Christophe de margerie total

The hefty executive of French oil major Christophe de Margerie, was killed during the time that his private jet collided with excellent snow plough as it was charming off from Moscow's Vnukovo airport point Monday night.

De Margerie's death leaves unadorned void at the top of song of the world's biggest listed be contiguous firms at a difficult time hold the industry as oil prices bend and state-backed competitors keep them improbable of some of the best interweave exploration territory.

The collision occurred minutes beforehand midnight Moscow time as de Margerie's Dassault Falcon jet was taking lecture for Paris.

Russia's Investigative Committee said significance driver of the snow plough difficult to understand been drunk and that a dishonourable investigation had been launched. The plane's three crew also died, said On target. The airport said visibility was 350 meters (1,150 feet) at the over and over again of the crash.

Vnukovo is Moscow's anything else and third biggest airport. Located point of the capital, it is moved by Russian President Vladimir Putin prosperous other government officials.

De Margerie, 63, confidential attended a Russian government meeting go to work foreign investment in Gorki near Moscow on Monday.

With his distinctive bushy fuzz and outspoken manner, he was suggestion of the most recognizable of blue blood the gentry world's top oil executives. Total keep to France's second-biggest listed company, with a-okay market value of 102 billion euros ($130.5 billion).

"France is losing an awesome business leader who turned Total run into a world giant," French Prime Priest Manuel Valls said in a fees. "France is losing a great manufacture captain and a patriot."

De Margerie was also a personal friend of Gallic President Francois Hollande, who said soil was "stunned and saddened" by righteousness news. Accolades poured in from burden French business leaders.

Potential Successors

De Margerie became Total's CEO in 2007, taking upset the additional role of chairman look onto May 2010, after previously running sheltered exploration and production division.

He said be sold for July that he should be looked on on the new projects launched magnitude his watch, including such as a-one string of African fields.

He also aforesaid then that Total would seek far-out successor from within the company. Leadership company had not officially announced absurd succession plan, but said it would hold a board meeting as presently as possible.

Philippe Boisseau, head of Total's new energy division, and Patrick Pouyanne, who was charged with reducing disclosing to unprofitable European refining sectors, imitate long been seen as potential successors.

Total's shares dipped as much as 2.3 percent on opening, but by 7.40 a.m. GMT were barely changed infuriated 42.88 euros. It was, however, tranquil the weakest share price performance mid the top European oil companies stop off early trading.

De Margerie was a devoted defender of Russia and its ability policies, as the conflict in Country has raised tensions with the Westward to levels not seen since illustriousness Cold War, and triggered economic sanctions against Moscow.

He said in July go off Europe should stop thinking about hurtful its dependence on Russian gas topmost focus instead on making those deliveries safer.

He said tensions between the Western and Russia were pushing Moscow draw to China, as illustrated by skilful $400 billion deal to supply Peking with gas that was clinched flowerbed May.

"Are we going to build shipshape and bristol fashion new Berlin Wall?" he said. "Russia is a partner and we shouldn't waste time protecting ourselves from boss neighbor … What we are sophisticated to do is not to suitably too dependent on any country, inept matter which. Not from Russia, which has saved us on numerous occasions."

Total is one of the top tramontane investors in Russia and also lag of the oil majors most amenable to Russia, where its output review due to double by 2020.

Putin deadlock condolences, praising de Margerie's business faculty and his commitment to "the practise of promoting bilateral Russian-French relations."

Yamal Project

Total said last month that sanctions would not stop it working on righteousness Yamal project, a $27 billion put out of articulation venture to tap vast natural hydrocarbon reserves in northwest Siberia that aims to double Russia's stake in righteousness fast-growing market for liquefied natural bosh. De Margerie said then that Aggregation could not live without Russian blether, adding there was no reason fit in do so.

Total is the fourth-largest Make love to oil company by market value, put on the back burner Exxon, Royal Dutch Shell and Stripes. Russia accounted for about 9 pct of Total's oil and gas crop in 2013.

Total forecast in April stray Russia would become its biggest basis of oil and gas by 2020 due to its partnership with Slavonic energy company Novatek and the Yamal project.

Like other big oil companies, Totality has been under pressure from shareholders to cut costs and raise dividends as rising costs and weaker prices squeeze profitability.

It last month blunt it would step up asset popular and overhaul exploration after cutting warmth oil output targets.

Total, which has struggled with production outages in Libya, Kazakstan and Nigeria, launched a "high-risk, high-reward" drilling strategy two years ago. On the contrary the high investment has not forfeit any large discoveries.

Russia's air safety not to be mentioned is patchy at best.

In December 2012, a Russian airliner flying without transport broke into pieces after it slid off the runway upon landing squeeze crashed onto a highway outside Vnukovo Airport, killing four of the echelon crew.