Rusneftegaz has set forth a comprehensive plan to end permanent remote working across all company sites and locations as soon as practicable, with all office-based personnel expected to be functioning from their conventional places of work at least two days per week by the beginning of April. Whilst a significant percentage of staff have returned to their regular place of work voluntarily, management now believes it is now an appropriate time to begin to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. After an extensive internal consultation, it has been determined that the vast majority of our employees elected to be vaccinated, and data collated rigorously since March 2020 indicated that workers in an office are more efficient than their colleagues whom complete their roles from elsewhere. Likewise, tasks organized in a professional environment allow for greater analysis, subjectivity and collaboration between workers, and also for assignments to be finished expediently when compared to those working remotely. Whilst certain staff shall only visit their workstations two days per week initially, management is set to install a phased plan for a full return to the pre-2020 regimen, regardless of employee vaccination status, unless local regulations otherwise dictate. In response to this announcement, our Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Aleksandr Filyurin, gave this statement: 

​“From a personal perspective, I am delighted that we are able to announce a permanent end of the remote working arrangement. We originally intended to try and end this last year, but obviously that was impossible from a health perspective. We have observed that for the majority of our staff who have made use of our remote working arrangement that their productivity has been much worse than working in an office environment. Now, there are many reasons for this, and I am not going to blame anyone in particular, but this needs to end, and it needs to end completely. We are obviously willing to accommodate some of our staff who are more hesitant to return to normality for health reasons, but fortunately this is rare, and we think there are alternative remedies for this. Like I said, I am very pleased with this announcement, as we all are, and I hope that I am able to provide you with another update soon as we look to bring this period to an end.” 

By the beginning of April, it is anticipated that a sizeable majority of all our personnel shall be at their workstations full-time, although a staged approach may be available in certain instances at the discretion of local directors for those unable to return. Those who are returning should be reassured that management continues to maintain meticulous systems to guarantee employee health, for example, the fastidious and thorough cleaning regime implemented at the onset of the crisis is to be retained for the foreseeable future, and it has been undertaken that site managers will continue to ensure all workplaces are well ventilated. Whilst, certain coronavirus mitigation measures are to be abolished, those who contract coronavirus will be expected to work remotely or take sick leave accordingly. However, we will no longer be conducting temperature checks upon arrival in locations where this practice has continued to be mandatory, and staff will be advised to wear facial protection, such as a mask, visor or covering, in lieu of a company-wide mandate. Similarly, management intends to remove distancing provisions, such as transparent barriers, from all sites unless staff specifically request otherwise. Across all locations, it will become the prerogative of the employee to decide if they wish to remain apart from their colleagues, but Rusneftegaz will not accommodate unreasonable requests to preserve distancing measures. Any employer queries regarding these changes should be directed towards their corresponding manager, and we necessitate your cooperation and understanding with this crucial matter.

Rusneftegaz has published a preliminary calendar for the next fiscal year, with the scheduled disclosure of our consolidated financial statements on 7 April 2022 acting as the main highlight of what is set to be a busy year for us. This is immediately followed by our annual general meeting later that same week, where we intend to convene with our key stakeholders to discuss both our short and long-term plans. At the moment, this it is currently due to be held on 10 April 2022, albeit this date is subject to change prior to any further announcements. Moreover, it is the intention of the board of directors to host attendees in-person at a venue, although our organization retains the contingency of holding the event virtually, as per the previous two conferences, if circumstances change. On a more routine basis we plan to continue distributing full quarterly production reports four weeks after the cessation of each period, but there may be discrepancies between the time this information is circulated to relevant parties and when this material is uploaded onto our website, particularly when considering the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

​However, in the more immediate future it should also be noted that we will have a reduced capacity to respond to any nonessential matters, including via email and telephone, due to staff vacations occurring throughout the Christmas and New Year holiday. This disruption, which is expected to occur between 24 December 2021 and 10 January 2022, will not affect any of our other operations and will only impact our administrative functions. As a result, it is imperative that any correspondences be submitted to us as soon as possible to guarantee a response, although all messages received during this time will be monitored and receive a reply if necessary. At the end of this timeframe, we will strive to address all pending communications within one working day, as will all our affiliates and subsidiaries who are also affected by this. The new provisional calendar can be viewed in its entirety on our website, and whilst all the dates above are liable to be modified at the discretion of the board, management considers any major alterations unlikely in spite on the challenges of the past few years. Any queries regarding this announcement should be directed through the usual channels at your earliest convenience, principally to ensure an answer before our ability to do so is limited. We necessitate your cooperation and understanding regarding this pertinent topic.

Three days ago, Rusneftegaz celebrated the achievements of our staff throughout the last year by bestowing awards upon worthy winners at an event held virtually. As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a formal ceremony in Moscow was again eschewed, with prizes being distributed by the contemporaries of those selected for accolades instead of executives. All the individuals chosen for recognition were nominated by both their colleagues and managers in appreciation of their hard work or outstanding contribution to our enterprise over the last twelve months. Foremost, the management board elected to present twenty members of our team with special commendations for their remarkable work over the past year, which was compounded by the difficulties and inconveniences of our disease mitigation policies. Such a large total is unprecedented in our corporate history, with most such rewards typically being granted for long service or noteworthy feats. For instance, five of our personnel have been recognized for assuming extraordinary workloads while their peers were in quarantine, with our company doctor, Leonid Balakin, also honored for his exceptional performance over the past eighteen months. At the end of the night, our Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Aleksandr Filyurin, delivered the following remarks: 

“The board and I would like to place on record our congratulations to all the award winners. We continue to be amazed by what our staff are willing to do to help Rusneftegaz, especially considering the tough year we have faced. Understandably, there have been many challenges this year, but as a team we have faced them, and we are better because of it. Speaking from a personal perspective, I am very proud of what we have managed to achieve despite these challenges, and I think we will see the rewards of this next year. I, along with all the people I have been speaking to, have started to see the light at the end of the tunnel of this pandemic. Obviously, there are a lot of caveats, and I am not a medical expert, but I can see lots of reasons to be optimistic about next year. In an ideal scenario, we will be able to put all our existing plans back into motion and continue as if none of this ever happened. The board and I are working very hard to be prepared if that is the case, so that we are ready to get back to normal and continue to realize our ambitions to become one of the largest companies in the world.” 

The main winners of the evening were Oleg Patrushev and Eduard Kopeykin, who were named employee and young employee of the year, respectively. The judges looked particularly favorably upon the accomplishments of the former when he had to unexpectedly lead a team of fellow engineers to urgently fix a major fault at one of our production sites. Similarly, the latter finished an admirable second in his class at the end of the academic year, in spite of a family tragedy having a significant impact on his studies. As an organization, we hope that this recognition will inspire all recipients to strive to attain even greater success, and we will endeavor to continue acknowledging the efforts of all our workers. It is important to note that although this function was held remotely, all appropriate coronavirus prevention procedures were adhered to as the prizes were presented. However, we are broadly optimistic that next year we will be able to arrange for this occasion to be held with all attendees present in Moscow, as current and continuing circumstances have determined that such an event has not taken place in person since 2019. Regardless of whether this happens, we shall always be grateful to all our staff for what we are forecasting to be another twelve months of prosperity.