Research and Development

​Rusneftegaz places significant onus on innovation and advancement through the development of new technologies and approaches to satisfy our stringent sustainability and efficiency targets. Thus, our organization invests both financial and intellectual resources in research and development, not only for both the short and long-term benefit of the Russian Federation, but also the global oil and energy industries on a larger scale. This is ultimately enshrined in a comprehensive five-year research and development plan, detailing the design, engineering and technical measures to be undertaken to improve Rusneftegaz’s operations, including the development, implementation, and introduction of new equipment and methods. The strategy, which was last reviewed in 2020 and is due to be replaced at the beginning of 2025, is primarily based upon ensuring the maximum lifespan and viability of certain assets which are integral to Rusneftegaz’s long-term strategic goals. This also includes senior company researchers analyzing new or revised best practices from around the world, in addition to reviewing internal requirements for labor-saving and cost-reducing apparatus.

​Whilst the majority of Rusneftegaz’s research policies are focused on our own immediate economic advancement, our organization has otherwise placed considerable impetus on the development of future power sources. For example, the Group has committed to invest in the next generation of sustainable technologies, and in all production areas there are plans to invest to improve commercial efficiency and raise effectiveness in the future. The Group believes that the latter can be expedited via research and development conducted both externally and internally, and therefore regularly contributes to projects conducted by learned academics and institutions. Thus, Rusneftegaz has recently begun studies to develop hydrogen, a potential alternative to traditional fuels, from modified catalytic reformation techniques. This particular program has been organized with the intention that our company one day acquires the collective knowledge and intellectual property to become one of the largest commercial producers of the element within ten years. Whilst current attention centers upon improvements in battery technology and energy storage, the most effective medium to power larger vehicles, including airplanes and rockets, involves the reformation of water molecules into useful, hydrogen fuel. Our research department is also currently investigating how to improve existing electrolysis technologies, which are used to separate hydrogen molecules from water using electricity. Should these programs successfully result in a decline in the production cost of hydrogen, our forecasts project that in the future, Rusneftegaz has the potential to transform into a leader in this new market.

​As a consequence of this, Rusneftegaz has refined a blueprint to effectively manage any intellectual property requirements arising as a result of successful research and development projects orchestrated by our organization. Fundamentally, the company believes that if an innovation arises as a result of our work a legal process should be undertaken to protect our investment, whilst also progressing the longer-term interests of the Russian Federation, in conjunction with all relevant industries. To also facilitate the scientific advance of our nation, Rusneftegaz intends to establish prizes for adults and youth alike to contribute proposals and ideas for our future research and development plans. We believe that an annual award with financial remuneration with participation by external parties has the potential to mitigate the effects of groupthink among our staff, yielding less hegemony and creating new points of view. Collaboration with independent individuals and group is a central tenet of our research policies, and as previously aforementioned, Rusneftegaz periodically submits data to educational establishments, predominantly to contribute to scientific research projects. Each year, our company receives requests for collaboration from institutions both in Russia and abroad, and we create an annual program to render assistance to as many organizations as possible. This mostly includes contributing to geological studies, such as seismology, but also incorporates the supply of data and samples under the terms of agreements with non-academic bodies.