PROSPECTS FOR OIL AND GAS POTENTIAL OF THE MIOCENE-PLIOCENE AND MESOZOIC DEPOSITS OF THE ABSHERON ARCHIPELAGO

Abstract

The article is devoted to the prospects of oil and gas potential of the Miocene-Pliocene and Mesozoic deposits of the Absheron archipelago. The geological information about the Absheron archipelago dates back to the middle of the 19th century, the century of the industrial revolution. The offshore area of the Absheron archipelago, located to the east of the Absheron peninsula, is abundant with islands, surface and underwater hidden rocks, ridges, ledges and sand banks. The largest islands of the archipelago Pirallahi and Chilov are located here. They are confined to the anticlinal folds of the same name and their formation is associated with large thrusts of the SW limbs of these structures. The North Absheron oil and gas zone, located in the northern part of the Absheron archipelago, covers a vast territory stretching from the northwest to the southeast and is the southern end of the Scythian-Turanian Epi-Hercynian platform. An interesting feature from the point of view of the geology of the North Absheron tectonic zone is a peculiar tectonic structure, lithofacies features and oil and gas potential. Local uplifts differ from other uplifts located in the fold zone by their indeterminate location (Fig. 1). Despite the geological and geophysical work and the drilling of numerous prospecting wells, the Miocene-Pliocene deposits of the study area have not been sufficiently studied in terms of their oil and gas potential. Drilling of numerous wells in the Miocene-Pliocene deposits did not completely open the section of these deposits. The drilling of oil and gas bearing formations with full penetration and development is mainly associated with the optimal conduct of drilling operations. The anticlinal zone begins with structure bank Absheron. In connection with the washout on the structure bank Absheron, the upper section of the Productive series (PS) comes out on the day surface, and the lower section of the PS, with the exception of Gala suite, participates in all stratigraphic units. The Gala suite was found on the southwestern limb of the structure. Recently, hydrocarbon accumulations have been identified by prospecting and exploration work on the structures of Novkhany, Ashrafi, Garabagh. From this point of view, the correct assessment of hydrocarbon accumulations in the Miocene-Pliocene deposits in the North Absheron tectonic zone is considered the main one and complements the understanding of the oil and gas potential of the study area. Keywords: Absheron archipelago, Mesozoic complex, Pliocene deposits, Caspian Sea, prospecting and exploration, tectonic zone.