British Petroleum’s Russian venture, TNK-BP, denied today that it might be forced to stop production at its largest Siberian field following reports that the energy industry’s regulator alleged the firm was developing the field in violation of the law.

Russian rescuers today used their hands to dig though the rubble of a Siberian mine shaft as hopes dwindled of finding any more survivors of a methane blast that killed at least 40 coal miners and left seven others missing.