Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in Azerbaijan in Relation to Faulting and Mud Volcanism

  • Name:

    DGMK/ÖGEW Frühjahrstagung

  • Venue:

    Celle

  • Date:

    25.04.-26.04.2019

  • Author:

    Merz L, Huseynova A, Babayev E, Hilgers C

  • Speaker:

    Merz L

  • Understanding the mechanisms of mud volcanism is critical for oil and gas exploration in
    Azerbaijan, as well as in other countries where this natural phenomena is abundant, e.g. in
    Iran or Indonesia. Whereas location and geochemistry of mud volcanoes is well studied and
    recorded (Institute of Geology and Geophysics (ANAS) et al., 2015), geological and tectonic
    influences on mud volcanism are poorly studied so far. However, faults and fracture networks
    are crucial in understanding the migration pathways and environmental impact of mud
    volcanism. Such information can be used for reservoir characterization and safe well planning
    in hydrocarbon exploration, but also for a risk assessment in groundwater and soil use.
    The WNW-trending Greater Caucasus fold- and thrust-belt with S-SSW verging folds and
    associated thrusts is formed by ongoing collision of the Arabian plate with Eurasia (e.g.
    Narimanov, 1993; Devlin et al., 1999; Saintot et al., 2006). Recent tectonic stress is oriented
    NNE with a movement of c. 10 mm/year (Bonini and Mazzini, 2010). It is assumed that mud
    volcanoes are related to structural hydrocarbon traps in anticlines formed by the thick
    Productive series of Neogene age, that is also the main oil and gas reservoir in Azerbaijan
    (e.g. Reynolds et al., 1998). Muds and associated fluids migrate from overpressured shales
    either through pipe systems and/or faults and fracture networks (Guliyev, 2006).
    We conducted lineament mapping from remote sensing data (open source ASTER DEM30
    data set with a resolution of 30 m and LANDSAT data with a resolution of 15 m) in GIS software
    and compared traced lineaments to faults shown in the geological map of Azerbaijan
    (1:500.000, Alizadeh et al., 2008). Fault orientations show a similar result with the majority of
    faults striking WNW, paralleling the Greater Caucasus. By analysis of mud volcano and fault
    location we observe that over 50% of mud volcanoes are located over or close to fault
    intersections. Field observations in one study site reveal a W-E-striking thrust fault and NNWand
    NE-striking normal faults. Additionally, we measured fracture orientations, spacing and
    few abutting relationships in a total of 18 outcrops in Neogene and Paleogene reservoir rocks
    (ntotal c. 600) to deduce information on the fracture network critical for fluid flow. Fractures strike
    mainly N-S and W-E in the southeastern part, and NNE-SSW and WNW-ESE in the
    northwestern part of the study area. Porosity and permeability measurements show that the
    Neogene Productive series show c. 25% porosity and c. 10 Darcy permeability. Mud volcanism
    at least temporarily has an impact on groundwater as shown by BTEX amounts of 0.3 to 1.2
    μg/l that are not critical for human health in 3 springs.
    We conclude that mud volcanoes location is associated with fault intersections and orientation.
    The Productive series exposes good analogues of reservoirs for mud volcanism and
    associated hydrocarbons. Groundwater is mixed with organic components derived from mud
    volcanoes, and further analyses will improve our understanding of fluid pathways in the current
    stress field.