Conference Reports 37
Shallow marine and nonmarine reservoirs:
Sequence stratigraphy, reservoir architecture and production
characteristics
GCSSEPM Foundation Eighteenth Annual Research Conference
December 7-10, 1997, Houston, Texas, USA
Conference objectives
The 1997 conference explored the relation-
ships between detailed architecture,
sequence stratigraphy and production char-
acteristics of shallow marine and nonmarine
reservoirs. While deepwater exploration and
development activities continue to dominate
the headlines within the oil and gas industry,
for many companies, significant cashflow is
derived from well-established production
bases in shallow marine and nonmarine
reservoirs. Additionally, substantial explo-
ration and exploitation opportunities
throughout South America and the former
Soviet Union remain within shallow marine
and nonmarine strata. Thirty-three oral
papers were presented that spanned a truly
international suite of examples. The confer-
ence was organized along geographic bound-
aries with half-day sessions devoted to:
North America, South America, the North
Sea, Africa and Asia, and Quaternary and
Pleistocene analogs. Over the course of the
three days a wide variety of depositional
environments were discussed, ranging from
shallow marine shoreface and estuarine
strata to desert ergs and sabkhas. These
examples were drawn from an equally broad
Episodes, Vol. 21, no. 1
range of basin styles with rift basins, diver-
gent margins, and foreland basins all repre-
sented. Examples spanned a broad range of
geologic time from the Carboniferous to the
Quaternary. Despite this remarkably broad
range, it was clearly shown that the detailed
application of sequence stratigraphy to these
settings added significant value well beyond
the cost of implementing the necessary stud-
ies.
Value added
An appreciation of the added value from
these sorts of detailed studies can be quanti-
fied in at least two distinctly different ways:
(1) Many of the papers presented
described their results in terms of additional
barrels identified, additional well opportuni-
ties identified, changes in business strategy,
etc. During the three days of this conference
the following ‘summary statistics’ were
developed.
● In excess of 1.1 billion barrels of oil-equiv-
alent were identified as additional reserves
resulting from the application of detailed
sequence stratigraphic studies.
● In excess of 120 additional well locations
were discussed spanning a broad range of
reservoir and trap style.
● Several examples were shown from mature
fields where decline rates were arrested,
and in one case, the decline was almost
reversed.
● Several examples were shown where the
application of sequence stratigraphy
resulted in dramatically improved assess-
ment of reservoir risk and issues surround-
ing lateral continuity.
● Finally, virtually all papers provided exam-
ples of ‘smarter’ decision making that
resulted from a more informed technical
analysis. The keynote address by Dave
Lawrence and the subsequent paper by
John Shephard provided clear examples of
how better technical understanding had
fundamentally changed Shell Offshore’s
business strategy from “finding the big
one” to drilling and exploring for “any
profitable prospect”.
(2) An even more specific description of
the value-added derived from the application
of sequence stratigraphy in shallow marine
and nonmarine reservoirs was provided by
Marianne Weaver from Exxon Production
Research. Weaver’s paper provided a ‘look-
back’ at the benefits derived from a sequence
stratigraphic analysis of three fields (Stat-
fjord and Brent fields in the North Sea and
Hawkins Field in East
Texas) spanning a field his-
tory from mature/developed
to late-life/enhanced recov-
ery (it should be noted that
the larger study that this
paper was abstracted from
included more than 58 sepa-
rate field studies).
● In the Brent example
within the N-300 sand
alone 5 additional wells
were drilled resulting in
the addition of more than
46 MMBOE.
● In the Ness Formation in
the Brent Field 65
MMBOE were added as a
result of revised reservoir
maps and the subsequent
recompletions and work-
overs.
● In the Hawkins Field in the
eastern fault block at the
5600 and 6000 Sands an
improved understanding
38
of reservoir geometry resulted
in an additional 4.0 MMBOE
and $18.4 MM of capex savings
through reduced drilling
requirements.
● In a more broad analysis of the
cost/benefit attributed to
detailed sequence stratigraphy
that included a look-back at 18
fields, Weaver reported the fol-
lowing:
● In excess of $500 MM value
added.
