Prospects for searching for hydrocarbon deposits in the Paleozoic complex of the South Torgai basin

Abstract

Intensive development of discovered oil and gas fields since the early 90s.of the last century, mainly associated with structural traps in Jurassic-Cretaceous complex, to date has led to a reduction in proven hydrocarbon reserves in the South Torgai sedimentary basin. The prospective potential for an increase in the resource base of the studied region can be focused within the deposits of pre-Mesozoic complex.
 Historically it was believed that the South Torgai sedimentary basin has a two-deck structure: a sedimentary cover of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic age and an underlying crystalline-folded basement of the Paleozoic-Proterozoic complex. The oil and gas potential of the Paleozoic complex in the region has been proven by obtaining direct signs of oil and gas in the core, oil and gas shows, up to industrial oil flows on a limited number of areas within the weathering crust zones.
 Analytical studies of recent years indicate a significant heterogeneity of the Paleozoic-Proterozoic complex, where promising structures of the Upper Paleozoic quasi-platform complex, represented by carbonate rocks, may be present. This article is focused on the analysis of a new and previously unexplored potential oil and gas complex of deeper-lying Paleozoic sediments that are of interest for setting up geological exploration.
 Due to the confidentiality policy, the names of wells, fields, coordinates and other detailed information are hidden. The article was formed to demonstrate the concept of the prospects of the heterogeneous Paleozoic-Proterozoic complex.