Yes.
There needs to be knowledge or research of methods for tapping, like how to build drilling rigs for drilling for oil.
There needs to be incentive. Workers need to know how quality work will benefit them. Then they need to be paid a base wage, and an incentive wage based on performance.
There needs to be organization to make the thing work. Government needs to realize that it is people who are doing the work. People work better under freedom and incentives rather than harsh, dictatorial rules.Russia can do it if the leaders only use their heads.
In the highlighted bit you sound as if you are speaking of USSR during the height of Stalin's rule. True, back then large forced labour force from GULAG system was used. But even then, the Soviet government paid so-called "Northern Money" for volunteers who went to work in the Far East and North. My grandfather was among those working on building up the city of Magadan on the Pacific coast (roughly the same latitude as Oslo and St.Petersburg) and he was paid really well. Many people worked for several years getting "Northern Money" and then moved to Crimea or some other Southern territories, bought a car and property and lived really well.
There was an interesting documentary yesterday about gold:
http://www.1tvrus.com/announce/14054It covered both the global gold prices, US, Chinese and Russia gold reserves (Russia: 1187 tonnes), and showed a Russian gold mine (and interviewed people working there). It checked the reasons behind the epidemic banker suicides, and why Dominique Strauss-Kahn suffered character assassination. The summary in the above link is a very interesting read in itself!
Thank you for this information, which is, at least in part, a confirmation of what I said.
The point is more or less the opposite of this. The point is that people who are paid well, like many in the States, often go off and forget the whys and the wherefores of the wealth that they have obtained. What I mean is, look at California. The tent cities seem to be increasing in size. Many people who were formerly rich according to "money" standards, are now among the poor in the tent cities.
People need to be wise, and not squander the wealth that they receive. Rather, they need to voluntarily share with those who have less than they do. If the people of governments along with the wealthy did this, everyone would live well. And I don't mean to give to people who sit on their butts and act lazy. I mean those who are really in need.
As it is, it seems that there is a "group" who wants to rule the world. And they are making things hard on everyone. If they don't wake up and give real freedom, and real help when it is really needed, they are going to wind up destroying themselves.
''A skilled dictator is much more benefficial to it's country than a democracy of idiots'' works very well for Russia by my opinion. 
) doesn't love this)...... and someone that whole free world needs Mr. Putin 
