Gazprom 1980s, the Ministry of Gas Industry found large natural gas reserves in Siberia, the Ural region and the Volga region. The Soviet Union became a major gas producer. In August 1989, under the leadership of Viktor Chernomyrdin, the Ministry of Gas Industry was renamed the "State Gas Concern Gazprom", and became the Soviet Union's first state run corporate enterprise. In late 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved, gas industry assets were transferred to newly established national companies, such as Ukrgazprom and Turkmengazprom. Gazprom kept assets located in Russia and secured a monopoly in the gas sector. In December 1992, when
Gazprom government since the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in 1985." The charges of piracy were dropped in October 2013. In November 2013, twenty-seven of the campaigners were released on bail. Greenpeace has not staged a protest at Prirazlomnaya oil platform since, instead choosing to protest against Western drilling operations due to those countries being considerably more tolerant of their activities. In May 2014, the first shipment of Arctic oil arrived at a refinery in the Netherlands and was purchased by the French company, Total. Gazprom Public Joint Stock Company Gazprom (, "Publichnoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Gazprom", abbreviated PAO Gazprom, , )