Gazprom Neft, as one of Russia’s oil and gas industry leaders, is committed to working towards high-technology production solutions, and is involved in training specialists in a wide range of areas — including geologists, mathematicians, physicists, chemists, and many others able to provide analytical, methodological, scientific and technical support for exploration, production and oil refining operations.

The Developing Talent tournament is held as part of the Gazprom Neft “Home Towns” corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. The competition’s format, developed in line with current international best practice, is intended to develop high school students’ research skills, and heighten their interest in the profession.

The format of the competition, again developed in line with current international best practice, is a personal and team competition for students at general and specialist high schools, aged 14 to 18, able to resolve complex research challenges in the oil and gas industry, present their solutions convincingly, and defend them in scientific discussions.

Applications are traditionally accepted from Russia’s “Day of Knowledge” on 1 September, until early October. Registered participants will then form teams of three people and will receive a research assignment on oil extraction or refining. Following assessments of work submitted, experts from Gazprom Neft’s Science and Technology Centre will select two teams from each region to take part in the final.

The teams behind the best and most interesting projects will meet in St Petersburg during the autumn break, where they will present their solutions to experts in person, visit the Gazprom Neft Science and Technology Centre, take part in training sessions to develop their teamworking and presentational skills, and visit St Petersburg’s leading specialist higher educational institutions — as well as getting to know other interested and talented young people from other regions.

The Gazprom Neft “Home Towns” corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme is directed at improving quality of life in those cities in which the company operates, and improving residents’ access to high-quality urban environments, education and culture. The company’s CSR programme is built into the company’s Development Strategy, a core element of which concerns the integrated development of those territories in which it operates.