SovOil

SovOil, as its name fundamentally indicates, centers its immense global operations around oil, which serves as its primary source of income. The company extracts a staggering ten million barrels daily from vast fields spanning the Caspian and South China Seas, Antarctica, Siberia, and Kazakhstan, significantly outproducing its only crude oil competitor, Petrochem. While SovOil exports crude worldwide, over half of its production supplies the domestic Soviet common market. The USSR lags behind the United States and Western Europe in adopting advanced fuels, with many of its vehicles and power stations still relying on traditional oil and its distillates, making gasoline-powered automobiles common in the region, though CHOOH2 vehicles are gaining traction. However, a strict market division exists: SovOil cannot sell oil in the NUSA, where Petrochem holds a monopoly, and in retaliation, SovOil blocks Petrochem's oil product sales in the USSR.   Beyond crude oil, SovOil is a formidable player in oil derivatives and advanced petroleum chemistry. Their generously funded laboratories constantly research and develop synthetics, pharmaceuticals, and other substances derived from raw petroleum, with their petrochemical research and manufacturing divisions exporting thousands of such products globally. Although Petrochem might possess more advanced molecular engineering technology, SovOil compensates by moving a far greater volume of product and is actively catching up technologically.   In terms of general oil technology, SovOil maintains self-sufficiency in the design and production of its own oil pumping, transporting, and refining equipment. This necessity arises because there is no external world market for these specialized items. Fortunately, SovOil's access to immense manufacturing and heavy industry resources, many inherited from former state-owned enterprises, ensures it can meet its own needs, with much of its heavy industry dedicated to oil-related manufacturing.   The company's core operations include vast standard oil fields covering tens of thousands of square miles across regions like Kazakhstan's Muslim-populated scrub, Siberia's barren tundra, and Antarctica's frozen surface. These fields are dotted with hundreds of active oil derricks and thousands of operational wellheads, producing millions of barrels daily. Extensive networks of overland pipes link these wellheads to sprawling tank farms and refineries. These valuable assets are protected by comprehensive camera and security sensor systems, alongside round-the-clock SovOil Security Troops. Specialized crack troubleshooting teams are on standby to address catastrophes such as blown wellheads or major well or refinery fires.   Offshore oil engineering is another critical component, with a significant portion of SovOil's crude pumped from over 1000 offshore platforms in the shallow and mid-level depths of the Caspian and South China Seas, with about 600 in the latter and 300 in the former. The remaining 100 platforms support exploratory programs in Antarctica and other global sites. While SovOil's pumping platforms are sophisticated and efficient, they adhere to conventional designs, contrasting with Petrochem's more radical, expensive approaches like Submerged Drilling. SovOil prioritizes a large, heavily armed security force for platform security. The corporation operates fifteen submersible tankers, the most owned by any single entity, though they form a small part of its overall oil fleet. While these submersibles and standard tankers can load oil at both offshore and onshore terminals, and at major platforms, SovOil lacks Petrochem's advanced underwater oil transfer technology. Nevertheless, it maintains submerged tank farms around its offshore fields and thousands of kilometers of submerged pipelines worldwide. A large subsidiary, Offshore Engineering, Inc., is dedicated to manufacturing and maintaining these offshore rigs and their support technology, employing hundreds of thousands across fourteen republics and significantly contributing to their economic health.   Offshore support services are massive, with over 150,000 personnel working on SovOil's offshore rigs. A dedicated division manages the constant demand for support services, utilizing huge, mobile "flotels" packed with recreational and service facilities for crews and machinery. Mobile fire-fighting and crisis platforms, along with specialized naval vessels, patrol the fields for security. Onshore, shipyards and airports service the vast fleet of vessels commuting between land and offshore installations, while giant terminals and docks receive oil from pipelines and tankers. Special facilities accommodate divers living under high pressure saturation for extended periods, and large recreational complexes cater to off-duty offshore workers, some of whom may not see land for weeks.   