PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES

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• Collection: General CIA Records
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• Publication Date: November 16, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

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PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES OF UNION OF
SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
F. JULIUS FOHS
Reprinted for private circulation from
THE BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS
Vol. 32, No. 3, March, 1948
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Volume, 32 Number 3
BULLETIN
of the
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF
PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS
PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES OF UNION OF SOVIET
SOCIALIST REPUBLICS'
F. JULIUS FORS'
Houston, Texas
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to give a picture of present and ultimate oil possibilities of the
U.S.S.R., so they may be compared with those of the United States. Following an outline of source
material for the study, a general picture of the structure and tectonics of Eurasia and Siberia is given
as the background to differentiate oil-bearing from oil-barren regions. The oil and gas deposits occur
in reservoir beds similar to those in the United States, ranging from Devonian to Pliocene strata in-
clusive. It is possible that Silurian and Ordovician will also produce, and a small amount of oil has
been reported from Cambrian beds. The structure and the stratigraphic types of occurrence are also
similar. A more detailed picture of each possible oil region, both productive and prospective is pre-
sented, with a comparison of their relative merits. It is shown by the map that out of 8,390,ooo square
miles of land-inland sea area within U.S.S.R. boundaries, 3,600,000 square miles have possibilities for
the finding and production of oil; and in addition there are 400,000 square miles of continental-shelf
area within the Zoo-meter depth limit. Of the total possible area, 11,ooo,ooo square miles are classified
as younger marine sedimentary (Cretaceous to Pliocene) deposits. Also of the total, there are 1,530,000
square miles north of the 6o parallel; hence, they are more difficult and expensive to develop.
Production to the beginning of 11949 in U.S.S.R., inclusive of Sakhalin, was 5,722,000,000 barrels;
1946 it was barrels, while that in 1946 was 1,754,oo0,00o ab outd 50 per cent more United
was than that
of 1939?
Total estimated proved reserves of the Soviets are nearly 8 billion barrels, while those of the
United States are 24 billion barrels.
While the U.S.S.R. has barely begun development, having only 12,000 oil wells, the United
States is well advanced with 424,000 producing wells. It will therefore require a long period of time,
large capital investments, much of machine tools and other machinery adequately to develop the
Soviet possibilities.
Exploration and development in the Soviet Union are being carried forward by use of latest
techniques developed in the United States and elsewhere, with some new Soviet methods. It is re-
ported that more than 2,000 geologists and geophysicists are employed at present by the Union;
and engineers and technical workers are probably likewise numerous.
The affiliated countries under Soviet control are Roumania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugo-
slavia, Albania, and Poland, which cover an area of 427,000 square miles. These include two important
1 Presented before the Eastern Section of the Association, at the Mining Club, New York,
December ro, 1947. Manuscript received, January 116, 1948.
2 Consulting geologist. The writer gives acknowledgment and thanks to Basil B. Zavoico for loan
of Russian maps and reports; to Lewis G. Weeks for use of his basic oil estimates and loan of Russian
translations prepared for the Standard Oil Company (New Jersey); to the World Oil for use of its
library data; and to Walter J. Larke for drafting the map and assisting in computations.
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318 F. JULIUS FOHS
basins, the Hungarian and Roumanian inclusive of the Sub-Carpathian region, which covers 130,000
square miles ofpprospective territory, with the Roumanian district much more important. The proved
reserves are estimated as ranging from 241,000,000 to 491,000,000 barrels, with estimates for
Roumania ranging from 150,000,000 to 400,000,000 barrels. Production to date is 1,459,000,000 bar-
rels, and during 1946 it is estimated as 44, ooo,ooo.barrels. It is down 25 per cent in Roumania due to
the last war, but the possibilities of developing important new production are considerable as the
Roumanian basin is one of the best in Europe and similar to the Gulf Coast of the United States.
The U.S.S.R. has been getting 951 per cent of the Roumanian output because of its great need for oil,
but it is reported that some of this is to be released shortly, perhaps to other East European states
now that the United States has ceased exporting oil to them. Outer Mongolia and Tannu Tuva, also
affiliated, have ''little or no oil prospects.
Lewis G. Weeks' estimate of United States sedimentary basins exploitable for oil is 1,400,000
square miles, to which he gives an ultimate estimated production of 100,000,00o.ooo barrels.
Comparing, Soviet areas in kind with those given by Weeks for certain United States regions, and
allowing for average depth of favorable sedimentary strata in each basin judged by available data,
the writer obtains for the U.S.S.R. the following figures inclusive of land and cor..tinental shelf.
