“Saratovneftegas” meets the professional holiday with a victory

- Sergei Nikolayevich, is the victory at the review competition a regularity, or a matter of the principle “at home even the walls help”?
- Of course,  the fact that the competition was held at our company  can’t be underestimated. But I think that considerable investments of “Saratovneftegas” into human resources should give excellent results. Nowadays professionalism of personnel is one of the main conditions of success. Personnel training at our plant is effected under a special program on the basis of production needs. For example, in 2006 spending for this purpose amounted to 5.225 million rubles, 1389 employees of “Saratovneftgas” and its subsidiaries underwent professional training and upgraded. qualifications. We organize annual scientific and practice conferences for young specialists – the future of our company.

- A team of such professionalism and qualification means good production growth rate?

- This year we keep at the same level in comparison with 2006. We plan to invest in exploration and drilling works 15 % more than last year, and on the whole the amount of investments of “RussNeft” in Saratov subsidiaries will amount to 842 million rubles. The planned spending for industrial security and labor protection will amount to 26.9 million rubles, and for ecology projects – more than 20 million rubles.

- Social package of the oilmen is traditionally a model for other employers…

- Of course, high production results depend considerably on the social program. The collective agreement includes besides indexation of the salaries: voluntary medical insurance, non-state pension benefits, housing program, sanatorium treatment and  vacation tours for the employees and their families, reduction of food costs, cheapening of meals, sport and culture events. Our social package  was acknowledged the winner of a contest held in the region:  “Collective agreement and efficiency of production – as the basis of protection of social and labor rights of citizens”.

- Will you tell me a few words about your interrelations with the administration of the region. Are there any problems?

- In June “RussNeft” and the government of Saratov Region entered into another, this time a long-term (2007-2009), agreement of cooperation. I’d call our relations constructive. We have the same purpose – to provide development of the region on the whole, and to resolve minor local problems. As a large-scale business company we must help in the cases were budget means are not sufficient for resolving of a problem. By the way, this year we are planning to spend for charity purposes more than 40 million rubles.

- What are you going to spend this money for?

- As I have already mentioned we work in close cooperation with  the local government so our priorities coincide with those approved by the Coordination Council of the region – sponsoring of health, educational  and social institutions,  reconstructions of memorials of art, development of children’s and mass sports.
Let me number some of the most significant projects implemented this year/ We repaired a new building for Krasnoyarsk ambulance, purchased necessary equipment for geological department of Saratov State University,  bought furnityre for Saratov Medical Institute.
“Saratovneftegas”  took part in sponsoring of an exciting event: Motor Sport Cup  of the Russian Federation. It was held on the Day of Cosmonautics at the spot where Yuri Gagarin had landed. “Russneft” rendered help in construction of a new church in the settlement Stepnoye  (it was the first new church in the district”). We  also try to take active part in the art events of the Region: in 2007 “Sarartovneftegas” sponsored two international festivals-  XX Sobinov festival and XVI Organ Music festival. Our company helped Saratov considerably to organize “The Day of the City”.