▁this ▁was ▁sh el ved ▁due ▁to ▁high ▁costs ▁and ▁low ▁gas ▁prices . ▁It ▁then ▁shift ed ▁from ▁partners hip ▁with ▁Gaz prom ▁to ▁Ros ne ft , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁companies , ▁have ▁d ril led ▁for ▁oil ▁in ▁several ▁areas ▁of ▁Russia , ▁again ▁without ▁any ▁major ▁finds . ▁After ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁san ctions ▁against ▁Russia ▁over ▁the ▁conflict ▁in ▁Ukraine , ▁Equ in or ▁has ▁kept ▁a ▁much ▁lower ▁public ▁profile ▁on ▁its ▁Russian ▁activities ▁while ▁continu ing ▁largely ▁as ▁before . ▁ ▁The ▁Norwegian ▁econom ics ▁professor ▁Karl ▁O ve ▁Mo ene ▁has , ▁in ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁business ▁daily ▁D agens ▁N ær ings liv , ▁raised ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁Equ in or ▁and ▁resource ▁cur se . ▁Much ▁economic ▁research ▁show ▁that , ▁while ▁natural ▁resources ▁are ▁positive ▁for ▁nations ▁with ▁sound ▁political ▁structures , ▁such ▁as ▁Norway , ▁they ▁are ▁negative ▁for ▁nations ▁with ▁uns ound ▁political ▁structures , ▁and ▁will , ▁despite ▁the ▁rich es , ▁result ▁in ▁a ▁lower ▁economic ▁growth . ▁Besides ▁his ▁own ▁research , ▁Mo ene ▁also ▁points ▁to ▁similar ▁results ▁from ▁Paul ▁Col lier . ▁ ▁P ipeline ▁operations ▁Equ in or ▁is ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁pip elines , ▁including ▁Ze ep ipe , ▁Stat pipe , ▁Europ ipe ▁I ▁and ▁Europ ipe ▁II , ▁and ▁Fran pipe ▁from ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁contin ental ▁sh elf ▁to ▁Western ▁Europe ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁B aku - T bil isi - C ey han ▁pipeline ▁in ▁C au