Oil transport is a major concern due to SovOil's widespread pumping areas and the need to move large quantities of crude under potentially hostile conditions. The company's vital terrestrial and marine pipelines, alongside its massive fleet of tankers and support ships, connect its global land and offshore oil fields to terminals and refineries. While surface tankers are numerous, they are vulnerable to attack. Submersible tankers offer security but are more expensive and transport less product. Pipelines, despite their high cost (five million eb per mile for underwater lines) and vulnerability to sabotage, are the most efficient transport method, leading to significant investment in pipeline technology and construction. A major department within SovOil is exclusively dedicated to the design, construction, and management of its extensive oil and gas pipelines. Overland pipelines retain a "bunker" design, made of reinforced concrete, typically not buried, and bored with three to five smaller bores instead of one large one, making them more resilient to attack and rupture despite higher costs. A large, quick-response security force is dedicated solely to protecting these thousands of miles of overland pipelines and their critical pumping stations. Underwater pipelines have evolved slightly, using a proprietary, flexible concrete blend that better withstands seismic disturbances and undersea shifts, allowing for deeper and wider spans, while also being reinforced against sabotage and hazards like dragging anchors. Modern oil pipelines incorporate cybernetic technology; instead of traditional "pigs," cybernetically-controlled robots patrol pipe interiors for cleaning, monitoring leaks, and can even self-seal ruptures temporarily.   Beyond its core oil operations, SovOil encompasses several other important elements. Refining is conducted by various nations and corporations who purchase SovOil's unrefined crude. Commercial natural gas is a standard byproduct, with SovOil being the world's largest producer of light natural gasses like methane, ethane, butane, propane, and pentane, which are valuable commodities. Mining operations include large coal mines across Siberia, western republics, and the Balkans, with the Soviet Union remaining one of the few regions where coal is actively burned for power and heat. Industrial troubleshooting is handled by crack squads of specially trained engineers, technicians, and roughnecks, who are not soldiers but are equipped to deal with sudden catastrophes in the oil and mining businesses. In CHOOH2 production, SovOil sells about half the volume of its American rival Petrochem, but it dominates the Western European market and has a virtual monopoly on the nascent Soviet market. For retailing fuels, SovOil operates gasoline and fossil fuel stops in the Soviet Union under its Russian nickname, KeroSov, and uses its English/Western name, SovOil, for CHOOH2 sales globally. Heavy industry is crucial for SovOil's self-sufficiency in designing and manufacturing specialized equipment for its oil, mining, and CHOOH2 operations, given the lack of third-party suppliers for such large-scale needs. In power generation, SovOil acquired and renovated many of the Soviet Union's aging coal, oil, nuclear, and hydroelectric power plants, and built new ones, now supplying electricity to most regions of the Soviet Union. Its geological exploration department is sophisticated, constantly searching the world for valuable oil or mineral deposits. On the military front, SovOil maintains a substantial security apparatus to protect its critical, expensive, and fragile global resources from attacks. This includes the SovOil Security Forces, its own army commanded by General Lupold Korepino, which has infantry and Navy branches. Additionally, the SovOil Secret Police, a widely feared organization headed by Valentin Domanevka, operates independently of the Security Forces and often employs stealthy methods. Finally, SovOil Investments, an investment firm led by Neonila Novikovo (daughter of founder Anatoly Novikovo), manages portfolios and investments worldwide, further extending the corporation's financial reach.   