Relevance. The necessity to replenish production volumes and to look for opportunities to increase reserves through preparation of “new” oil reserves. At present, the top priority for the enterprises of the fuel and energy complex based in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra is to maintain oil production at the level of 205–215 million tons a year. The solution of this problem depends largely on the increase in geological exploration within allocated and unallocated subsoil reserve fund. Aim. To determine the main directions of increasing hydrocarbon resources, with a special focus on the state of geological and geophysical knowledge about areas with high petroleum potential within unallocated subsoil reserve fund and about deep (the Jurassic and pre-Jurassic) oil and gas plays within allocated subsoil reserve fund. Methods. Retrospective analysis of the condition of hydrocarbon resources, licensing of subsoil reserve fund, amount and structure of exploratory drilling and seismic survey. Results and findings. The survey on case studies, analytics and reports of oil companies, Department of Subsurface Management & Natural Resources of Yugra and Research and Analytical Center for the Rational Use of the Subsoil named after V.I. Shpilman found that most of input seismic and drilling data is archival and requires a significant amount of reprocessing and reinterpretation. This paper determines logical and interrelated reasons for “under-replenishment” production volumes by increasing reserves of “new” oil. It is recommended to implement case studies in order to update archival geological and geophysical data within four dedicated oil-prospecting clusters in the territory of unallocated subsoil reserve fund. This paper gives recommendations on preparation of industrial category reserves in the Jurassic and pre-Jurassic plays within the territory of allocated subsoil reserve fund. Implementation of the recommendations will allow not only significantly increasing oil resources, but also promoting maintaining oil production at the planned level.