The administration of the far northern Nenets Autonomous Okrug intends to make oil companies finance the projected road between Naryan-Mar and Usinsk, the only way connecting the region with the outside world.

The Russian state is preparing for the sale of the Trebs and Titov oil fields in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Oil companies have long awaited a decision on the fields, which have a total of more than 200 million tons of reserves.

The far northern Nenets Autonomous Okrug in 2009 had the biggest industrial growth in Russia. At the same time, the region suffered from a major drop in investments, budget revenues as well as in regional salaries, the Barents Monitoring report reads.

The Northwest Russian federal subjects in 2009 saw their budget revenues plummet with up to 40 percent.

69 persons in Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug have incomes of more than 100 million rubles, according to numbers from the tax administration.

Sovcomflot intends to carry out a trail shipment of oil from the Varandey terminal in Nenets through the north coast of Siberia to Japan this summer.

Production of oil and gas in the extremely resources wealthy region increased nearly ten percent in January 2010 compared to January 2009.

The Naryanmarneftegaz company last year produced more than 7,5 million tons, making it the fourth most-producing subsidiary in the Lukoil group.

The North of Russia under the threat of depopulation. Since the year 2000 the population in the Russian part of the Barents region decreased by 462.000, or by almost 11 percent.

Tundra areas of the north may seem like endless wilderness with a huge potential for industrial activity. However, the activities of the industrial companies pose a challenge to the indigenous peoples' traditional use of the pasture lands and the reindeers migrating routes.