Published January 2010

The new oil and gas system zoning of Azerbaijan and adjacent regions of Middle and South Caspian Sea is base of oil and gas forecast

S.A.Alieva

B.M.Averbukh

As a result of made on a system basis with use of geological criteria and the retrospective analysis of paleobasins (during accumulation in them of regional oil and gas bearing complexes) oil and gas geological zoning of Azerbaijan territory and adjoining water area Middle and South Caspian Sea it has been established, that investigated regions are included into limits of three oil and gas provinces (OGP): North-Caucasus-Mangyshlak, South Caspian and Transcaucasian, and independent Dibrar oil and gas region and also independent Nakhichevan region with the obscure prospects of an oil and gas content. It was possible to create the new system schematic map of zoning in which on the basis of the analysis of a complex of the various geology-geophysical data, including geodynamic and retrospectively-basin, large oil and gas (oil and gas prospective) regions have been allocated. This regions then have been consistently subdivided into the co-ordinated parts described all higher degree of uniformity of oil and gas geological characteristics. In conformity with a system principle of hierarchy, in these oil and gas provinces oil and gas regions areas and zones of an oil and gas accumulation have been allocated. In particular, within the limits of southeast part of Tersk - Caspian oil and gas region (Tersk - Caspian depression) on territories of Azerbaijan and an adjoining shelf of Middle Caspian Sea for the first time have been allocated: Pre Samur prospective oil and gas area (POGA) and Kuba - Divichi oil and gas area (OGA). In for the first time allocated independent Dibrar oil and gas region corresponding southeast immersing of the meganticlinorium of Greater Caucasus, the Khizy and North Gobustan prospective (POGA) and also North Absheron oil and gas area (OGA) have been allocated. North Absheron oil and gas area previously wrongfully included in Absheron - Pribalkhan zone of the South Caspian oil and gas province (OGP) that contradicted geological data. Within the limits of Absheron-Gobustan oil and gas region (OGR) of South Caspian oil and gas province (OGP) are allocated Absheron, Absheron - Pribalkhan, Shakh Deniz, Gobustan and Djeirankechmez oil and gas areas, and in Low Kura an oil and gas region the same South Caspian oil and gas province (OGP) are allocated Korgaly and Shirvan an oil and gas areas. Southeast zones of Absheron-Gobustan and Low Kura oil and gas regions cover as well a shelf part of a South Caspian Sea which in a number of schematic maps previously referred to as area of the Baku archipelago and is artificial subdivided this zone into “land-sea”, despite of its uniform geological structure. In the western part of Azerbaijan within the limits of a southeast part Transcaucasian intermountain depression the Middle Kura-Kartli oil and gas sub province (OGSP) for the first time is allocated. Into this OGSP enter Gabyrry-Ajinour oil and gas region (it is subdivided into territories of Azerbaijan on oil and gas area of Interfluves Kura and Gabyrry, Ajhinour prospective oil and gas area and southeast zone of Alazan-Aghrichai area with the obscure prospects of an oil and gas content), and Yevlakh- Aghdjabedy oil and gas region (it is subdivided on Mil, Pre-Lesser Caucasus oil and gas areas, Djalilabad prospective oil and gas area (POGA) and area Pre-Araks with obscure prospects of oil and gas content). All oil and gas areas are subdivided into zones of an oil and gas accumulation. From all oil and gas provinces allocated for territories of Azerbaijan and an adjoining shelf of a Caspian Sea, the South Caspian oil and gas province has the greatest sizes and also exposed and prospective resources of hydrocarbons. Recommendations on carrying out in this oil and gas province preliminary paleo-structural analysis of data of seismic exploration on the structural traps prepared for search drilling, for revealing small prospective structures of late formation are given. As the above-stated new map of zoning is based only on geological data about a structure, development in time and an oil and gas content of these regions, in view of distribution to these regions of the basic oil and gas complexes, the above-stated system zoning enables more objectively to reveal prospects of oil and gas content of separate parts of this system.