Gazprom members, such as Chernomyrdin and the Gazprom Chief Executive Officer, Rem Viakhirev, engaged in asset-stripping. Gazprom assets were shared amongst their relatives. Itera, a gas trading company also received Gazprom assets. In March 1998, for reasons unrelated to his activities at Gazprom, Chernomyrdin was fired by Yeltsin. On 30 June 1998, Chernomyrdin was made Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprom. When, in June 2000, Vladimir Putin became the President of Russia, he acted to gain control over Russia's oligarchs, and increase the Government of Russia's control in important companies through a program of national champions. Putin fired Chernomyrdin
Gazprom Neft Neft. Acquisition of interest in the Garmian (40%) and Shakal (80%) projects in Kurdistan region in 2012. In 2013 the company entered the Halabja project (80% share) with reserves of 90 mln tonnes of oil. Sibneft was the official sponsor of the CSKA Moscow football team. However, Gazprom Neft cancelled this deal in 2005 after Gazprom bought a majority stake in fellow Russian Premier Division football side, FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. Gazprom Neft also sponsors the Avangard Omsk and SKA ice hockey clubs, and a variety of running, five-a-side football, Nordic skiing and motorcross events. In 2010, Gazprom Neft and