Megion

Megion (Russian: Мегион) is a town in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug–Yugra, Russia, located at the altitude of 45 meters (148 ft) above sea level, on the right bank of the Ob River, 380 kilometers (240 mi) east of Khanty-Mansiysk and 760 kilometers (470 mi) northeast of Tyumen. The area of the town is 50.51 square kilometers (19.50 sq mi) and the nearest airport is in Nizhnevartovsk (30 kilometers (19 mi) away). Population: 49,449 (2010 census); 46,566 (2002 Census); 39,783 (1989 Soviet census). Foundation and subsequent town development became possible with the discovery of oil in the Middle Ob Region. It was the Megion oil workers who drilled the first well in the Samotlor field, the largest oil field in the country, and initiated its industrial development. This laid the groundwork for the construction of Megion and Nizhnevartovsk, which together constitute one of the most significant centers of the Russian oil industry today.