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Abstract

Isaksen, G. H., A. Aliyev, S. A. Barboza, D. Puls, and I. Guliyev, 2007, Regional evaluation of source rock quality in Azerbaijan from the geochemistry of organic-rich rocks in mud-volcano ejecta, in P. O. Yilmaz and G. H. Isaksen, editors, Oil and gas of the Greater Caspian area: AAPG Studies in Geology 55, p. 51-64.

DOI:10.1306/1205839St551436

Copyright copy2007. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Regional Evaluation of Source Rock Quality in Azerbaijan from the Geochemistry of Organic-rich Rocks in Mud-volcano Ejecta

Gary H. Isaksen,1 Adil Aliyev,2 Scott A. Barboza,3 David Puls,4 Ibrahim Guliyev5

1ExxonMobil Exploration Co., Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
2Geological Institute of Azerbaijan, Baku, Azerbaijan
3ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
4ExxonMobil Exploration Co., Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
5Geological Institute of Azerbaijan, Baku, Azerbaijan

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the Geological Institute of Azerbaijan and ExxonMobil Exploration Company for permission to release these data.

We also extend our thanks to William J. Devlin with ExxonMobil and Ken O. Stanley (deceased) for helpful insights into the basin history and regional tectonics and early reviews of the manuscript.

ABSTRACT

Rock ejecta brought to the surface by mud volcanoes offer a unique opportunity to characterize sedimentary units both within and beyond conventional drilling depths. Present among ejecta from mud volcanoes in the South Caspian Basin are the organic-rich rocks of the Oligocene–Miocene Maikop Formation, the primary source rocks for oil and gas in the region. These rocks have total organic carbon contents as much as 7% wt. and hydrogen indices as much as 500 mg hydrocarbons/g organic carbon. They are dominated by marine, algal-amorphous organic matter accumulated under dysoxic to anoxic conditions. When integrated, the rock analyses can aid in the reconstruction of paleodepositional environments and paleogeography of source rock intervals and, thus, help high-grade oil and gas exploration targets.

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