MOSCOW, September 13 - RAPSI. Bailiffs' search of BP's Moscow office for documents related to a minority shareholder lawsuit have been suspended, BP reports.

BP and Rosneft agreed to a share swap (5 percent of BP shares for 9.5 percent of Rosneft shares) and joint development of the Russian Arctic shelf in January. However, the AAR Consortium, representing Russian TNK-BP shareholders, blocked execution of the agreement. Further negotiations were terminated in June.

TNK-BP's minority shareholders filed suit, arguing that the agreement's failure violated the interests of ТNК-ВР shareholders, since becoming Rosneft's partner under the agreement would have benefited the company. They have claimed 87.112 billion rubles ($3 billion) in damages.

Bailiffs seized documents at the BP Moscow office on August 31 and September 1 in connection with the lawsuit filed by TNK-BP's minority shareholders against former TNK-BP board members Peter A. Charow and Richard S. Sloan. The court involved BP Exploration Operating Company Limited as a third party.

Bailiffs have been ordered to suspend their search of the ВР Exploration Operating Company Limited (ВР ЕОС) Moscow office until September 22in order to gain clarification as to which documents they must seize according to the Tyumen Region Commercial Court judgment that allowed the search and seizure.