Yukos awaits U.S. bankruptcy fate

Embattled Russian oil giant Yukos is set to learn if a U.S. bankruptcy court will try to block the sale of its main production unit this weekend.

However, lawyers and analysts said Thursday they expected Moscow would put Yuganskneftegaz up for auction on December 19 at a starting price of $9 billion, in pursuit of back-tax totaling $27 billion.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/BUSINESS/12/16/yukos/index.html