[1] Prior to 1939 it had been a part of the All-Union People's Commissariat of the Fuel Industry, established 24 January 1939 by ukase of the Presidium, Supreme Soviet USSR, as a result of the subdivision of the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry USSR.
It exercises technical and production supervision over enterprises of the Ministry, and introduces the most modern equipment, technical improvements and inventions, mechanization and automation of production processes, and established norms for the consumption of materials, power and fuel.
[1] It drafts plans for production standards in branches of industry under the jurisdiction of the Ministry- and submits them for ratification according to established procedure.
[1] It draws up regulations on the wages of workers, engineers, technicians, and employees of the enterprises, submits them for ratification by the Council of Ministers USSR, in accordance with established procedure, and supervises their application.
It supervises the organization and system of accounting, approves balances and reports of main administrations and organizations under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry, and draws up periodic and yearly accounting records for all types of industrial and administrative activity of the Ministry.
It administers scientific research institutes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry, planning organizations, and educational establishments and directs the training of workers in the mass professions.
[1] It takes measures for the protection of state socialist, property in enterprises, establishments, and organizations under the Ministry.
The structure of the Ministry of the Petroleum Industry is determined by the Council of Ministers USSR to utilize to the best advantage outstanding experiences of directors, ordinary workers, and Stakhanovites, the Ministry of the Petroleum Industry, its chain administrations associations, trusts and enterprises summon meetings at which reports are heard and discussed dealing with the most important party and government decisions as well as administrative directives of the Ministry.