FEATURES OF RESERVOIRS DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE SECTION OF STRYI FORMATION, SKYBA ZONE OF UKRAINIAN CARPATHIANS

Abstract

Discovery of new significant mineral deposits is the basis for economic growth of many successful countries in the world. In this prospective, development of a strategy to increase the reserves of raw materials is a critically important aspect for the development of the national economy of Ukraine during the war and in the post-war period. The purpose of the work is to identify and discuss new promising exploration opportunities that can lead to significant hydrocarbon discoveries in the Western Oil&Gas Region. Taking into account the maturity of the basin and long history of geological exploration in the region, the discovery of new deposits with significant reserves requires new approach for hydrocarbons exploration. Analysis of results of the historical geological exploration suggests that the main accent should be made to identify the highest quality reservoirs and to study their distribution on the area. The oil and gas potential of the Cretaceous-Paleogene complex of rocks in the Western Oil and Gas Region of Ukraine has a long history of research while study of reservoirs distribution is an integral part of them. The best reservoir rocks and the largest hydrocarbon deposits are associated with lithologically well-dissected rocks of the Paleogene age. Naturally, the main studies of productive complexes are concentrated around these Paleogene reservoirs. While very thick and monotonous section of Cretaceous sediments as well as distribution of sands within it had much less attention of explorers. How’ve, for both Paleogene and Cretaceous rocks, study of reservoirs distribution is closely tied to sedimentation conditions, location of clastic material source, position of the coastline, structure of the basin bottom relief, etc. Authors provide detail analysis of the knowledge available on reservoirs of the Stryi Formation within the Skyba zone of Ukrainian Carpathians as one of the exploration opportunities that can lead to discovery of new significant hydrocarbon reserves. The article suggests methods and goals of further research, specific tasks are being outlined and next steps discussed to allocate prior areas for further detailed geological exploration.