Oil and gas potential of superimopsed depressions in Azerbaijan

The Republic of Azerbaijan has significant potential in the oil and gas industry, which is the basic for the country economy. Prospects for the development of oil and gas production technologies are largely determined by the effectiveness of geological and geophysical surveys and exploratory drilling. The features of the geology and oil and gas potential of the Azerbaijanian continental depression zones are considered for determining the targets for further exploration for hydrocarbons (HC). The analysis of such studies shows that the Srednekurinskaya depression (the Azerbaijani part) and the Guba-Divichinsky depression are superimposed with the corresponding features of the conditions for the formation and survival of hydrocarbon accumulations. Low oil and gas potential of the Miocene-anthropogenic strata of the discussed superimposed depressions is substantiated: this is due to low hydrocarbon potential of the rocks (especially the Lower Pliocene ones), as well as low temperatures insufficient for the conversion of organic matter to hydrocarbons. It is proposed to use poorly tectonized Jurassic and Cretaceous sediments, especially those overlaid by oil and gas generating Paleogene-Miocene strata (commercial accumulations of Muradkhanli type) as the HC exploration prospects.