The city of Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk lies in the delta of the Kuma
River. Located in Dagestan near the border with Stavropol. The
urban-type settlement received its city status in 1988. Its
territory is inhabited by citizens of several nationalities - Avars
and Dargins, Lezgins and Laks, Russians and Kumyks, Aguls and
Nagais, as well as a small number of national minorities.
The
urban economy of the current city is based on the activities of a
bakery, electromechanical workshops, and an oil and gas production
enterprise. About 350 kilometers separate Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk from the
capital center of the republic. The highway Kochubey - Neftekumsk
passes through the city territory. There is a railway station 82
kilometers from the city.
The history of the development of
the city can be traced by the monuments existing on its territory,
among which there is the "Goryanka" stela, a memorial plate
installed in honor of the poet Gamzatov, the "Eternal Glory"
monument. Interesting expositions are exhibited in the local history
museum. One of the popular places for recreation of local residents
is the park of culture and leisure.
It is located in the Nogai steppe, on a
drying up southern channel in the Kuma delta (Sukhaya Kuma), 295 km
north-west of Makhachkala, near the republic's border with the
Stavropol Territory.
The city includes a remote microdistrict
(settlement) Vostochno-Sukhokumsk, the status of which is not
defined.
A sharply continental climate prevails. The warmest
month is July with an average temperature of 24.9 ° C, and the
coldest month is January, with an average temperature of -3.7 ° C.
On average, about 320 mm of precipitation falls per year.
The settlement of oil and gas workers Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk was transformed into a city in 1988. The name comes from the hydronym Dry Kuma.
The presence of oil and gas in Dagestan has long been known. Even at
the end of the XIX century. in the territories near Berikey and
Kayakent, a large number of shallow wells were drilled.
However,
the oil industry of Dagestan received the main development under the
USSR. In 1922 - 1936, the first significant studies were carried out to
determine oil and gas bearing areas. And as a result, large deposits
were established: Dagestan fires, Khoshtmenzila, Duzlak, Achi-Su,
Izberbash, Makhachkala.
In the 1950s, on the basis of seismic
surveys, the oil and gas content of the Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic
deposits in Northern Dagestan was established. The Economic Council, the
Dagneft department, the Institute of Geology of the Dagestan branch of
the USSR Academy of Sciences focused on the search for oil and gas in
the areas of the Sukhokum zone.
In August 1958, the first
residential buildings were already handed over for settlement, in which
rooms were allocated for a medical center, a red corner, a dining room,
and in May 1959 the first fountain of oil was already received from well
No. 2. The discovery of a new field, the high appreciation of the merits
of the oilmen, inspired everyone to new drilling rigs, a deeper study of
the Yuzhnosukhokumskoye field. Promising areas were introduced into
exploratory drilling - Russky Khutor, Sukhokumskaya, Solonchakovaya,
Stepnaya, etc.
In 1961, the number of employees at the facilities
was 568 people. In December 1961, the Nogai Oilfield Administration was
established. During the period 1962-1965, an oil pipeline, a
high-voltage power line were put into operation, the construction of the
Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk-Kamysh-Burun gas pipeline was completed, 6 new large
oil and gas fields were discovered, which made it possible to sharply
increase production.
During the period 1962-1965, an oil
pipeline, a high-voltage power line were put into operation, the
construction of the Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk-Kamysh-Burun gas pipeline was
completed, 6 new large oil and gas fields were discovered, which made it
possible to sharply increase production.
In 1965, for the first
time in the history of Dagestan, the millionth milestone of oil
production was surpassed. Exploration intensified and by 1969 13 gas
fields had been discovered. The largest are Sukhokumskoye,
Solonchakovoe, Russian Farm, Stepnoe.
Active construction of oil
production facilities, a highway from Kochubey to Neftekumsk, power
lines and communications, residential buildings, schools, kindergartens,
a hospital, a canteen and other vital facilities has begun.
The
emergence of comfortable housing contributed to a new influx of people.
Families of oil workers, specialists from all over the Union came.
In 1988, having grown to 10 thousand people, the village received
the status of a city.
The basis of the city's economy is the oil industry. The history of
the city is also inextricably linked with the development of the oil
reserves of Dagestan.
Today the population of the city is about
10.1 thousand people, which is much less than in other cities of
Dagestan. However, in terms of industrial production, Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk
is quite capable of competing with them.
In 2011, the sale of
industrial products amounted to more than 1.5 billion rubles, which
accounted for 4 percent of the total volume of shipped products in
Dagestan. By type of activity "Mining" in 2010 Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk has the
largest share - 59.4, for comparison, Makhachkala - 32.3, Kizilyurt -
6.3 percent of the total production.
A team of thousands of oil
workers is engaged in exploration and development of oil fields, oil and
gas production and their preparation, transportation, as well as
construction and installation and repair and construction work.