Oil and gas industry
The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The largest ...
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Natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon ...
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Gazprom
PJSC Gazprom ( rus, Газпром, , ɡɐzˈprom) is a Russian majority state-owned multinational energy corporation headquartered in the Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg. As of 2019, with sales over $120 billion, it was ranked as the largest ...
(100%) (1990-2022)
Bundesnetzagentur
The Federal Network Agency (german: Bundesnetzagentur or ) is the German regulatory office for electricity, gas, telecommunications, post and railway markets. It is a federal agency of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Act ...
(2022–)
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SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH, a company registered in
Berlin, Germany
Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, as measured by population within city limits having gained this stat ...
, is headquarters of a diversified conglomerate, comprises 40 entities operating in more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia and North America. Under the former name Gazprom Germania GmbH it was a 100% subsidiary of the world's largest natural gas company,
Gazprom
PJSC Gazprom ( rus, Газпром, , ɡɐzˈprom) is a Russian majority state-owned multinational energy corporation headquartered in the Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg. As of 2019, with sales over $120 billion, it was ranked as the largest ...
, from 1990 to 2022. Since 2022, Germany's federal energy regulator – the
Bundesnetzagentur
The Federal Network Agency (german: Bundesnetzagentur or ) is the German regulatory office for electricity, gas, telecommunications, post and railway markets. It is a federal agency of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Act ...
– has controlled the company as a temporary trustee.
General overview
Securing Energy for Europe is active in natural gas sales and marketing, trading, exploration and production, as well as in several large underground storage facilities, many formerly partially owned by Gazprom-Germania. Companies of the group operate in Europe, USA, Central Asia and Singapore.
Securing Energy for Europe owns shares in:
*
Wingas
Wingas GmbH is a gas distribution company located in Kassel, Germany. It is a subsidiary of Gazprom, which held its shares through W&G Beteilligungs-GmbH & Co. KG.
History
Wingas was established in 1993 by BASF subsidiary Wintershall and Gazprom. ...
(100%), with about 18% share of the gas market in Germany a joint venture between Securing Energy for Europe GmbH and
Wintershall
Wintershall Holding GmbH, based in Kassel, was Germany's largest crude oil and natural gas producer. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF. The company was active in oil and gas exploration and production with operations in Europe, North Af ...
, the largest crude oil and natural gas producer in Germany.
*
Vemex s.r.o.
Vemex is a Gazprom-controlled natural gas trading company in the Czech Republic. In addition to the Czech Republic, the company also operates in Slovakia.
The shareholders of Vemex are:
* Securing Energy for Europe GmbH (Germany) - 67%
* Centrex ...
(51%), located in Prague, and controlling about 10-12% of the Czech gas market.
* Gas Project Development Central Asia AG (50%).
* Wintershall Erdgas Handelshaus Zug AG (WIEH) (50%).
* ZMB (Schweiz) AG (100%)
Questions about activities
A U.S. Senate testimony by
Roman Kupchinsky Roman Kupchinsky (Vienna, November 1, 1944 - Washington D.C., January 19, 2010) served as a correspondent for RFE/RL and was director of Radio Liberty in Ukraine.
References
External linksAcus.org) overseen by Sen. Joe Biden, noted:
German investigations have raised concerns about past connections between senior managers in the company, the East German government, and the
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security, commonly known as the (),An abbreviation of . was the state security service of the East Germany from 1950 to 1990.
The Stasi's function was similar to the KGB, serving as a means of maintaining state author ...
.
European regulators (after the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute) insisted, foreign strategic energy supplies should operate under the EU law. Just as energies should be sold on the free market and not via direct contracts. Therefore Gazprom was forced to set up a net of companies (middlemen) operating under EU law. During early 2022, Gazprom-associated gas storage facilities became unusually low. In late March 2022, Gazprom Group transferred ownership of Gazprom Germania which was then exited. The German authorities viewed the transfer as illegal for such
critical infrastructure
Critical infrastructure (or critical national infrastructure (CNI) in the UK) is a term used by governments to describe assets that are essential for the functioning of a society and economy – the infrastructure. Most commonly associated wi ...
of the gas handling, and issued a legal order to control the assets of the former Gazprom Germania.
In May 2022, Russia issued sanctions against Gazprom Germania and other gas companies.
In August 2022, the German media learned that the German government had secretly created a company for the possible
nationalization
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to priv ...
of SEFE. The company was originally called VERONIKA Zweiunddreizigste Vermögensverwaltungsgesellschaft, but on June 3, it was renamed Securing Energy for Europe Holding GmbH (SEEHG). The company's managing directors are two CMS Hasche Sigle lawyers. The Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs has confirmed that they are aware of the company's founding. According to a spokesman for the ministry, the company was created "solely as a precautionary measure".
On November 14, 2022, the
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (german: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, ), abbreviated BMWK (was BMWi), is a cabinet-level ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany. It was previously known as ...
decreed that the company would immediately be nationalized and full ownership was transferred to the German state. This action was previously authorized by the European Commission.
Management
Until 2022, the CEO (Senior Managing Director, german: Hauptgeschäftsführer) of Gazprom Germania was (russian: Владимир Котенев). Before being appointed the new head of the former Gazprom Germania, Kotenev worked in the Russian foreign service. From 2004 to 2010 Kotenev was the Russian ambassador to Germany.
Since June 2022, Egbert Laege is the CEO (Senior Managing Director, german: Hauptgeschäftsführer) of SEFE Securing Energy for Europe.