● Finding cost of $0.03/BOE (that’s
right, 3 cents per BOE!)
Keep in mind that the larger
project examined 58 distinct field
studies; presumably the value-
added greatly exceeded the $500
MM quoted above.
Summary comments, observa-
tions and future directions
(1) In many of the papers pre-
sented the application of detailed
sequence stratigraphy resulted in
significantly improved reservoir
models that better reflected flow
units. The direct relationship between reser-
voir maps, subsequent reserve assessments
and determination of value cannot be
overemphasized; all of these directly impact
the determination of strategic value. When
viewed in light of Weaver’s study, there can
be virtually no question that the application
of detailed sequence stratigraphy to these
reservoirs is a worthwhile endeavor that adds
value.
(2) Significantly, in many of the cases
presented, key critical issues regarding reser-
voir geometry and architecture were at, or
below, seismic-loop resolution. Successful,
value-adding studies were characterized by
detailed integration of well logs, production
information, and core examination/data.
Because many of these papers illustrated
examples at/below seismic-loop resolution,
the challenge to improve seismic visualiza-
tion/imaging is clear. Recent improvements
in seismic visualization (which were not gen-
erally discussed at this meeting) offer the
opportunity for some spectacular improve-
ments in our understanding of reservoir
architecture.
(3) As the industry races towards even
more-improved subsurface visualization
tools and techniques, the integration of
detailed core examination and an under-
standing of ichnofacies relationships and
implications often receives little to no atten-
tion. Nevertheless, a majority of the papers
presented at this conference documented the
value-added of a careful understanding of
these data. In particular, the identification of
key reservoir surfaces was greatly aided by
an understanding of the rocks themselves
that could not be appreciated from remote
tools such as well logs and seismic data.
(4) A note of caution. To some,
sequence stratigraphy remains nothing more
than the application of a complex nomencla-
ture and series of labels to subsurface fea-
tures (i.e. HST, TST, SB, FS, etc.). This does
not add value and often leads to substantial
confusion. As many of the papers presented
in this conference clearly demonstrated,
sequence stratigraphy is a rigorous process of
addressing and analyzing subsurface data
that leads to testable hypotheses, improved
subsurface mapping and better prediction.
When applied appropriately and ‘correctly’
is a powerful tool that, as Marianne Weaver
points out, is amongst the most cost-effective
subsurface tools available to the industry.
(5) With the increased demand for fully-
integrated studies where the application of
sequence stratigraphy is a tool within a larger
study, there is need for improved understand-
ing of the following:
● At what scales are different heterogeneities
important and what are the ‘key surfaces’
that impact reservoir performance and
behavior. The paper by Pulham et al. pro-
vided some keen insights into this prob-
lem.
● There is an increasing need for much more
quantification of reservoir ‘geobody’
geometry. Significant volumes of data
have been gathered that describe the range
of possible dimensions, however, there is
little data that describes the probabilistic
distribution of important attributes such as
width, thickness, lateral extent, net/gross,
continuity, etc. As the industry moves
increasingly towards fully probabilistic
economic/production modelling through-
out field life, the need to quantify stratigra-
phy/sedimentology within the framework
of sequence stratigraphy increases. The
paper by Olsen et al. presented a view of
field analysis in this context.
The two accompanying figures are
taken successively from the following
papers:
Ralph A. Williams and Robert M. Mitchum,
Sequence-stratigraphic controls on Cot-
ton Valley tight gas sandstones, Carthage
Field, Panola County, Texas.
Barbara J. Radovich, Proximal nonmarine
sequence stratigraphy, reservoir quality,
and tectonic controls in the Southern Gulf
of Thailand.
The papers presented at the 1997
GCSSEPM Foundation Research Confer-
ence have been published in Shallow Marine
and Nonmarine Reservoirs edited by Keith
W. Shanley and Bob F. Perkins (460 p., 367
illus., including 62 in color, 17 tables).
Please see the GCSSEPM Foundation Web
Site at www.gcssepm.org for price and
ordering information.