SovOil, a titan in the global corporate landscape, commands a formidable 400 billion dollars in value, securing its position as the seventh-largest corporation on the prestigious C Magine's Index. Interestingly, a substantial 200 billion of this valuation stems from the abstract, projected worth of its vast known and potential oil reserves, reflecting a reliance on future resource extraction. The remaining 200 billion represents more tangible assets: 80 billion in CHOOH2 holdings and sales, 25 billion from its array of subsidiaries, 68 billion from its real estate, sprawling manufacturing facilities, formidable military assets, and other durable holdings. Furthermore, it holds 15 billion in investments, loans, and cash reserves, with an additional 12 billion in miscellaneous holdings. Recognizing the finite nature of oil reserves, SovOil's leadership is strategically channeling income generated from oil into aggressively expanding its subsidiary, investment, and durable holdings, with an ambitious target of these non-oil assets alone reaching 300 to 350 billion when the oil finally runs dry.   The corporation's ownership structure is carefully controlled. SovOil is represented by 410 million shares of common stock, typically trading around 118 Eurobucks per share, though prices fluctuate annually by 5 to 15 Eurobucks based on oil speculation, exploration, and its military engagements. The stock's general trend has been upward since the Second Corporate War concluded. A significant 8% of the controlling stock is held by the Novikovo family's SovOil Investments Inc., overseen by Neonila Novikovo. The inner board members collectively hold around 20% of the stock, with individual stakes ranging from 1% to 5%. An additional 10% is accounted for by an outer board of 100 individuals, each holding an average of 0.1%. Another 10% is held in trust through subsidiaries via cross-ownership programs. The remaining 60% of the stock trades openly, but SovOil maintains readily available cash reserves specifically to acquire the 11% necessary to retain a controlling share under any circumstances, thereby safeguarding itself against hostile takeovers or enemy disruptions.   SovOil's operational capacity is underpinned by a massive one million employees, an unusually large number for a corporation of its size, made economically viable by the exceptionally cheap labor available throughout the Soviet Union. This vast workforce includes a substantial military component: one hundred thousand Infantry soldiers, fifty thousand Infantry guards, one hundred thousand Naval troops, and fifty thousand special forces, spies, and Secret Police agents. Beyond security, one hundred and fifty thousand employees work on offshore installations, another one hundred and fifty thousand manage terrestrial fields and pipelines, and fifty thousand are employed in specialized technical roles. The remaining employees are distributed across various factories, subsidiaries, and corporate offices worldwide.   In terms of material resources and hardware, SovOil's inventory is so immense that it has never been precisely quantified, though it is believed to own more vehicles and ships than any other corporation globally. Its naval fleet includes fifteen submarine tankers, forty surface tankers and freighters of capital size, and hundreds of smaller freight, service, and naval vessels. Its air assets comprise thirty Tupolev Tu-80 transport aircraft, serving as the Soviet counterpart to the American C-25. Furthermore, SovOil operates 1000 offshore platforms, twenty flotels (large mobile platforms providing living and recreational facilities for offshore crews), and eighteen Mobile Service Vessels (MSVs). Any figures for smaller aircraft or armored vehicles beyond these stated numbers are considered speculative.   Despite its size, SovOil manages its extensive operations through a well-defined structure of divisions and subdivisions, rather than numerous independent subsidiaries like some other megacorporations. These include SMKP Oil (encompassing Offshore and Onshore operations), SMKP Oil Technologies, SMKP Pipeline Technologies, SMKP Shipping and Oil Transport Industries, and SMKP CHOOH2 (with Technology and Fermenting subdivisions). Its retail fuel operations are handled by KeroSov Fuel Retailing. Core industrial functions fall under SMKP Heavy Industries (including Steel, Shipbuilding, and Construction), SMKP Power Utilities, SMKP Mining Industries, and SMKP Manufacturing. Specialized services include Troubleshooters International (for crisis response), Schwann-Auerbach Engineering, SMKP Geological Services, SMKP Ballistics, SMKP Research and Development, SMKP Petroleum Refining, and SMKP Petrochemical (with Synthetics and Pharmaceuticals subdivisions). Finally, its financial arm, SMKP Investments and Financial Services, manages its global portfolios.

