1. The Turbulent History of Foreign Involvement in the Russian Oil and Gas Industry -- 2. A Review of Academic Theory on Joint Ventures, Partnership and the Importance of Local Knowledge -- 3. Joint Ventures from the 1990s -- 4. The Key Drivers of Foreign Partner Success : A Quantitative Analysis -- 5. Experiences in the Putin Era -- 6. Reflections on at TNK-BP -- 7. Conclusions on a Strategy for Foreign Partners.