A version of this article appeared in print on January 19, 2011, on page B3 of the New York edition.
By ANDREW E. KRAMER and JULIA WERDIGIER
MOSCOW The British petroleum giant BPs new deal to explore the Russian Arctic in partnership with a state-owned oil company has drawn protests from a group of private Russian investors with whom BP has a separate partnership.
The Russian private partners of BPs separate and longstanding joint venture here, TNK-BP, say they were not adequately consulted about the Arctic exploration agreement that BP announced on Friday with the state-owned Rosneft.
On Tuesday, a representative of the TNK-BP partners said the Rosneft deal violated a 2003 shareholder agreement that required BP to first consult the management of that joint venture before negotiating new business with others in Russia or Ukraine.