TECTONIC STRUCTURE AND OIL AND GAS POTENTIAL OF THE KOLKHIDA PLAIN AND ADJACENT REGIONS |
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| Abstract: | Western Georgia is in the eastern part of the Riono-Black Sea intermontane oil and gas reservoir. Coastal Abkhaziya and the Colchis Plain is favorable for oil and gas prospecting as Mesozoic sediments are here overlain by a series of Tertiary and Quaternary rocks. From the Recent tectonic pattern, evolution, age, and composition of the present complexes the authors could outline three tectonic regions: Guri, Colchis and Abkhazsko-Megrel. The geological pattern of the Colchis region has recently become better known. Borehole data indicate the presence of a heavy Cretaceous carbonate series (over 1, 000 m thick) overlain with sharp angular unconformity by Pliocene and Quaternary argillo-arenaceous sediments. From data obtained by seismic prospecting, drill-hole exploration and geological survey the conclusion that all brachyanticlines in the Colchis region might be grouped into three anticlinal zones, namely northern-Colchis, central Colchis and southern Colchis. Within the northern Colchis zone three brachyanticlines (Ingur, Ochemchiri and Kodor) are distinguished. The same confinement of separate uplifts to the anticlinal zones may be observed in the Abkhazsko-Megrel and Guri regions, where an overall complex of Tertiary sediments is developed. In the area under discussion two structural layers are isolated: the lower Domeotic and the upper, consisting of Pliocene- Quaternary rocks. The lower layer is characterized by intermittent folding, the upper one -- by nearly horizontal bedding. The oil content of the Cretaceous sediments in Western Georgia is known from drilling data and abundant oil and gas occurrences. In this connection certain Colchis brachyanticlines are of great interest for oil and gas prospecting within the Cretaceous carbonate complex. |
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