ABSTRACT
Russia is the world’s leading oil-producing nation. The turbulent 130-year history of the Russian oil industry began in the 1880s and up to beginning of the Civil War, Russia led the world in oil production. After the end of the war, oil production in the USSR rose steadily, increasing in volume by 30 times by 1984. Since 1985, the way in which oil production has developed has varied markedly. The chapter discusses the main oil-bearing provinces and their exploration histories; the classification of reserves and resources adopted in Russia; the location of and the conditions for the development of unexplored oil resources; the correlation between oil resources in Russia and those in other countries; and the exploration techniques applied, the existing organizational structures and the legal aspects of oil exploration. The Cenomanian Complex is mostly gas bearing, although the Russian Field has a large oil fringe.
