An undated picture shows the Prirazlomnoye oil well of Yuganskneftegaz, Yukos&#39; main production unit , outside Nefteyugansk, western Siberia. Russia on 19 December was to strip crippled Yukos oil giant of its core production asset in an auction expected to be won by state gas behemoth Gazprom, putting a large slice of the energy industry back in government hands. Defying an 11th-hour US legal order barring the sale and Gazprom&#39;s bid, the Russian government was to sell off Yukos&#39; crown jewel Siberian oil-pumping subsidiary, Yuganskneftegaz.