Energy policy of Russia rate at which Russia’s gas is sold to Germany. Russia's energy superpower status became a hot topic in the European Union in 2006. Russia's large reserves of natural gas have helped give it the title without much debate. Russia has identified natural gas as a key strategic asset, and since 20 July 2006 Gazprom has had the exclusive right to export natural gas. The Russian government is the largest shareholder of Gazprom, and has been accused of manipulating prices for political reasons, particularly in CIS nations. After Russia's annexation of Crimea and involvement in the War in Eastern Ukraine in
Gazprom Neft These companies are developing fields in the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi autonomous areas and the Omsk, Tomsk, Tyumen and Irkutsk regions. Gazprom Neft also holds 50% stakes in three dependent companies: Slavneft, Tomskneft and Salym Petroleum Development. In 2010, Gazprom Neft partnered with Novatek to acquire 51%of SeverEnergia which owns Arktikgaz and Urengoil companies. In 2012, Gazprom Neft refined 43.3 million tonnes of oil. The company wholly or partly owns 5 oil refineries (the Omsk Oil Refinery, Moscow Oil Refinery, Slavneft-Yaroslavnefteorgsintez (YANOS) and two oil refineries in Pančevo and Novi Sad that belong to Naftna Industrija Srbije). The company operates around