What is "surgutneftegas"

Surgutneftegaz is a Russian oil and gas company created in 1993 by merging several previously state-owned companies owning large oil and gas reserves in Western Siberia. The company's headquarters are located in Surgut, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

The company is believed to have close ties to the Kremlin under Vladimir Putin. Surgutneftegas includes a large oil refinery in Kirishi, Leningrad Oblast, operated by the Kirishinefteorgsintez subsidiary. The company is also engaged in fuel retail activities in north-west Russia by cooperating with the Petersburg Fuel Company. Surgutneftegas is also a shareholder of Oneximbank (Объединённый экспортно-импортный банк). From the beginning Surgutneftegas has been led by president and director general Vladimir Bogdanov, who had run the Surgut oil fields since 1983.