For the more important districts, namely, Moscow-East Russian basin, Pre-Caspian and exten-
sions, Transcaspian, South Caucasus, and East Sakhalin, the estimated total area is 1,8o5,ooo
square miles, with sedimentary rocks totaling 2,736,000 cubic miles and having an oil-gas content of
162,000,000,000 barrels. Additionally of much more speculative character, 1,650,000 square miles,
with an estimated total of 1,708,000 cubic miles of sedimentary rocks, may ultimately yield 33,000,-
ooo,ooo barrels. Of this, only 6,ooo,ooo,ooo barrels have been produced and about 8 00o,ooo,ooo
barrels proved, leaving the balance to be found and developed, a truly stupendot.s task, although a
large number of mapped structures await adequate testing.
It appears probable and reasonable, therefore, to conclude that the Soviet Union has within its
own borders an' ultimate oil reserve of at least 15o-16o billion barrels, and conceivably it may ap-
proach 18o-Igo,billion barrels. By allowing for areas under Soviet control, it is clearthat the U.S.S.R.
dominates more than a third of the total ultimate oil reserve of the entire world.
Soviet Russia has ample other power resources. It is second to the United States in coal reserves.
It also has abundant oil-shale deposits, which as well as the coal, may be converted to oil and gas as
required. Its hydro-electric power possibilities are very large. Development of coal has been con-
siderable, there has been some development of oil shale for both oil and gas production, and while
hydro-electric development has barely begun, construction of 15,000,000 kilowatts is planned. Of its
atomic-energy minerals, there is ample territory favorable for their vein occurrence in its large pre-
Cambrian and shield areas; in addition, Eklund estimates one million tons of ordinary uranium ex-
tractable from Soviet oil shales and states the United States and Sweden, each has a like amount. The
Soviets are resources-rich, but development-poor. This emphasizes how very great is the Soviet need
for a long period of peace-time development of its great power resources, whereas the United States,
through its combined individual, corporation, and government effort has reached a greatly advanced
stage. Both countries can with continued development be self-contained as far as power resources are
concerned for centuries to come.
This paper is a discussion of the oil-bearing provinces of the U.S.S.R., both
developed and undeveloped. The map outlines the likely areas; such limits may
not coincide with published studies or basinal boundaries, but they represent the
writer's idea of the practical limits for exploration by evaluation of the basic
geology. While large areas are eliminated as of little or no promise, heretofore con-
sidered promising by some geologists, others are added. It is 20 years since Arthur
H. Redfield gave the A.A.P.G. a paper attempting by a somewhat similar ap-
proach to give an outline of the oil resources of Russia. The present study was
undertaken because it seems imperative with the growing importance of the
U.S.S.R. that we in the United States have a better basis for comparison of its oil-
reserve areas and our own. While it is not possible to present quantitative esti-
mates, it is possible to evaluate the relative importance of provinces and districts
based on (r) extent of area outlined, (2) character of sediments, whether conti-
tinental or marine, (3) thickness of sediments, and (4) extent and age of folding
with consideration of effects of folding on older and younger strata.
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A selected bibliography on the geology, cartography, and the oil industry of
the U.S.S.R. is appended, but the principal sources on which this study is based
are: the excellent geologic map of the U.S.S.R. on the scale of 1:6,ooo,ooo, pub-
r lished for the Moscow meeting of the 17th International Geological Congress;
the tectonic map published in the Soviet World Atlas; the paleogeologic, paleogeo-
graphic, and tectonic maps of Arkhangelski (Eurasia), Orbruchev (Siberia),
Gregory and Grabau (Asia), Leuchs (North and Central Asia), and Bubnoff
(Europe), Beyschlag-Shriel-Stille (Europe). The Arkhangelski gravity and mag-
netic maps of Russia and southwestern Siberia were very helpful in studying
fundamental elements. The papers given at the Geological Congress of 1937,
geological papers from the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, papers in Oil Industry,
and in the Prospecting Journal of Geological Institutes, together with the studies
previously published in the A.A.P.G. Bulletin and elsewhere, particularly those of
Goubkin, Brod, Zavoico, and Marshall Kay are of great importance. Since it is
not the present purpose to give details of either geology or oil fields, the appended
select bibliography may be used for such references; for detailed lists of producing
fields, statistics, and a good general review, the sections of the Oil Weekly "Oil
World Atlas," covering the U.S.S.R. and affiliated states, are recommended. For a
quick over-all geologic description of districts the papers in Volume I of Science
of Petroleum are recommended. Indebtedness is acknowledged to all these
sources, though no attempt has been made to specify them.
The tightening of information due to U.S.S.R. war security measures makes it
difficult to get reports on the present or recent status of oil fields, including their
production; this holds good for the U.S.S.R. and affiliated states as well as for
states still partially under U.S.S.R. control. Though Soviet geologic reports are
published, details on important new districts and extent of development have
been withheld. It has been necessary therefore to use estimates of the Oil Weekly
(now World Oil) on production, wells drilled, et cetera.
