Woodside, which started life as a small exploration firm in the mid-1950s, has a 53.85% controlling stake in the project.

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Several months later, when Russian state monopoly Gazprom bought a controlling stake in the project from its shareholders - foreign companies Royal Dutch Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi - the dispute was settled.

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The report also criticised the board that oversaw the construction of the building, describing it as "ineffective in controlling or giving direction to the project".

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More than 50% of companies can do all of the SOx work internally, but the largest companies sometimes use up to two outside service providers, often controlling internal and external resources via a project management organization (PMO ).

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The recommendation comes amid federal budget debates over reducing the nation's spending levels and controlling debt, which had prompted some discussion about scaling back the project's size and scope or possibly keeping the current research lab in New York.

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