Dmitry Medvedev awarded the prize to vice president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Nikolai Laverov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexei Kontorovich, and Professor Dudley Brian Spalding from the United Kingdom.
The Russian scientists were awarded the prize for fundamental research, developing methods and technologies applied in the exploration and development of oil, gas and uranium deposits, and establishing a scientific foundation for claiming large areas of energy feedstock.
Professor Spalding was awarded the prize for his original concepts in heat and mass transfer, which formed the basis for practical energy computations.
The Global Energy International Prize was established in 2002 and is awarded each year for outstanding achievements in the energy field. The prize is under the patronage of the Russian President.
The International Prize Award Committee made up of thirty prominent world scientists meets every year to choose the prize winners. The prize has already been awarded to 20 scientists from eight different countries.
The 2009 Global Energy Prize comes to 30,000,000 roubles (around $1 million).