Volodymyr V. Dem'yanchuk¹

(1) NADRA Group, Kiev, Ukraine

ABSTRACT: Petroleum Potential and Reservoir Properties of Deep Horizons in the Dnieper-Donets Depression, Ukraine

The Dnieper-Donets Depression (DDD) is a main petroleum province of Ukraine, it produces about 88% of gas and 83% of petroleum and condensate in DDD.

DDD is in one line with Great Permian and Western Interior Basins of USA on a degree of exploration of deep horizons, but DDD stands after the mega-basin of Mexican bay on an quantity of discovered reservoirs.

Reservoir properties at the depths more than 5000 m are connected with a degree of a catagenesis of rocks, and there are some zones, where the degree of a catagenesis varies from ??3 up to ??3. A high rank of a catagenesis is confined to tectonic active zones.

The studies carried out testify about existence of reservoirs at great depths.

Shales or consolidated silts are typical seals for reservoir rocks and it is established that the thickness of the seal is not a crucial parameter for sealing. Quality of the seals grows due to higher clay content basinward.

Taking into account timing of hydrocarbon traps formation and our modeling for passing the DDB source rocks through "oil window" we came to a conclusion that liquid hydrocarbons were generated primarily in a north-westernt part of DDD, and gaseous ones in its southwestern part respectively.

The above conclusions confirms known spatial distribution of hydrocarbons on phase state in the depression. New exploration and geophysical data allows to delineate promising plays at deep riftogeous levels of the basin.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90906©2001 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado