As it turns out, the Russian government owns the pipeline system through which virtually all Russian oil exports must pass, allocating access to the system by means of quotas among domestic oil companies. What if a competitor manages to gain sufficient influence with certain political decision makers to siphon off part of LUKOIL'S quota? Although LUKOIL will never forget its own complete privatization, the Russian government still owns some of its domestic competitors, and has often bestowed on its firms preferential treatment in various matters. That is just one reason why LUKIOL is trying to increase foreign oil supplies to 20 percent of assets total. However, moving internationally creates other political risks, such as ownership of assets in volatile environments such as Egypt and Venezuela. International sanctions caused LUKOIL to cease operating in Irag when Saddam Hussein was in power, Some U.S. Congressmen have made scathing attacks against LUKOIL because some oil it shipped to China was then shipped to Iran despite a contract stating "not for supplies to the territory of Iran