Abstract: Caspian Sea Region: Petroleum Geology and Exploration Plays

Vladislav Ya. Trotsuk, Maria M. Marina, Elkhan A. Khalilov

The Caspian sea composes a high potential region of the former Soviet Union. Nevertheless it its one of the oldest petroliferous provinces, the bulk of about 200 discovered local structures is not test yet by wells. Previous and present drilling activity relates only to some areas at the south of the sea.

Three sedimentary basins of quite different tectonic nature can be distinctly separated in the region, namely northern, middle, and southern. Each

of them is a part of surrounding onshore structural units and is characterized by individual petroliferous systems and exploration plays.

Northern Caspian belongs to Precambrian platform where major play is associated with reefoidal reservoir rocks of Upper Paleozoic age. Huge reserves discovered in surrounding onshore structures is not proved up to the present below the undrilled sea floor.

The potentials of offshore part of Middle Caspian basin correspond to several local plays in Triassic, Middle-Upper Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Paleogene-Neogene sequences. The scale of reserves is not clear.

Southern Caspian basin is remarkable by giant reserves in Middle Pliocene section. Around 150 local structures is still undrilled in this part of the Caspian sea.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90986©1994 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado, June 12-15, 1994