Changes in Russia's taxation policies will have a positive effect on the country's upstream development, enabling a high level of exports for years to come, according to a report by ESAI Energy LLC. "Key tax policy decisions will favor upstream development over the refining sector, eliminating competing objectives that have heretofore threatened to undermine Russia's growing role of crude supplier to the world," says the report, entitled "Russia Comes of Age." The report said, "New export duties shift profitability and investment to upstream development, and are expected to halt increases in refinery throughput after 13 consecutive years of growth. As a result, Ru...