Creditors came to RU-Energy Group

Contractors and bankers are preparing applications to the courts and prosecutor's office

RU-Energy Group, which owns a number of oil service enterprises in Yamal, may be on the verge of ruin. New troubles were added to the holding's problems with workers, authorities and business partners. This time, concerns are expressed by bankers who at one time gave the holding money to purchase enterprises. They are worried about the lack of loan payments; according to some reports, applications to the prosecutor's office are already ready. At the same time, RU-Energy owes its contractors half a billion rubles. The debt burden, however, does not prevent the holding from purchasing new assets. The deal to acquire the Volgograd Drilling Equipment Plant for 4 billion rubles is currently in the final stage. Read about why this situation has developed and what will happen to thousands of workers employed at the holding’s enterprises in the Znak.com article.

The notorious RU-Energy group of companies, which owns several oil service enterprises in Yamal, is still unable to solve its problems. As Znak.com learned, the holding's creditors are considering appealing to the prosecutor's office. In addition, similar statements are written by numerous contractors of the company, who have also not been paid for a long time: the holding’s total debt to them is already about 500 million rubles.

Let us recall that the RU-Energy Group company acquired several oil service companies from Gazprom Neft at the end of 2010. At that time, these were stable enterprises capable of generating sustainable profits for their owners. RU-Energy shelled out significant money for the acquisitions, apparently counting on quick profits: in addition to guaranteed volumes from Gazprom Neft, other oil and gas companies are actively developing fields in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The company did not have its own funds at that time, and RU-Energy Group applied for loans from banks. In particular, a loan of 5 billion rubles was issued to the holding by the Moscow Bank of Sberbank of Russia.

Unfortunately, experts are already saying with confidence that the new owners have failed to manage oilfield services. Instead of developing human potential, modernizing equipment, attracting new customers, using unique experience, all efforts were aimed at maximizing profits in the short term. The proceeds were used to repay loans and actively purchase assets in other regions. In particular, RU-Energy bought the Volgograd Drilling Equipment Plant for 4 billion rubles, the former owners of which, according to our sources, have Cypriot citizenship.

All this time, the enterprise continued to have friction with its own workers, who instantly felt the change of ownership firsthand. Salaries were cut by 20%, and the signing of a collective agreement providing social guarantees was delayed for several months. Although by the time of the purchase the personnel were the pride of the enterprises - according to experts, some of the best representatives of their industry worked there - people began to leave the enterprises in the hundreds.

“To specialists who have worked in the industry for many years, the intentions of the “Varangians” appointed to leadership positions in RU-Energy Group instantly became obvious,” says one of the trade union activists. – In the social sphere, terrible changes have occurred in oil services over the past two years. Despite the fact that after the intervention of the district authorities, a working version of the collective agreement was signed, we still have a lot of questions for the company’s management. We especially regret the departed specialists. By the way, the majority later found work at Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk and Gazpromneft-Noyabrskneftegaz, which indicates their high qualifications.”

Let us note that instead of active anti-crisis actions, the owners of the enterprise preferred to look for external enemies. By focusing on this, they lost control of the situation.

“Today, the former advanced oil services are a devastated land,” says a Znak.com interlocutor familiar with the situation. – The quality of services is deteriorating from year to year. Management has driven the companies to the brink and is now trying by any means necessary to keep the enterprises afloat. And the remaining employees at the enterprises turned out to be hostages of the situation, with whom the management is hiding behind them as a human shield.”

It should be noted that the oil service enterprises of RU-Energy currently employ about 5 thousand people, and now their prospects largely depend on whether the holding’s management can quickly resolve their problems. By the way, according to our data, the next anti-crisis headquarters is scheduled to be held in Noyabrsk this week with the participation of the holding’s management and government representatives.