Keith W. Shanley
Program Chairman
Amoco Production Company
P.O. Box 800
Denver, Colorado 80101
USA
March 1998

Jurassic/Cretaceous Carbonate Platform-Basin Systems —
Middle East Models
SEPM and The United Arab Emirates Uni-
versity, Al Ain, UAE, sponsored the
Research Conference on “Jurassic/Creta-
ceous Carbonate Platform-Basin Systems—
Middle East Models”. The meeting was
hosted by the University in Al Ain on
December 7–9, 1997. The conference was
opened by Vice Chancellor Dr. Hadef Bin
Jouan Al Dhahery on behalf of His Highness
Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan,
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific
Research and Chancellor of the UAE Univer-
sity and co-convenors Dr. A.S. Alsharhan
and Dr. R. W. Scott.
This conference was an opportunity for
explorationists in the Middle East petroleum
industry and research geoscientists to
exchange data, interpretations and questions
about Jurassic and Cretaceous carbonates of
the Middle East and elsewhere within the
Tethyan realm. Much of what is learned in
the Middle East has relevance outside of the
region, and many ideas developed elsewhere
can be useful here. This exchange stimulated
new questions, ideas, studies, and applica-
tions. This conference reflected the goals and
objectives of the Carbonate Platform Work-
ing Group 4 of the Cretaceous Resources,
Events, and Rhythms Project (CRER).
The 125 attendees came from four con-
tinents; just over 50% were from the Middle
East region. Nearly 70% were from the
petroleum industry and 30% from universi-
ties or research and consulting groups. The
abstracts of the 32 oral presentations were
published in the December, 1997 issue of
GeoArabia, Vol. 2, No. 4. New data and
interpretations were presented on the
sequence stratigraphy, diagenesis, deposi-
tional models, chronostratigraphy, and reser-
voir characterization. In general discussions
four themes were repeated:
1) the difficulty of separating the affects of
eustasy, sediment supply and tectonics in
driving stratal geometries,
2) the old paradigm of the lone stratigrapher
being replaced by a chronostratigraphic
team,
3) the need for a Middle East correlation
project, and
4) role of diagenesis in exploration.
Midway through the conference a panel
discussion probed the key issues of Middle
East Mesozoic carbonate platforms. Five
panelists introduced the themes and pro-
voked disucssion.
I. The primary controls on sequence
stratigraphy are eustasy, sedimentation, and
subsidence, but the greatest emphasis is on
eustasy. A fourth variable, magmatic-tec-
tonic framework or mantle-crust interaction,
is the driving mechanism of plate-move-
Episodes, Vol. 21, no. 1
ments. It was suggested that studies of
regional magmatic emplacement, such as the
Ontong-Java Plateau, might be instructive in
testing the relative roles of these factors.
Sequence stratigraphers must beware of
circular reasoning. Uncritical “correlations”
with a cycle chart may give unwarranted cor-
relations, as well as false creditability to the
theory of eustatic control. Practitioners were
urged to separate sequence stratigraphy cor-
relations from the cycle chart; first compile
the local sequence stratigraphy into a local
cycle chart before attempting global correla-
tions. A question was posed about the hierar-
chy of cycles (3rd, 4th order). Are the classes
arbitrary or genetic?
The role of seismic data in sequence
stratigraphy is critical and must be tied to
core, outcrop, and log data (although this is
“old hat,” it is never out of style.) Evaluation
of “surfaces,” such as subaerial exposure,
paleosols, hard-ground, drowning, stylolite,
etc., is essential to sequence stratigraphy.
Cycle amplitude relates to reservoir
geometry.
II. The old paradigm for dating the
stratigraphic record is that of the lone bios-
tratigrapher at the microscope, which is
replaced by “the new chronostratigraphic
team” that integrates multiple technologies
and data sets. The challenge is how to define
time lines with greater precision. High-reso-
lution correlation must utilize chemostratig-
raphy, such as carbon isotopes and strontium
isotopes, magnetostratigraphy, biostratigra-
phy, paleoecology, and cyclo-stratigraphy to
test whether sequence surfaces are, indeed,
time lines. The basic question in field work is
what criteria can be used to identify unequiv-
ocally a surface from one place to another.
