city and port, Khanty-Mansi autonomous okrug (district), west-central Russia. It lies along the right bank of the Ob River. The city grew rapidly in the 20th century, especially in the 1970s, as a result of the discovery of large oil fields nearby. Along with Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk is a major administrative centre of the middle Ob oil fields. It also has a gas-processing plant. Pop. (2006 est.) 240,834.