New Prospective Areas for Geological Exploration in Eastern Europe

Abstract

Eastern Europe is a highly complex geological region. The region comprises platforms of various ages, each exhibiting a variety of structural styles. The major tectonic elements often straddle more than one country, with each country usually interpreting the geological features differently. This complicates the study of both geology and petroleum occurrence. This study of the geological structure and petroleum occurrence was done for the territory as a whole, notwithstanding national boundaries. Based on a series of structural-geological features, these basins are grouped into three categories: (1) platformal, (2) fold (in fold-nappe belts and intermontane depressions), and (3) combined (at the junctions of platformal and fold areas, i.e., foredeeps). The basins are divided into petroleum subbasins. To scientifically estimate the petroleum prospectivity, VNI-Izarubezhgeologia has recently analyzed the lithofacies characteristics of the sedimentary sequences occurring in Eastern Europe; the palaegeographical environments of sedimentation, organic matter and its maturity,a nd the distribution of reservoirs and seals. As a result of these studies a series of lithofacies maps (18 maps at 1:1,000,000 scale), a tectonic map (1:1,00,000), a petroleum distribution map, a prospectivity map (1:2,500,000), and a series of geodynamic reconstructions have been produced. As the result of this analysis, new petroleum exploration targetsmore » have been outlined. These new targets are in stratigraphic trap zones, in deep horizons (deeper than 3-3.5 km) and in areas defined as a result of geodynamic analysis.« less