| We would like to inform you about papers published in periodicals of CIS and Azerbaijan in particular because it is not so available for the western readers as well as some issues about mud volcanoes from the regions highlighted poorly in scientific literature.
Issue 2
Issue 1
Issue 2
© Prof. Ad. Aliyev, Laboratory of Mud Volcanism, GIA
Proceedings of Geology Institute, # 31
MUD VOLCANISM OF THE SOUTH CASPIAN OIL-GAS BEARING BASIN
From the point of view of new data the paper describes the geologic-geochemical aspects of the mud volcanism: mud volcanic zones tectonics, regularities of spatial distribution and classification of mud volcanoes, issues of forming and mechanism of volcanoes manifestation, peculiarities of their eruption, geochemical characteristics of rocks and fluids, genetic relation of mud volcanic activity intensification with seismicity, role of mud volcanoes in estimation of prospects of oil-gas presence of the deep Eocene-Miocene deposits.
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© A.N. Mamedova, Laboratory of Mud Volcanism, GIA
GEOLOGIC-GEOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF MUD VOLCANOES OF THE SOUTH GOBUSTAN DUE TO OIL PRESENCE
Ph.D. thesis defended in Geology Institute
Scientific adviser: Prof. Ad.A. Aliyev
Summary
The paper describes the tectonic features of the studied mud volcanic zones with application of data of drilling, geologic-geophysical material as well as results of decoding of cosmic and air photography. There had been revealed the regularities of spatial distribution of mud volcanoes, for the first time there had been defined Shekihan-Agdam fault zone and some other new anticlinal folds. The activity of volcanoes of Gobustan with clarification of reason of their eruption is studied as well.
A new classification of mud volcanoes according to morphological features and character of their activity is proposed with definition between mud volcanoes and mud volcanic manifestations. Oil-bitumen shows of Gobustan related with mud volcanoes, with geochemical characteristics of oils emanated by volcanoes had been studied as well.
Lithologic-facial and geochemical analysis of the mud volcanic breccia performed with account of drilling data allows positively evaluate the prospects of the Eocene-Miocene deposits as oil-gas producing and potentially oil-gas bearing. The opinion on possibility of generation of hydrocarbons by the Eocene shale oils on great depths is expressed for the first time. The trend of prospecting surveys in the South Gobustan with recommendation of top-priority objects for drilling is scientifically substantiated in the paper.
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© A.Sh. Babayev, SOCAR
MODELING OF ACTIVITY OF THE MUD VOLCANOES IN CONNECTION WITH PROGNOSIS OF THE OIL-GAS BEARING
Ph.D. thesis defended in Geology Institute
Scientific adviser: Prof. Ad.A. Aliyev
Summary
Dissertation is devoted for complex modeling of thermodynamic conditions of mud volcanoes activity on the basis of the data on their geological structure, morphology, energy sources, products of eruption, etc.
Temperatures and the reasons of ignition of gases of mud volcanoes are determined. The reason of ignition of mud volcanoes gases of Azerbaijan is forming the metane-air detonating gas with temperature of ignition above 537oC.
The role of the gas factor in formation of ground and underwater mud volcanoes is found out and design procedures of their gas balance are developed. According to these techniques the gas balance for mud volcanoes is counted up for Chigil-Deniz (4.12.1950) and Lokbatan (15.1.1887).
The analysis of modular conditions of mud volcanoes water is given depending on the depth. Energy sources of mud volcanoes (underbark and radiogenic) are determined and for the first time their quantitative estimation is made.
The design procedure of geometrical parameters of the centers of mud volcanoes gases congestions is developed. According to this technique calculations of volumes of these centers for volcanoes are made for Chigil-Deniz and Lokbatan.
The complex model of activity of ground and underwater mud volcanoes is developed. It is found out, that type of eruption and quantity of breccia erupted by mud volcano are defined by the mechanism of eruption and depend on durability of a fuse in a muzzle of a mud volcano (therefore, on underwater ones this quantity as a rule is higher).
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Issue 1
© Prof. Ad. Aliyev, Laboratory of Mud Volcanism, GIA
IS IT POSSIBLE TO FORECAST THE MUD VOLCANO ERUPTION ?
