Objective
The Greater Caucasus is presently, one of the world's major oil provinces, and area of geostrategic and geopolitical importance to western countries. The largest concessions for oil exploration and exploitation in the Black and Caspian Seas and are in the hands of large foreign oil companies (e.g. American). Small local oil companies have a marginal role and their exploration is confined in internal regions that are considered not economically interesting for large oil companies. However, systematic exploration of these zones with new methodologies not presently used in Georgia and Azerbaijan, may remarkably help the socio-economic development of these countries in spinning-off hydrocarbon research.
The CAUCASUS Project aims to apply state-of-the-art technologies to improve our knowledge of the geological history and evolution of the Kakheti basin in the Eastern Greater Caucasus (Georgia and Azerbaijan), with final goal of optimising the search for oil reservoirs in these neglected regions. The Project will be implemented by:
1) classical geology and geodynamic, including mapping and cartography.
2) sedimentology - sequence stratigraphy.
3) Micro-palaeontology, which will contribute a better understanding of biodiversity and ecological assessment, thus of the evolution of the sedimentary systems through the geological time.
4) Geochronology. Bio- stratigraphy will be coupled with absolute dating of minerals contained in levels from volcanic eruptions in the adjacent volcanic arc,
5) Geophysics, by using seismic profiles and satellite imagery, to reconstruct balanced cross-sections.
All the data acquired will combined in a GIS-based database to build 3D models of the distribution of sedimentary bodies, tectonic structures and reservoirs, to model hydrocarbon migrations and trapping in the region and to predict reservoir quality. The project is innovative as it aims to apply technologies to reservoirs exploration that are presently not in use in Georgia and Azerbaijan, thus it helps to build competence by transferring of knowledge and expertise among partners. It also benefit of the active collaborations of local oil companies that have offered their data to accomplish the research.
It meets the aims of INTAS by: it addressing the INTAS Collaborative Call with South-Caucasian Republics at Point 1.
1 (Improved use of natural resources, including minerals);
(2) promoting scientific cooperation between INTAS and NIS countries to strengthen their joint and individual research potentials;
(3) introducing young NIS scientists to state-of-the-art data analysis; and
(4) contributing to the socio-economic development of the region.
The CAUCASUS Project, if accepted, will provide the scientific community with new data obtained by state-of-the-art technologies for further integration into future tasks for the entire region. Partners in CAUCASUS are Georgia, Azerbaijan, Italy and Switzerland (coordinator).
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Topic(s)
Data not availableCall for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
Data not availableCoordinator
FRIBOURG
Switzerland