The History of the Oil and Gas Industry of the Khanty-Mansy Autonomous Okrug-Yugra (1964-2020)

Abstract

The initial idea of the article is based on the fact that the industrial development of the territory of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (KHMAO) in the 1930s-1950s was associated with the forestry and timber industry, and later with oil and gas. The article aims to characterize the development of the oil and gas industry of the region from 1964 to 2020 by highlighting the main periods in the evolution of the industries. In the course of the research, the main body of historical sources was made up of various statistical materials extracted both from the collections of state archives and from published collections of statistical materials. Materials of the current archives of the Territorial Body of the Federal State Statistics Service in Tyumen Oblast, the sites of the Government of the KHMAO-Yugra and the Department of Economic Development of the Government of KHMAO. In this research, the author relied on the principle of historicism, which aims to consider the phenomenon in its conditionality, development, taking into account the changes taking place in it. The application of the historical research method made it possible to carry out a periodization of the process, with the ordering of available factual data, to identify the most significant features in the development of industries on their basis. The historical-genetic method helped to identify the reasons for the transition from one period in the evolution of these two industries to another. The historical-typological method, using an inductive approach, helped to identify the criteria for periodization, time boundaries of periods, taking into account their qualitative differences. Tracing the historical conditionality of the development of the oil and gas sector of KHMAO, the conclusion has been drawn that these two industries, as well as the previously developed forestry industry, were brought to life by the need to ensure Soviet exports. The oil and gas industry went through four periods in its development from 1964 to 2020. During the second period, in 1974, KHMAO's oil industry took a leading position in the country. It maintains leadership at the present time. KHMAO became the birthplace of the gas industry in Western Siberia. In modern conditions, this branch of KHMAO occupies the second place in gas production in Russia. KHMAO provides the country with associated petroleum gas. The oil and gas industry has an absolute predominance in the economic structure of the region. Oil and gas production led to the creation of a powerful construction industry, the country's largest electric power base, and the oil refining industry. For a considerable period of time, the region had very high rates of population growth and construction of a network of cities and towns. While working on this article, the author referred to the previous developments on the problem of the formation and development of the oil and gas industry in Western Siberia in her doctoral thesis, numerous monographs, and articles.