Biostratigraphy must be used to cali-
brate chemostratigraphy and magnetostratig-
raphy because the cycles are not uniquly
identifiable.
Biostratigraphic analyses may be facili-
tated not far in the future by automated com-
puterized intelligent systems for fossil identi-
fication.
III. Out of the panel discussion came a
recognition of a need for an interregional
correlation project of Middle East Jurassic-
Cretaceous carbonates. The data would pro-
vide a framework for studies of cyclostratig-
raphy, which has potential to contribute to
measuring tectonic subsidence rates, scales,
and durations; these must be known for any
kind of modeling.
IV. Understanding diagenesis is critical
to hydrocarbon recovery. Even when our
predictions of the location of high-energy,
porous rocks, organic-rich facies, and effec-
tive regional seals and trap are all perfectly
39
correct, diagenesis can still make or break a
prospect.
Seals may be breached, source rocks
may not be mature or may have matured
before traps were developed, primary poros-
ity may have been destroyed by cementation
or by compaction.
Primary porosity may be enhanced by
dissolution, dolomitization, or fracturing and
porosity may be isolated by cementation.
Can we predict diagenetic porosity genera-
tion and loss? As a first approximation, many
diagenetic trends are controlled by deposi-
tional facies or structural trends.
Once we understand the diagenetic
effects, relationship, and controls of primary
facies and structure, and the geophysical or
log responses, then predictions can be very
effective. Here also, sophisticated research
and practical experience must be brought
together to generate new ideas and improve
their practical application.
A three-day pre-conference field trip
displayed Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous
platform-to-basin deposits in the Musandam
Mountains. One traverse showed the Creta-
ceous basin facies shoaling up and shelf mar-
gin facies prograding. The Jurassic platform
recorded multiple high-frequency sea-level
changes punctuated by exposure surfaces.
The three-day post-conference trip surveyed
the classic carbonate tidal flats along the
coast of Abu Dhabi and associated Miocene-
Pleistocene eolian and beach deposits.
The conference generated much spirited
exchange of ideas and data. Particularly, the
applications of sequence stratigraphic para-
digms were challenged and critiqued with a
positive outcome. The full integration of
chemostratigraphy with facies analysis and
biostratigraphy is practised with the carbon-
ate reservoirs in the Middle East. The result-
ing publication of papers will become a mile-
post in Arabian geology.
R.W. Scott, Precision Stratigraphy Associates,
Cleveland, Oklahoma
USA
A.S. Alsharhan, United Arab Emirates
University, Al Ain,
UAE
Paul Enos, University of Kansas, Lawrence,
Kansas
USA
40
Second Nepal Geological Congress
The Nepal Geological Society successfully
organized the Second Nepal Geological Con-
gress in Kathmandu from 11–13 November,
1997. The Chairman of the National Assem-
bly (Upper House of Parliament) of Nepal,
Rt. Honourable Mr. B.B. Karki inaugurated
the Congress. In his inaugural speech, the
president of the Nepal Geological Society
and the convenor of the Congress Dr. B.N.
Upreti pointed out the very limited opportu-
nities available for interaction among the
geoscientists of this region due to lack of
forum for regular meeting and sharing of sci-
entific knowledge and research findings. He
expressed the view that regular organization
of congress like this will greatly help geosci-
entists of this region to bring closer together.
During the inaugural programme, Mr.
P.B. Malla, former Director General of
Bureau of Mines and the first mining engi-
neer of Nepal, was awarded the Honorary
Membership of the Nepal Geological Soci-
ety. This honour of the Society is given to
any distinguished geoscientist who has sig-
nificantly contributed to geoscientific
research in the Himalaya and the adjacent
regions. Previous recipients of this honour
were the late Professor P. Bordet (France)
and the late Dr. C.K. Sharma (Nepal).
The Congress was participated by 210
geoscientists from 11 different countries
(namely Austria, Bangladesh, Canada,
China, France, Germany, India, Japan,
Nepal, Pakistan, and USA). A total of 125
abstracts were received which were edited
and published in the special issue of the
Journal of Nepal Geological Society (vol.
