Petroleum potential of Paleogene - Miocene deposits in Kura and Gabyrry interfluve based on new geological and geophysical data

The paper is devoted to the studies of key criteria for oil and gas prospecting and selection of areas for exploration for promising Paleogene - Miocene deposits within the Kura-Gabyrry (Iori) interfluve. Discovery of the Samgori oil field in Georgia, where oil and gas seeps in the Maikop deposits are associated mainly with subhorizontal faults, and also in the Armudly discovered by stratigraphic test wells. In the Gaflandere field, gas condensate was obtained in structural test well 33 from thin sandy-siltstone reservoirs of the lower part of the Maikop Formation. In the Tersdeller area, oil inflow of 250-300 m3/day was obtained in the prospecting well 1 from the Middle Eocene deposits. In the Damirtapa-Udabno area, oil inflow of 5 m3/day was reported from the depth 4011-4095 m (Middle Eocene deposits) of the well 1. The same slight gas shows were observed in the well #1 in the Mammadtapa area and in the wells 3, 4 in the Sazhdage area. The studies show that sand horizons present both in Maikop and Eocene at the north-eastern flanks of certain structures, are completely replaced by argillaceous rocks towards the crest of fold. As thickness of the Maikop and Eocene deposits increases in north-north-eastern direction, thickness of silty-sand and carbonate-tuffaceous reservoirs also grows and their reservoir quality improves. Taking into account the increase in the deposits geochemical maturity in this direction and remoteness of the regions from the zone of meteoric water influence, it is possible to predict that the potential of the Maikop and Eocene deposits in this area increase.