Moscow. October 11, 2005.Sibneft chief engineer Iskander Diyashev has been elected as director-at-large of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), becoming the first Russian to serve on the board of directors of this prestigious organization. Diyashev, who will serve a three-year term, will assume his post at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition this week in Dallas, Texas.

The Society of Petroleum Engineers is a not-for-profit association whose members are engaged in energy resources development and production. With more than 64,000 members in 110 countries, SPE is the oil industry’s pre-eminent international technical and professional association.

Sibneft has been actively involved in the SPE, participating in many of the organization’s annual conferences and events. Sibneft employees established the SPE Western Siberian chapter in Noyabrsk and are also key members of the SPE’s Moscow branch.

“On behalf of everyone at Sibneft, I would like to congratulate Iskander on this important achievement,” said Sibneft president Eugene Shvidler. “His election to the SPE Board of Directors is recognition of his outstanding professional accomplishments and the contribution Sibneft has made to the organization. We are fortunate to have some of the top managerial and technical minds in Russia, who together with Iskander ensure that we remain at the forefront of the industry.”