16). The Congress sessions were divided into
(i) regional geology and tectonics, (ii) hydro-
geology, (iii) economic geology and (iv)
geomorphology, engineering geology &
environmental geology.
There were 76 oral and 7 poster presen-
tations in the Congress. Two keynote papers
were also presented. The first was by Dr.
S.K. Acharya, Director General of the Geo-
logical Survey of India on the “Role of Tec-
tonics and concealed Tertiary foreland rocks
in formations of domes in eastern Himalaya
and eastern syntaxis” and the second was by
Dr. R.P. Bashyal, Deputy Director General
of the Department of Mines and Geology,
Nepal on “Petroleum exploration promotion
in Nepal”.
A post-congress geological excursion
was organized from Kathmandu to Kodari
(Nepal-China border).
By now about 35 full papers have been
received for the publication in the forthcom-
ing proceedings of the Congress (Special
Issue of the Journal of Nepal Geological
Society, vol. 18). The volume is scheduled to
be published by the end of November, 1998.
In August 1995, Nepal Geological Soci-
ety organized the First Nepal Geological
Congress to observe the 15th anniversary of
its establishment.Subsequently it was
decided that the congress will be a regular
event of the Society. The Second Congress
was thus the continuation in this series. The
Society will continue to organize this con-
gress in every two to three years interval and
hopes to see it grow as a regular meeting of
the geoscientists of this region.
About the Nepal Geological Society
Nepal Geological Society was established in
1980 and is registered with His Majesty’s Gov-
ernment of Nepal (HMG/N) as a NGO (non-gov-
ernment al organization). The Society has its
headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal with an
office located presently within the premise of the
Department of Mines and Geology (HMG/N).
The Society has about 450 members who are
actively engaged or interested in geological
research of the Himalaya-Karakorum-Hin-
dukush-Tibet Region. The members include
Nepalese geoscientists as well as scientists from
different countries of the Asia-Pacific region,
Europe and North America. About a third of its
members are non-Nepalese. In this regard, the
Nepal Geological Society is more than just a
national society, as it has been able to effectively
establish an international network of scientists
active in geological researches of the Himalaya-
Karakorum-Hindukush-Tibet (HKHT) Region.
It is hoped that the Society will gradually enlarge
its role as a regional geoscientific organization
and serve as a forum for more effective regional
and international scientific cooperation.
The main activities of the Society has been
the regular publication of the Journal of Nepal
Geological Society (one issue per year), and the
News Bulletin (one issue per year). In addition,
the society also publishes special issues of the
journal as proceedings of the seminars and the
Nepal Geological Congresses. The Society has
been regularly organizing national and interna-
tional seminars (including the 9th Himalaya-
Karakorum-Tibet International Workshop),
workshops and symposia on geoscience and
related fields.
Nepal Geological Society is the National
Group Member of the Intentional Association
for Engineering Geology and the Environment
(IAEG) and the member of the National Com-
mittee for the International Decade for Natural
Disaster Reduction (IDNDR).
Dr. B.N. Upreti
President, Nepal Geological Society
P.O. Box 231. Kathmandu, Nepal
E-mail: ngs@wlink.com.np
Fax: 9771-416870
March 1998

11th International
Symposium on
Placer and
Weathered Rock
Deposits
15-20 September 1997
Last September more than 200 geoscientists,
applied geologists and miners coming from
12 countries met at the 11th International
Symposium on Placer and Weathered Rock
Deposits which took place in Moscow-
Dubna, Russia. It was the second interna-
tional meeting there after the former USSR's
desintegration. The Symposium was orga-
nized by the Scientific Council on Ore For-
mation and Metallogeny of the Russian
Academy of Science, the Institute of Geol-
ogy of Ore Deposits, and the International
University "Dubna". The main sponsors
were the Russian Academy of Sciences, the
Ministry of Natural Resources of Russian
Federation, and the International Association
on Genesis of Ore Deposits (IAGOD). Some
other institutions and companies such as
BHP-Minerals and Russian Union of Placer
Miners gave partial financial support to the
meeitng. The Symposium was held in Dubna
town on the north of the Moscow district, on
the picturesque bank of the Volga River.
