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 Gazprom Neft Novy Port with Gazprom Neft as the operator of the project. In spring 2011, Gazprom Neft confirmed the viability of year-round supply from the field by sea. The Novoportovskoye field will be developed in two phases, first focussing on the southern part of the field where peak production will reach 5 mln tonnes of oil per year. The second phase will look at the northern part of the field, where peak production is expected to reach 3 mln tonnes of oil per year. The Messoyakha Group of oil and gas fields consists of the West-Messoyakha and East-Messoyakha sites.