Study of the Development Potential of the Oil‑and‑Gas Extraction Industry in Eastern Siberia: Opportunities and Limitations

The aim of this study is to explore the growth potential of one of the key sectors of the Russian fuel-and-energy complex—the oil-and-gas extraction industry (OGEI)—within the central macroregion, Eastern Siberia (ES). To attain this goal, three tasks are accomplished. First, the current socioeconomic profile of the study area is presented at the national scale. Second, through a content analysis of scholarly articles on the issue, the scientific interest in the OGEI in ES is identified. Third, the objective information gaps that must be filled to provide a classical characterization of the industry in the macroregion for forward-looking development are formulated. Low tax rates, subsidies, and other preferences are the key elements of state policy aimed at ensuring the investment appeal of OGEI economic actors in the macroregion. Including the OGEI in existing and emerging strategic planning documents for developing Russia’s Arctic territories, together with the state policy pursued from 2005 to 2024, has secured the relatively rapid economic growth of the OGEI in ES (from 0.3 to 9.0% of national oil production). The megaproject format (Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline, Power of Siberia pipeline, Northern Sea Route, and others), reinforced by high-level political support, has transformed ES into Russia’s “new oil frontier.” A demonstrable information deficit hindering the description of differentiated OGEI development and the structural-dynamic processes of this sectoral specialization of ES is highlighted. Prospects for further research are outlined.