Russian energy company Gazprom will be able to continue as normal even if oil prices drop to $30 per barrel, the company’s finance director said Thursday. The Russian economy is entering a period of prolonged weakness because of the dual strains of Western sanctions imposed in response to crises in Ukraine and a weak crude oil market. Though recovering, crude oil prices are about 40 percent less than they were in June 2014. With few signs of a cease-fire holding in eastern Ukraine, some Western powers have enacted additional sanctions on Russia . Gazprom Finance Director Andrei Kruglov told state-run television the company planned for oil prices in the range of $30-40 per barrel when drafting its 2015 budget . “The company will be ready to implement all […]