End of the 17th century. The first records of oil shows and bituminous rocks refer to that period. It was the Military Department that first mentioned about the Kazan oil in 1637 (Year 145 by the old system of chronology): « …43 poods (1600 lb) and 35 and a half grivnas of Kazan black oil».
The 18th century is characterized by the active search of surface oil outcrops and bituminous rock seepage, their description and use.
1703. An article in «Vedomosti» newspaper: «News from Kazan. A lot of oil and copper ore was found on the Soku River; they smelted a lot of copper from the ore and expect to receive great profit to the Moscow State».
1718. Gotlib Shober, Peter the Great’s physician-in-ordinary, made the first opinion about the Tatar oil.
1738. Miner Ya. D. Shakhanin reported to «The Cabinet of Her Empress’s Majesty Anna Ioannovna» about oil and saltpeter found near Tetyushi city.
1753. Master sergeant Nadyr Urazmetov submitted the first application for constructing an oil plant on the territory of his own summer residence: «We would like the Berg-Board to take and examine this black oil and permit us to construct an oil plant on the territory of our own summer residence…» Attempts by Ya. Shakhanin, N. Urazmetov, his son Yu. Urazmetov, Mozyakov brothers and count Yaguzhinsky to find and use oil and bitumen on the banks of the Volga, Sheshma and Soka rivers proved to be of little success.
1762. P. I. Rychkov, the first correspondent member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Science, made the first scientific description of the Volga region oil sources.
The second half of the 18th century.
Natural resources of the Volga Region were thoroughly studied. The Academy of Science organized expeditions. Fundamentals of the region geology were laid, the subsoil structure was studied; the experience of oil economy organization was accumulated.