Dubna is one of the greatest international sci-
entific centers of physics and mathematics,
where the Joint Nuclear Institute (JNI) is
located.
In his speech delivered at the meeting,
Academician N. Shilo, Chairman of the
Organizing Committee, said: "The main aim
of the Symposium is to assess the achieved
research level on placer and weathered rock
deposits minerogeny and discuss the goals of
investigation for the incoming XXI cen-
tury". Particular attention was paid to the
new commercial and potential types of
placer and weathered rock deposits, which
may affect distinctly the resources and
development of mineral deposits. It was
reported that many large and superlarge
placer deposits and new placer regions had
been revealed and evaluated recently
throughout the world (e.g., superlarge
Kondyor platinum placer, giant Tomtor rare
metal placer in Siberia, large and giant tin
placers on the coast and on the shelf of the
Arctic Ocean, etc.)
Symposium program consisted of six
sections and four workshops, in the form of
both oral and poster presentations. The main
topics of presentations and discussions were
the following:
Episodes, Vol. 21, no. 1
41
Figure 1 Excursion participants at the office of the Vyazma Mining Enterprise after
examining the sandy-gravel carrier.
● environment, evolution and mineral com- ities, crusts of weathering, and the related
positions of the main types of placer and correlative sediments were one of the com-
weathered rock deposits; pensation models for hypergene deposits.
● new commercial types, regions and Evolution models of two groups of
provinces of mineral deposits; exogenic mineral deposits were analyzed by
● new technologies for evaluation and deve- V. Evzerov & S. Kravchenko (Russia) and
lopment of the deposits; by S.M.B. de Oliveira (Brazil) — for
● tectogenetics placer deposits; deposits related to alkaline-ultrabasic mas-
● mineralogy of placers; sifs; by L. Sporykhina (Russia) — for tin
● small- and fine-grained gold; placers; by A. Grosz et al. (U.S.A.),
● keynote criteria for effective development E.Bardeeva (Russia) et al., S. Babu (India)
of exogenic gold deposits; — for heavy mineral and gold-heavy mineral
● computer technologies; placers; by J. Krason (U.S.A), E. Matveeva
● mapping of hypergenic zone; et al. (Russia), W. LeBarge (Canada) — for
● Quaternary mineral deposits (presented to gold deposits; by K. Malich & T. Auge (Rus-
the XV Congress INQUA). sia-France), A. Mochalov (Russia) et al. —
Two five-day field excursions: "Gold for PGE placers.
and platinum placers of the Middle Ural" and Some oral and poster presentations
"The first gold placer of the Central Russia were dedicated to small- and fine-grained
(Kostroma district)" were run prior to the gold in weathered rocks and placer deposits
Symposium. The post-Congress two-day (e.g. "How and where do they occur and how
field excursion was dedicated to the gold- can they be developed and extracted?"). Ori-
bearing Quaternary glacial deposits in the gin, ways of migration, mineralogical fea-
Moscow and Smolensk districts (Figure 1). tures and commercial value of small- and
Some presentations merited special fine-grained gold used as by-product of tita-
attention of the participants. A. Krivtsov et nium-zirconium, PGE and building materials
al. from TSNIGRY (Research Institute of placer deposits were discussed in the reports
Geological Prospecting for Base and Pre- of N. Rindzyunskaya, G. Nesterenko et al.,
cious Metals) demon-
strated the first map of
exogenic gold and PGE
minero-geny of Russ-
ian Federation with
extensive information
— from description of
deposits to estimation
of districts and
provinces. A. Savko
and others elucidated
the role of continental
discontinuities on the
Phanerozoic platforms
as a controlling factor
for many important
weathered rocks and
placer deposits. They Figure 2 Rounded gold particles from the Middle Pleistocene
believed that the inter- fluvioglacial pebbles from the Smolensk district (Vyazma Mining
formational discontinu- Enterprise)
42

V. Fillipov et al., and Yu. Safonov. Besides,
participants in the Kostroma and Vyasma
field excursions had a good chance to
Neotectonics and
observe placer concentrations of small- and
fine-grained gold in the Middle Pleistocene its influence on the
(160 000 a.) fluvioglacial and recent alluvial
deposits of Central Russia (Figure 2).
