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South Caspian Basin: Young, Cool, and Full of Promise

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South Caspian Basin: Young, Cool, and Full of Promise Vol. 9, No. 7 July 1999 INSIDE GSA TODAY • Publications Survey Results, p. 6 • 1999 Medalists, Awardees, p. 13 A Publication of the Geological Society of America • Employment Service, p. 20 South Caspian Basin: Young, Cool, and Full of Promise W. J. Devlin, Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc., P.O. Box 4480, Houston TX 77210-4480 J. M. Cogswell, Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc., P.O. Box 4480, Houston TX 77210-4480 G. M. Gaskins, Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc., P.O. Box 4480, Houston TX 77210-4480 G. H. Isaksen, Exxon Exploration Company, P.O. Box 4480, Houston, TX 77210-4480 D. M. Pitcher, Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc., P.O. Box 4480, Houston TX 77210-4480 D. P. Puls, Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc., P.O. Box 4480, Houston TX 77210-4480 K. O. Stanley, Exxon Exploration Company, P.O. Box 4480, Houston, TX 77210-4480 G. R. T. Wall, Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc., P.O. Box 4480, Houston TX 77210-4480 ABSTRACT The South Caspian Basin comprises a unique set of geologic parameters that rank it among the most prolific hydrocar- bon regions of the world. Surrounded by GREATER BACK THRUST TURAN CONTINENTAL KOPET DAG DATACHED compressional orogens, the basin has accu- BLOCK C OUTER SALIENT CAUCASUS A U PrePliocene Outcrop mulated up to 25 km of sediment, with PrePliocene Outcrop CA SU more than 10 km of this fill deposited in Pliocene Quaternary PlioceneS Quaternary OROGENIC Outcrop the last 6 m.y. This recent, rapid burial has Outcrop BELT resulted in such low temperature gradients LESSER CAUCASUSKURA TROUGH APSHERON PREBALKAN that hydrocarbons are still being actively COMPRESSION/WRENCH SYSTEM ACCRETIONARY KARA BOGAZ HIGH generated at depths between 8 and 12+ COMPLEX km. The anticlinal structures in the basin ASHGABAT C ON are large, and interpreted to be buckle VER GEN T W folds overlying a regional detachment RENCH TALESH MOGAN TU based on the analysis of regional 2-D seis- SYSTEM SALIENT RK BUCKLE FOLDS mic data. The combination of a prolific ZONE OF SLUMPM & SOUTH CASPIAN BLOCKS & SHALE DIAPIRSGROWTH FAULTING EN hydrocarbon system, large undrilled struc- BLO South Caspian tures, and a favorable political climate for Structural Blocks CK KOPET DAG OUTERSALIENT foreign investment has focused consider- Turkmen Ridge Block (Detached) able industry attention on the potential of CIMMERIAN CONTINENTAL this basin. BLOCKS PrePliocene Outcrop DAG SALIENT KOPET (Basement involved) Pliocene Quaternary INTRODUCTION Outcrop CAUCASUS COLLISION ZONE ELBURZ REENTRANT The South Caspian Basin lies within a (Basement involved) Kilometers Caucasus Oceanic/ 0 20 40 60 belt of Tertiary to Holocene compression Flysch Deformation Belt 02040 associated with the Alpine-Himalayan oro- Miles genic belt. The sedimentary fill of the South Figure 1. Upper: Merged bathymetry and digital topography of the South Caspian Sea and Caspian Basin, however, remains relatively surrounding areas. The elongate subsea ridges present on the bathymetry are the sea floor expres- undeformed compared to the adjacent Cauca- sion of large, subsurface anticlinal folds (see Fig. 4). Lower: Structural elements of the South Caspian sus, Kopet Dag, and Elburz fold and thrust Sea and surrounding areas (modified from Philip et al., 1989, Berberian and King, 1981; Adamia et belts (Fig. 1). Deformation in the South al., 1977; Nalivkin, 1976; Huber, 1978). Caspian Basin is expressed as a series of large Note: Exxon, not GSA, holds copyright for this article (South Caspian Basin: Young, Cool, and folds that are commonly pierced by mud Full of Promise, by W. J. Devlin, et al.). Permission to make copies of the article must be obtained from Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc., P.O. Box 4480, Houston TX 77210-4480, attn. W. J. Devlin, Caspian Basin continued on p. 2 (713) 973-3383. IN THIS ISSUE GSA TODAY July Vol. 9, No. 7 1999 South Caspian Basin: Young, Cool 2000 Officer and Councilor Nominees. 15 and Full of Promise .................. 1 GSA Divisions—Do You Belong?......... 17 GSA TODAY (ISSN 1052-5173) is published monthly by The Geological Society of America, Inc., with offices at 3300 In Memoriam . ........................ 2 Penrose Place, Boulder, Colorado. Mailing address: P.O. Box Environment Matters: 9140, Boulder, CO 80301-9140, U.S.A. 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