We all knew that the collapse of BP’s deal with Rosneft to drill in the Arctic was more damaging for BP than it was for its Russian prospective partners.

For BP, the deal represented the chance not only to tap the significant Arctic resources for which Rosneft holds licenses, but also a chance to diversify away from the Gulf of Mexico, and to show the world it can still drill safely in difficult places, even after last year’s spill.

But Rosneft, while preferring the technical skills BP had to offer, still has plenty of options on the table. Big oil companies are lining up to take BP’s place and exploit the Arctic’s resources themselves. And none of them bring the baggage of existing Russian partners who could get in the way.