Results of geological exploration for oil and gas and hydrocarbon resource base development in Bukhara-Khivinsky region

The authors discuss history and results of geological exploration for oil and gas in Bukhara-Khivinsky region (the Republic of Uzbekistan). History of hydrocarbon field discovery and development in Bukhara-Khivinsky region van be conditionally divided into three following stages: 1953-1964, 1965-1990, and 1991-2022. The authors present information on number of fields and their distribution in terms of reserves amount, fluid type, and extent of development, dynamics and the current state of hydrocarbon raw material base. The proven commercial productivity is found within the stratigraphic interval from the Early-Middle Jurassic up to and including Later Cretaceous. Geological exploration in the Bukhara-Khivinsky region resulted in redistribution of known hydrocarbon reserves between stratigraphic sequences. In the first stage, the main body of both reserves and hydrocarbon production was attributed to Cretaceous deposits. Currently, the number of hydrocarbon accumulations in Middle-Later Jurassic carbonate deposits markedly dominates over the rest of stratigraphic sequences. Degree of development of total initial hydrocarbon resources in this region exceeds 50 %, nevertheless the Bukhara-Khivinsky region remains the leading one in terms of geological exploration, production, and hydrocarbon reserves growth. The authors conclude that the considerable prospective and undiscovered resources exceeding 4 bln TOE listed on the State Balance Sheet of the Bukhara-Khivinsky region give grounds for further buildup of geological exploration for oil and gas