Economic barriers to digital transformation of oil and gas companies in Russia: a systemic analysis and ways to overcome them

This article examines the economic barriers hindering the digital transformation of Russian oil and gas companies in the context of post-sanctions pressure and technological isolation. The relevance of this work stems from the strategic role of the oil and gas sector in the Russian economy (providing up to 20% of GDP and over 40% of federal budget revenues) and the need to close the gap with global digitalization leaders. The objective of the study was to systematize these economic barriers and develop practical recommendations for overcoming them. The methodological framework includes a comprehensive analysis of the financial and economic indicators of PJSC Gazprom for 2023–2025; an assessment of the level of digital maturity using the methods of the Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, USMU, and Deloitte (DMA); as well as a comparative analysis of the international experience of leading global companies (Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco). As a result, the systemic and interdependent nature of barriers was revealed, including financial-investment, sanctions-technological, personnel, organizationalcultural and regulatory restrictions. It was shown that the imposed sanctions not only increased direct financial costs but also fundamentally altered the structure of barriers, strengthening their infrastructural and institutional components. Isolated measures by individual companies or regulators without systemic coordination were proven ineffective. Based on the analysis, comprehensive recommendations were developed for improving government regulation, including targeted subsidies, tax incentives, the creation of consortium R&D, and investment risk insurance mechanisms. A number of corporate measures aimed at accelerated import substitution and the creation of a unified information space were proposed. A conclusion was drawn regarding the need for a phased approach, prioritization of projects with a quick payback, and large-scale development of personnel digital competencies to sustainably overcome barriers and achieve technological sovereignty in the industry.

1. On Approval of the Rules for Providing Subsidies to Russian Organizations to Reimburse Part of the Costs for the Development of Digital Platforms and Software Products for the Purpose of Creating and (or) Developing the Production of High-Tech Industrial Products: Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 529 dated 30 April 2019 (in Russian).

2. On Measures to Ensure Technological Independence and Security of the Critical Information Infrastructure of the Russian Federation: Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 166 dated 30 March 2022 (in Russian).

3. On Additional Measures to Ensure Information Security of the Russian Federation: Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 250 dated 1 May 2022 (in Russian).

4. Methodological Recommendations on the Digital Transformation of State Corporations and Companies with State Participation: Approved by the Protocol of the Presidium of the Government Commission for Digital Development, the Use of Information Technologies to Improve the Quality of Life and Business Environment No. 29pr dated 4 July 2025 (in Russian).

5. Andronik A., Silakova L.V. The impact of digital transformation on the business processes of oil producing enterprises. St Petersburg Economic Journal. 2025;1: 89–102 (in Russian). DOI 10.32603/2307-5368-2025-1-89-102.

6. Voronina E.V., Kuznetsova D.A. Human capital management in the oil and gas industry: adaptation to the digital economy. Economy and Business: Theory and Practice. 2025;11(129):160–162 (in Russian).

7. Kalennikov D. D. Digital transformation of oil and gas companies: essence and management. International Journal of Humanities and Natural Sciences. 2025:137 (in Russian).

8. Silakova L.V., Andronik A., Kiselev A.D. The essence of digital transformation: concept and process. Scientific Journal of Baikal State University. 2024;15(2):575 (in Russian).

9. Starikov E.O., Lukyanova A.V. IT Projects in the public sector: barriers to digital transformation. Economics, Entrepreneurship and Law.2025;15(8):5303–5318 (in Russian).

10. Merkuryev U.Yu. Use of AR/VR technologies to improve the efficiency of oil and gas enterprises. In: Actual Scientific Research of Students and Schoolchildren: Theory and Practice-2024: Proceedings of the III All-Russian Correspondence Scientific Conference. Yakutsk; 2024:527 (in Russian).

11. Yurak V.V., Polyanskaya I.G., Malyshev A.N. Assessment of the level of digitalization and digital transformation of the oil and gas industry of the Russian Federation. Mining Sciences and Technologies. 2023;102–104 (in Russian).

12. Analytical review of digital initiatives in the production areas of international vertically integrated oil and gas companies. Geology and Development. Available at: https://online.runeft.ru/6_2025/savelev (accessed: 19 April 2026) (in Russian).

13. Analytics, Issue 1. Expenditures on Digital Technologies in 2020–2024. Available at: https://nticenter.spbstu.ru/news/9214 (accessed: 22 April 2026) (in Russian).

14. Oil companies are moving towards automation due to a shortage of personnel. Available at: https://www.comnews.ru/content/235600/2024-10-08/2024-w41/1008/neftyanye-kompanii-stremyatsya-kavtomatizacii-za-nekhvatki-kadrov (accessed: 25 April 2026) (in Russian).

15. Gazprom Official Site. Available at: https://www.gazprom.ru/about/ (accessed: 26 March 2026) (in Russian).

16. Russian oil workers ask for less frequent changes to digitalization requirements. Available at: https://www.angi.ru/news/2914763 (accessed: 27 April 2026) (in Russian).

17. Digital Maturity of Public Administration in Russia. Available at: https://id.hse.ru/data/2026/03/05/171751073/Монография_Цифровая_зрелость_сайт.pdf (accessed: 10 April 2026) (in Russian).

18. Aramco Training over 6,000 AI Developers. Available at: https://www.middleeastainews.com/p/aramco-training-over-6000-ai-developers (accessed: 24 April 2026).

19. Applying Digital Technologies to Drive Energy Innovation. Available at: https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/who-we-are/technology-and-collaborations/digital-technologies (accessed: 10 April 2026).

20. Carbon Capture and Storage. Available at: https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/what-we-do/deliveringindustrial-solutions/carbon-capture-and-storage (accessed: 17 April 2026).

21. Digital Transformation in Oil and Gas Companies. Available at: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/services/consulting/articles/digital-transformation-in-oil-and-gas.html (accessed: 10 April 2026).

22. ExxonMobil Announces 2023 Results. Available at: https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/news/newsreleases/2024/0202_exxonmobil-announces-2023-results (accessed: 10 April 2026).

23. How Shell Scaled AI Predictive Maintenance to Monitor 10,000 Pieces of Equipment Globally. Available at: https://c3.ai/blog/how-shell-scaled-ai-predictive-maintenance-to-monitor-10000-pieces-ofequipment-globally/ (accessed: 23 April 2026).

24. Palantir News. Available at: https://www.palantir.com/newsroom/press-releases/palantir-and-bpdeepen-partnership-accelerate-energy-transition/ (accessed: 10 April 2026).