The U.S.S.R. covers half of Europe and of Asia. It has an area of 8,350,490
square miles, one-sixth of the earth's surface. The European states, Albania,
Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Roumania, and Yugoslavia, now
under its political control, add 426,924 square miles, and Asia, Outer Mongolia,
and Tannu Tuva further add 622,744 square miles, giving the Soviets control of
18.4 per cent of the earth's surface. In comparison, the United States with
3,022,000 square miles and its territories with 597,000 square miles, give an area
which is 32 per cent of that under U.S.S.R. control.
Considering its vast area, it is not surprising that the U.S.S.R. contains eight
petroliferous provinces, consisting of ten major basins and fourteen minor dis-
tricts which may produce oil and gas. Production has been obtained in six of the
major basins and their extensions. The West Siberian lowlands, Northeast
Siberia and Kamchatka provinces, remain almost unexplored. Soviet oil fields
produce only 500,000-600,000 barrels daily, placing U.S.S.R. on a producing
plane with the United States of 3o years ago. But Soviet Russia with its vast
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basic resources, with more than 2,000 geologists and geophysicists (1945) engaged
in oil exploration as well as a large staff of engineers, technicians, and workers,
should speedily develop a much larger production. It is reported to have de-
veloped some new techniques and has the further advantage of those perfected in
the United States and elsewhere in the past 30 years.
The strata in which oil is being sought range from Cambrian limestones
through Pliocene, with the greatest production to date from Pliocene, Permian,
Carboniferous, and Jurassic beds and with much new production coming from
Lower Carboniferous and Middle Devonian limestone. The Silurian and Ordovi-
cian should also produce but no production is reported. Cretaceous areas are
practically untouched. While there is some Jurassic production it is relatively
small compared with areas underlaid by Jurassic; some of the latter are large;
many of them are overlaps too undisturbed to produce; more of the deeply
buried Jurassic will undoubtedly show production later. Just as Cambrian produc-
tion is inconsequential in the United States, it probably will be of little impor-
tance in U.S.S.R.
Thus far, most of the production has come from anticlines and domal uplifts,
only a small amount from stratigraphic traps. A marked feature of many of the
developed domes in the Baku, Kuban, and East Russian basins is that they are of
the elongate ellipsoidal type, cut with epi-anticlinal or transverse faults. Salt-
dome production has been principally from the Emba basin, to a, small extent
from the Ukraine. In all important basins because of effect of shield areas and
mountain uplifts, there is everywhere a plenitude Hof folding and faulting.
GENERAL STRUCTURE
An over-all tectonic picture of Eurasia is outlined in the following paragraphs.
In Russia proper, there is on the northwest the Fenno-Scandia shield, a large
pre-Cambrian. massive and positive element, on the east are the Ural Mountains
of Variscan orogeny, and between lie the Moscow, Pechora, and East Russian
basins, constituting part of the Russian platform. An offshoot of the Urals trend-
ing northwest is the Timan range and between it and the northern Urals lies the
Pechora basin. The movement of the Urals westward toward the pre-Cambrian
massive Fenno-Scandia is probably explanatory of the productive folds of the.
East Russian basin. The Urals, being overturned toward the west, may have im-
portant buried structures below the unconformity.
Southern Russia has two positive elements: the Voronezh block which ex-
tends eastward from the south end of the Fenno-Scandia shield and the Podolian
block of the Ukraine, which is a mass of intrusives in old rocks. Between these
blocks is the Ukrainian (South Russian) basin, which is the westward extension
of a geosyncline extending into southwest Siberia. South of the East Russian
basin is a deeper extension, the Pre-Caspian (Astrakan-Emba). Still farther south
is the uplift of the Mangyslak Mountains. This is a buried uplift beneath the
Caspian Sea and northeastern Kuban; north of Rostov-on-Don, it. is part of the
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PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES OF U.S.S.R. 321
Ukraine area. The Mangyslak uplift is a continuation of the axis of the Hissar-
Tien Shan Mountains. South of this axis is the Kuban syncline which extends
westward through the Sea of Azov, northern Crimea, and Bessarabia; east of the
Caspian Sea, it continues as the Turkmen-Uzbec (Kara Kum) basin. On the
south of this syncline are the Caucasus Mountains and their southeastward ex-
tension, the Kopet Dag Mountains from Krasnovodsk to Ashabad in Turkmen
S.S.R. South of the Caucasus is the Kura River-Baku-Nebit Dag basin, which in
turn is limited on its south by the Elburz Mountains of Iran.
