Economics
Russian Oil Giant Hoards $44 Billion Cash in Sanctions' Shadow
- Surgutneftegas may be stuck with cash if curbs are imposed
- Rising concerns U.S. may hit company after sanctioning CEO
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg
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Surgutneftegas OJSC, Russia’s fourth-largest oil producer, is consolidating its position as the country’s richest company by amassing $44 billion in cash and bank deposits even as risks of further U.S. sanctions mount.
The Siberian driller increased its cash pile 6 percent in dollar terms last year, according to a statement Saturday. Surgutneftegas didn’t include a breakdown by currency in its 2017 report to international standards. For at least the past six years, it has held most of the cash in the U.S. greenback.