• oil chemistry: composition, structure, properties, rheology, surface phenomena and structure formation; Chemistry of oils: composition, structure, properties, rheology, surface phenomena, and structurization;

• physical and chemical bases of technologies for enhanced oil recovery and conversion of oils and other caustobioliths, as well as their components;

• chemical aspects of environmental management and ecology, including scientific problems of chemical, biochemical and remote monitoring of natural objects and environmental cleanup from oil and petroleum hydrocarbons pollution using physicochemical and microbiological methods.

The Institute of Petroleum Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences actively cooperates with Russian and foreign research and manufacturing organizations within the framework of joint research projects, agreements and contracts.

The Institute occupies a leading position in two areas of research:

• studies of the composition and structure of oil components, including resins and asphaltenes, as a basis for the development of efficient technologies for oil refining;

• development of physicochemical and complex methods for enhanced oil recovery using gel-forming and oil-displacing compositions.

The mission of the IPC SB RAS is to obtain new fundamental knowledge and applied results of the studies in the main areas of scientific activity of the Institute in accordance with the State Program of Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation, to implement research findings and train scientific researchers.

The strategic goals of the IPC SB RAS are:

• fundamental, exploratory and applied scientific research in the main areas of the Institute in order to ensure the breakthrough development of Russia, its regions and cities through participation in integration associations of the scientific, educational and business communities in response to global social and environmental challenges,

• integration of science and education,

• training of scientific researchers,

• dissemination of scientific knowledge and enhancement of the prestige of science.

To achieve goals, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

• creation of conditions for the successful implementation of research program within the framework of the Russian State assignment;

• conducting complex interdisciplinary research in agreement with modern fundamental science and innovative technologies;

• retention of qualified staff and human resource development;

• improvement of the management system of the Institute and its organizational structure, upgrading of facilities and recourses of the Institute (equipment, buildings and structures), development of its industrial and engineering infrastructure;

• cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, authorities, federal and regional ministries and departments, enterprises in the real sector of the economy, state corporations, research centers, institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences, universities, and foreign partners;

• enhancement of international cooperation;

• expert activities;

• training of highly qualified personnel in graduate school and dissertation councils, the implementation of pedagogical activities, working environment engineering.