In 1994, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was succeeded by the Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics, a new entity focused on economic cooperation. By 1996, President of the Soviet Federation, Andrei Gorborev, initiated a restructuring of the centrally-controlled Soviet oil industry, amidst ongoing disputes among Soviet republics regarding the extent of control to cede to the Central Committee. To facilitate this, Gorborev appointed Anatoly Novikovo, a Siberian delegate representing a major oil-producing region, as Director of the State Oil Industries Subcommittee. Novikovo's first strategic move was to promote Yarno Kurgasyn, a delegate from another significant oil-producing region (Kazakhstan), to deputy director. With both major oil-producing regions represented at the subcommittee's helm, they successfully pushed for a consolidated Soviet oil industry, aiming for a single corporation, Soviet State Oil Industries, to control all oil production in the USSR.   By 1997, despite vast oil reserves, the Neo-Soviets could only recover a fraction of them. However, after a substantial program of expansion and modernization, KeroSov, the former state-run oil industry, gained sufficient strength to break away from the Federal Central Committee's oligarchs, re-emerging as the Neo-Sovetskiy Neftyanoy Kombinat (Neo-Soviet Oil Combine or SovOil). Positioned atop the world's largest remaining oil reservoirs, SovOil's oligarch leaders, though aware of oil's finite nature, rapidly became a wealthy and powerful corporation. They enjoyed unmatched access to this incredibly valuable commodity, alongside a diverse portfolio of other products and industries. Their strategic dominance, however, was swiftly undermined by developments like Biotechnica's CHOOH2, an alcohol-based fuel.   In 2002, Sergei Kirsanov, commander of SovOil's security forces, received orders from Novikovo to secure all SovOil company sites. Kirsanov publicly announced SovOil's privatization and secession from the USSR's central committee government. Despite attempts by USSR state forces to reclaim SovOil's facilities, it proved impossible without destroying them and jeopardizing the USSR's oil supply. Consequently, the Central Committee was forced to acknowledge SovOil's independence. Between 2002 and 2008, SovOil rebranded itself as Soviet World Oil Industries. It also began a strategic manipulation of the Soviet Central Committee through bribes and boosting politician popularity, thereby ensuring economic stability within the USSR. During this period, SovOil also diversified its interests by commencing the production of CHOOH2 fuel.   The mid-2010s saw the Second Corporate War, a brief but brutal conflict between SovOil and Petrochem sparked by a disagreement over territories in the South China Sea. Both corporations suffered severe damage. This war forced Petrochem to pivot its focus towards emerging CHOOH2 fuel technology, while SovOil was compelled to dedicate its efforts to exploring the vast, previously untouched oilfields of Siberia.   By 2020, Yarno Kurgasyn had retired from SovOil. The corporation continued to solidify its role as the primary unifying force within the USSR, wielding immense economic influence over the Soviet government. Ultimately, the very government that had created SovOil became a tool serving the corporation's interests. In 2020, the Novikovo family remained the majority shareholders. SovOil stood as the seventh-largest corporation globally, possessing considerable political power within the USSR to the extent that the USSR itself was no longer considered a world power, but rather SovOil held that designation.   The Fourth Corporate War (2040s), while devastating, merely delayed an inevitable reckoning for SovOil. Recognizing the finite nature of oil, SovOil's Central Committee had already begun executing a long-term strategy for the company's evolution beyond its prime reliance on oil. The initial step was aggressive diversification. SovOil was, and continued to be, the dominant economic force in the Neo-Soviet Union and much of Eastern Europe, securing a guaranteed market share in these regions. The company aimed to provide an increasing range of services and goods to the people of these areas to ensure its survival when oil reserves dwindled. By 2045, SovOil was already active in mining, shipbuilding, research, and CHOOH2 agriculture, and had just begun to expand into aircraft, computers, synthetics, CHOOH2 power systems, and general agriculture. The board's ambition was to establish a product base diverse enough by 2050 to effectively compete with its rival, Petrochem, which had not yet fully recovered from the chaos of the previous war.   In 2077, Petrochem notably claimed to have mastered the first-ever truly environmentally friendly process for oil production, promising the ability to refine oil without harming the planet