As it is known there are a lot of mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan, over 300. The major of them locates in state of quiet gryphone - salse activity. At the same time up to 3-5 eruptions of various intensity occur annually. There are periods of significant activation when over five eruptions are recordeions are recorde So, in last century in 1926, 1970, 1986, 1988 there were recorded 6 to 9 eruptions of mud volcanoes located within various oil-gas bearing provinces of the Republic. The record number - 18 eruptions as onshore and offshore had been recorded at thn recorded at th beginning, in 2001. Actually, the year of 2001 was the year of mud volcanic paroxysm. Next two years there was a comparative calm in the volcanoes manifestation, not more than 2-3 eruptions. But year of 2004 has been distinguished by activation of mud volcanoes. For eight months of the present year there had been recorded eruptions of six volcanoes, one of them on the Absheron peninsula - Otmanbozdagh and five volcanoes - Shikhzagirli, East Suleimanakhtarma, Cheildagh, Durandagh and Airantekan in Gobustan.
 Shikhzagirli volcano. Crater field. Autumn, 2003 |
 Airantekan volcano. Faded hill broken through after the earthquake, 2001 |
The eruption on Cheildagh is somewhat different from other volcanoes. Along with ordinary eruptions the Cheildagh's paroxymal manifestation occurs as gradual, long-term dome-like protrusion of the volcanic mud.
 Cheildagh volcano. Dome-like protrusion of the mud volcanic breccia
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What new did we get from mud volcanic eruptions ? First of all, it is necessary to mention that eruptions of these volcanoes had confirmed once more our conclusions on genetic relation with seismicity. In this case the earthquake taken place in Shemakha region in March and in Alibairamli in August were the stimulus for awakening of Shikhzagirli, Durandagh and Airantekan mud volcanoes. It is interesting to notice that after Alibairamli earthquake the activity of nearby volcanoes had intensified even on Dashgil volcano where some months before the reduction of activity was observed.
 August 23, 2004. Airantekan volcano. Faded hill broken through after the Alibairamli earthquake occurring some days before |
Further, among the ejects of all mentioned volcanoes we were able to sample the shale oil dated to old Eocene age. From scientific viewpoint they express an interest and last year they serve as the object of our investigations as oil-gas generating rocks on great depths.
Now regarding the forecasting of the mud volcano eruption. There is no a single answer. Naturally that it is very difficult to forecast exactly the time of volcano eruption as well as earthquake. At the same time some proposals are possible. In the 80th of the last century we had been carrying out survey observations on mud volcanoes located within the seismic active zones of Azerbaijan. That time, carrying out the daily and weekly measurements of gas and water discharge emanated by the volcano and studying the variations in their chemical composition we could reveal the gashydrogeochemical indices of mud volcanoes activation in the period of seismic events preparedness.
After 2001 the activity of some mud volcanoes had been reduces noticeably. On many mud volcanoes periodically visited by us the gryphon-salse activity had weakened, there is no active emanation of gas, water and mud since the last year end. Similar phenomena had been observed by us on recently erupted: Bozdagh-Guzdek and Otmanbozdagh on Absheron peninsula, Shikhzagirli, Duranadagh and Airantekan in Gobustan.
 Otmanbozdagh volcano. Crater field with active gryphones a year before eruption |
The activity of one of the most intensive volcanoes in Gobustan - Dashgil - goes out in last 3-4 months noticeably. A big salse in the center of crater field of the volcano all time were intensively bleeding gas, water that overflow down the slope. At present the water level in this big crater is approximately 50-70 cm lower. Probably, the observed calm in this volcano activity, that erupted nearly 50 year before, can lead to strong bursting of accumulated energy. Till the year end the eruptions can be expected on other mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan sharply weakened or stopped their activity, especially those that were in quiet state for a long time.
 Dashgil volcano. Salse with intensive bleeding of gas, water and mud. Spring, 2004 |
 Dashgil volcano. Salse with intensive bleeding of gas, water and mud. Water surface lowering. August, 2004 |
Thus, due to impossibility to arrange the monitoring, periodically visiting the mud volcanoes, attentively tracing the variations taking place in activity of this or that volcano, accounting the features of their previous eruptions as well as long-term experience of our work in this field it is possible to forecast the next paroxysmal phenomena. Of course, it means middle-term forecast, for example within one year. More confidently the eruption of mud volcano can be forecasted in case of human being economical activity in direct closeness from volcano. In particular, this had led and precipitated the eruptions on mud volcanoes of Absheron peninsula: Kechaldagh in 2000 and Lokbatan in 2001.
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