In the course of the Symposium, an
formation and
exhibition "Current Technologies for Evalu-
ation and Development of Placer and Weath-
distribution of oil
ered Rock Minerals" was conducted. The
three-day exhibition included the following and gas deposits
sections:
● mining and enrichment equipment, The International Conference and Seminar
● laboratory equipment, “Neotectonics and its influence on the forma-
● new technologies for prospecting, tion and distribution of oil and gas deposits”
● placer miner activity, was held in Baku, Azerbaijan on September
● information technologies, 2–October 6, 1997, organized by the Geol-
● books, ogy Institute of the Azerbaijan Academy of
● stone goods. Sciences and the Scientific Council of Geol-
ogy and Development of Oil and Gas Fields.
Following subjects were discussed at
N. Patyk-Kara the conference:
Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, ● neotectonics of the Alpine mountain fold-
Mineralogy and Geochemistry of RAS ed mobile belt;
Staromonetny 35, Moscow 109017, Russia ● role of geomorphological evolution in the
Tel: 007-095-2308427 distribution of hydrocarbon deposits;
Fax: 007-095-2302179 ● fault tectonics and oil and gas content;
E-mail: pkara@igem.msk.su ● types and morphology of the folded defor-
mations in oil and gas provinces;
● tectonic stratification of the upper parts of
the Earth’s crust (10–12 km) to settle the
problems of the oil and gas content;
● main neotectonic criteria of evaluation of
oil and gas potential;
● formation of modern structure and the re-
lief of the South Caspian depression and
relation of the neotectonic movements
with mud volcanism;
● the role of abyssal faults in the formation
and location of hydrocarbon deposits.
A special exhibition was held in the
Geology Institute of Azerbaijan during the
Conference and Seminar. Monographies,
reports, maps and other scientific “products”
prepared by GIA and the leading scientific cen-
tres and oil companies were on display.
More than 100 scientists from Azerbai-
jan, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Turkme-
nia, America and Germany attended the Con-
ference and Seminar. 55 oral presentations
were made and 29 poster presentations were
introduced to the participants.
The importance of the Conference held
in Baku, Azerbaijan is that it put the phe-
nomenon of the South Caspian depression
with its unique oil and gas fields and the
processes of diapirism and mud volcanism
on the centre of the studies.
Complex problems of interrelation of
neotectonics and oil and gas formation were
considered from the point of view of modern
tendencies with traditional approaches. The
new trends and methods are as follows: stud-
ies of Earth crust with reflection waves, seis-
mostratigraphy, studies of internal stresses,
intraplate seismicity, and mathematic modelling.
As a result of the analysis of all the
reports a conclusion about the important
peculiarity of the neotectonic stage was
made. The point of the conclusion is the
activization at the neotectonic stage both of
the old substrate complicated by riftgenesis
and younger overlapping sedimentary cover.
Combination of these factors promoted for-
mation of oil and gas basins at the Neogene-
Quaternary stage of development of the
folded regions.
Professor A.D. Ismail-Zadeh
Secretary-in-chief
ANCC

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30th IGC CD-ROM

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tosh users electronic access to the main docu-

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?I4@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@0M
?I4@@@@@@@@@@@@@0M

Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 23 ments of the 30th International Geological Con-
gress held 8-14 August 1996 in Beijing, China.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF FINLAND
CURRENT RESEARCH 1995–1996 The CD-ROM contains 7600 abstracts, 38 field
trip guides, and the general information of the
Edited by Sini Autio
Congress.
196pp.+2 appendices+2 appended maps
1997 ISBN 7-900001-00-X,
400FIM+mailing costs US$18.00 (airmail postage included)
♣♣♣
The publication can be obtained from:
Geological Survey of Finland For subscription contact:
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March 1998