣儲量豐富、擁有巨大增長潛力的國家。”布朗接著說：“英國石油公司早在5年前購買Sidanco公司10%股份的時候，就已進入俄羅斯。我們最初經歷了一段異常艱難的時日……而且學到了許多在俄羅斯做生意的知識。”

????券商奧本海默（Oppenheimer）分析師法德爾?蓋特確定無疑的是，英國石油公司與秋明石油公司組建合資企業時，該公司就明白自己是在自找麻煩。蓋特說，他曾經親眼目睹ARR財團創始人之一米哈伊爾?弗里德曼帶著4名攜帶沖鋒槍的保鏢參加一個簽約會議。“這是我見到過的最荒唐的場景，”他說。“你見過投資人手持沖鋒槍參加會議嗎？”

????BP also commissioned at least three background checks into TNK prior to forming the joint venture. The results: worrisome descriptions of TNK's management and owners, Access-Renova and Alfa Group (AAR). A 2001 report noted that Alfa had close ties with the Russian government and was one of the most influential financial-industrial groups in the country. Alfa Group co-founder German Khan, who is currently the executive director of TNK-BP, was described as "explosive" in a 1999 internal BP report and "notorious" in an email written by a BP executive in 2002.

????But TNK's power within Russia also made the company an extremely compelling partner. According to a BP report, also from 1999, TNK was pressuring BP to reach some sort of compromise over the Chernogorneft matter. The report says that a high level TNK executive suggested "that BP Amoco - TNK should buy and operate Chernogorneft as a separate alliance company." BP officials distanced themselves from Norex in 2002, when Norex sued TNK over Yugraneft. "While our history is intertwined with the events that befell Norex, we long ago parted company on the road to where we find ourselves to-day," wrote BP official Sam Bennett, in an email dated February 27, 2002. Bennett had worked at Sidanco. "Our official response should be that this is nothing to do with us."

????In the end, BP decided to partner with TNK and hope for the best. In February 2003, BP announced the 50-50 joint venture (which would absorb, among other things, Sidanco's assets), and said that it would put $6.5 billion into the partnership. (The deal also included a provision indemnifying BP from any losses, claims or demands of any nature that might arise from TNK's dispute with Norex, according to an internal BP document.)

????Lord Browne, then CEO of BP, called the deal "a major strategic step into a country with massive oil and gas reserves and immense potential for future growth." Brown went on to say: "BP entered Russia five years ago when we bought 10% of Sidanco. We had a tough time initially… and learned a great deal about doing business in Russia."

????Oppenheimer analyst Fadel Gheit has no doubt that BP knew that it was courting trouble when it formed the joint venture with TNK. Gheit says that he saw Alpha co-founder Mikhail Friedman arrive at a meeting for the deal with four bodyguards carrying machine guns. "It was the most ridiculous scene that I've ever witnessed," he says. "Investment meetings with people carrying machine guns?"