At the request of the Government of Vietnam, in 1960 the Soviet Union sent petroleum geologist S.K. Kitovani to assist Vietnam in conducting geological surveys for oil and gas. Between 1960–1961, he and his Vietnamese colleagues completed the country’s first comprehensive report titled “Geology and Petroleum Prospects in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.”
From the strategic vision of the Party and State leaders, and the initial findings from this geological report, on October 9, 1961, the Government Council issued Decree No. 159/CP, defining the functions and organizational structure of the General Department of Geology, which included the establishment of a Petroleum Exploration Team. Just over a month later, on November 27, 1961, the General Department of Geology issued Decision No. 271/ĐC to found the Petroleum Exploration Team No. 36 (commonly known as Geological Team 36).
The team’s research and surveys in the Red River Delta and northern Vietnam during the 1960s laid the groundwork for the Government’s Decision No. 203/CP on October 9, 1969, establishing the Geological Union 36, expanding the scope of oil and gas exploration. These early efforts provided valuable data on geological structures and petroleum potential in regions such as the Hanoi Depression and the An Châu Basin — and served as the cradle for Vietnam’s petroleum human resources and management expertise.
After national reunification, on September 3, 1975, the Government issued Decree No. 170/CP, founding the General Department of Oil and Gas of Vietnam, later reorganized as the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation, and today known as the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) under Decision No. 199/2006/QĐ-TTg dated August 29, 2006.
In recognition of these milestones and the aspirations of generations of oil and gas workers, on July 20, 2009, Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng signed Decision No. 1034/QĐ-TTg, officially designating November 27 each year as “Vietnam Oil and Gas Industry Traditional Day.” This date marks the founding of the first petroleum exploration organization in Vietnam — the Petroleum Exploration Team No. 36 (November 27, 1961) — the predecessor of today’s Petrovietnam.
Over nearly half a century, generations of Vietnam’s “fire seekers” have, with faith, creativity, and sacrifice, written a glorious history for the country’s oil and gas industry. Even during the most difficult times, when the hope of discovering oil seemed faint, they persevered — driven by a burning desire to find precious energy resources for the nation. Through hard work and even bloodshed, these pioneers helped build the oil and gas industry into one of Vietnam’s key economic sectors, contributing significantly to overcoming the national economic crisis of the 1980s–1990s and advancing industrialization and modernization in the 21st century.
The remarkable achievements of Vietnam’s oil and gas sector over the past five decades are the result of the Party’s strategic leadership, the Government’s close guidance, the support of local authorities and the people, and above all, the tireless efforts of generations of oil and gas workers — especially the first generation of “those who sought fire.”
(Source: pvn.vn – Author: Thành Huy)
