Institute of Geology and Geophysics, National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Baku, Azerbaijan:

Ad. A. Aliev, Head of department, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences
O. R. Abbasov, Leading Researcher, PhD in Geosciences, ortal80@bk.ru

Azerbaijan is rich with natural resources, first of all, oil and gas. Furthermore, the country possesses numerous nonconventional (alternative) sources of hydrocarbons such as natural bitumens, oil shales, dissolved gases and gas hydrates, in large quantities but yet unutilized. Oil shales concentrate mostly in the Shamakhy-Gobustan, Absheron, Pre-Caspian–Guba, Ismail and some other regions, in more than 60 mineralization areas within a wide stratigraphic interval in the geologic section (Cretaceous–Miocene). This article reports the research findings on discovered oil shales in East Azerbaijan. The space and time distribution patterns of oil shales are analyzed, the geochemical features of oil shales are studied from the viewpoint of the genetic linkage with hydrocarbons, the probable reserves are evaluated, and the use prospects are identified. In the light of the new data, genesis, organic geochemistry and mineralogy of oil shales from ground outcrops and eruption products of mud volcanoes have been investigated for the first time. The geochemical analysis involved the Eocene-age Maikopean oil shale from eruption products of mud volcanoes situated in Central and South Gobustan. Percentage of the organic substance in composition of these shales is 7.56–42.55. The nature of clayey minerals in the test oil shales, the obtained relationships and the data charts from the geochemical analysis points at the connection of the oil shales with a transition zone between the continent and sea, with gradual pass of the deposits from the continental to the marine environment. The high content of the oil fraction enables using oil shales as a fuel material and in some petrochemical industries.

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