1.   Huge deposits in Russia and the Caspian Sea region are now open to Western oil companies flush with cash.

2.   The reported talks come in a year set to be the biggest ever for mergers, as companies flush with profits try to expand through acquisitions.

3.   The reported talks come in a year set to be the biggest ever for mergers in the U.S., as companies flush with profits try to expand through acquisitions.

4.   The talks come in a year set to be a record for mergers and acquisitions in the United States, as companies flush with profits try to expand.

5.   Western companies flush with cash were once considered essential to the development of oil fields in Russia when it was strapped for hard currency.