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State capitalism and Russia's energy strategy in the Far East / William Partlett, Brookings, 4 Jan. 2012http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2012/0104_russia_energy_strategy_partlett.aspxWhile Moscow was witnessing its largest protests in decades last month, a life and death struggle was taking place in the frigid waters of the Russian Far East. On December 18, as the Gazprom-owned Kolskaya rig was being towed across the Sea of Okhotsk to Sakhalin Island, a massive storm swept in. Facing six-meter swells and gale force winds, the small jack-up rig stood little chance. In less than 30 minutes, the rig had sunk, forcing all 67 rig workers into frigid waters 200 kilometers from land. After days of frantic searching, only 14 crew members were rescued. With 53 rig workers dead, the Russian offshore oil and gas industry now faces the largest disaster in its history...