The industrial development of the Trans-Urals lagged behind other regions of the country. The natural resources of the region have been poorly studied. In 1934, geological exploration began to search for building materials, gold, and oil. In the same year, the first information appeared about the discovery of coal deposits on the Sosva River, oil in the Samarovsky and Berezovsky districts, on the Yugan River. However, the state did not have the funds for broader research.

In the post-war years, oil and gas exploration resumed in the region.

In 1948, the Tyumen Oil Exploration and the Tyumen Geophysical expeditions were organized. At the turn of the 40s and 50s, the point of view of those experts who believed that oil and gas should be sought was established. In 1948−1952, more than 50 wells were drilled in the southern regions of the region, and 100 thousand meters of rocks were passed. The work in the northern regions was carried out by scattered and small expeditions. In 1953, the Ministry of Petroleum Industry decided to stop the search in the North, when on September 21, 1953 on the outskirts of the village of Berezovo, a powerful gas fountain struck, heralding the opening of the first West Siberian oil and gas province. The pioneer R‑1 well was drilled by the exploration party of A. G. Bystritsky.

New search parties and expeditions are being organized. The detachment of Tyumen geologists has been quadrupled, amounting to 1.8 thousand people in 1954.

In order to strengthen the geological survey, in December 1957, the territorial geological directorate was organized in Tyumen, headed by Y. G. Hervier, which was transformed 10 years later into the central committee. By 1985, the number of employees in Glavtyumengeologiya exceeded 70 thousand people. As a result of the deployment of geological exploration, new gas fields were discovered, and then oil was found. In June 1960, S. N. Urusov’s brigade discovered the first industrial oil field in Shaim, Kondinsky district. By the beginning of 1964, geologists had discovered more than 30 oil and gas fields.

In the following years, dozens of new fields were discovered in the region: among them such unique ones as the oil Samotlor (1965), the gas fields Urengoyskoye, Yamburgskoye, Zapolyarnoye, Komsomolskoye, Medvezhye (1965−1969) and many others. By the beginning of the 90s, more than 400 deposits had been discovered in the region. The achievements of the geologists were highly appreciated by the Government. For the discovery of oil fields, the Lenin Prize was awarded to V. Ansimov, S. Belkina, A. Bystritsky, V. Kazarinov, M. Korovin, V. Nalivkin, T. Osoenko, L. Rovnin, N. Rostovtsev, N. Saveliev, L. Tsybulin, Y. Hervier, A. Yudin (1964), V. Abazarov, L. Kabaev, I. Nesterov, F. Salmanov (1971); and for the discovery of gas fields — G. Bogomyakov, I. Girya, K. Kavalerov, A. Kraev, V. Podshibyakin, V. Sobolevsky (1971). Thousands of geologists have been awarded state awards.

The discovery of the deposits raised the question of the beginning of their commercial exploitation. In May 1962, the Government adopted a resolution "On measures to strengthen geological exploration for oil and gas in the regions of Western Siberia," and in December 1963, "On the organization of preparatory work for the industrial development of oil and gas fields and on the further development of exploration in the Tyumen region."

In the mid‑80s of the twentieth century there have already been over 30 research and design institutes. Scientists have developed methods of geological exploration using space technology and technology, and solved the problems of biological decomposition of petroleum products.