A glance at the tectonic elements of the remainder of Siberia and adjacent
territory gives the following picture.
In the Arctic are the Kara Sea and East Siberian Sea shield areas. The first
shield is rimmed on the south with the Ob-Khatanga depression and the second
by a slightly depressed old Paleozoic complex north of the Cherski Mountains.
In north-central Siberia there is the great Anabar shield area on the east, with the
Angara-Yenisei horst block on the southwest, and the shallow Tunguska River
basin between. The Upper Lena-Aldan River basin occupies still shallower parts
of the Siberian platform, on the south and southeast.
South and east of this in Siberia and adjacent Mongolia is a greatly folded,
metamorphosed Paleozoic complex, with practically no folding in later Mesozoic
beds; Weller designates southeastern Mongolia as a shield region, Gobia. In west-
ern Siberia are the West Siberian lowlands with the greatest depths of basin in a
strip on the east flank of the Ural Mountains uplift, forming the Turgai-Ob River
depression; farther east as part of these lowlands are the upper Irtysh and Ob
River and the Yenisei River depressions. South of these is the Karaganda block
or Kirghiz Steppe region, the west part of the south Siberian old Paleozoic com-
plex.
Still farther on the south follow two important synclines: (i) the Chu River
(Moyun Kum) basin bounded on north by the Char Tau Mountains and sepa-
rated from the Kazakh (Kysyl Kum) basin by the Kara Tau Mountains and (2)
the Kazakh syncline bounded on the south by the Hissar Mountains. Farther
southwest are the several uplifts and basins of the Caspian province previously
described.
In northeastern Siberia is the semi-circular uplift of the Verkhnoyansk-Koly-
ma-Anadyr Mountains which on its south borders a group of included basins, the
deepest of which is the most westerly or Yana River syncline. This region is south
of, and was pushed southward by, the East Siberian Sea shield. The Yana syn-
cline also rims the Anabar shield. Still another basin east of the Anadyr Moun-
tains, the Anadyr syncline has heavy Cretaceous deposits. South and east of the
Stanavoi Mountains, north of Kharbarovsk, is the narrow Amur basin, probably
the south extension of the Yana syncline. East of the Anadyr syncline in Kam-
chatka lie the Karaksky and Sreddiny Mountains, and east of these is a region of
Alpine folding in Cretaceous and Tertiary beds, the southeast extension of which
is formed by the Kuril Islands; similar conditions occur on the east and west
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F. J ULI US FOHS
322
flank of the Paleozoic core of Sakhaklin Island, which is an extension of the West
Pacific arcuate belt which includes the Japanese islands.
In summation, there are two great shield areas, the Fenno-Scandia shield,
Voronezh block, and Podolian block on the west, and on the east the Kara shield,
the Anabar-Yenisei horst-Angara shield, the Gobia shield, and the Tarim
shield, while between are the great mobile basins of Russia and West Siberia, of
the Lower Danube and the Caucasus region; on the south in Bulgaria, Turkey,
and Iran is a;? great median mass, which also helps to bound and contain the
mobile area, just described. This mobile region is the great oil-reserve area of
Russia; east of the Anabar shield and south of the East Siberian-Chuchee seas
shield is another mobile region, smaller and of less oil-productive significance.
OIL PROVINCES
The map and areal classification table present the results of this study. They
give categories of provinces as to U.S.S.R. oil potentials: Primary, Secondary,
Tertiary, Possible, and Doubtful. In Primary are included only those where
large production is probable and depth and character of sediments warrant. In
Secondary are included areas which also have considerable thickness of marine
sediments so that material production appears fairly sure. In Tertiary are in-
cluded some producing areas and others that will produce but thickness of marine
sediments and other conditions make extent of production probably of a consid-
erably lower order. In fourth or Possible category are placed those where condi-
tions are generally less favorable or the geologic information is such that a higher
classification is not warranted at present; there are at least two areas included in
this category on the map and one of the fifth (Doubtful) category that might
well belong to the third category; these three are the Yana basin, part of the
Anadyr syncline of West Kamchatka, and the Ishim basin (shown in Doubtful
category on the map), totalling 216,I03 square miles. In the fifth category are
basinal areas 'which, though containing seepages and structures, are of doubtful
possibility fore commercial oil, and do not now warrant attempts at development,
especially with the large amount of more favorable territory available.
While in the attached table, land and under-water areas (water to zoo meters
depth) are given separately for each district, from a practical viewpoint, they are
classed in this discussion as one; there is an added development-cost increment
for the under-water areas.
NORTH RUSSIAN PROVINCE
(I) Moscow basin.-This basin has little depth of unmetamorph.osed sedimen-
taries excepting in its southeastern part, where two anticliinal folds appear,
while a third occurs north of Yaraslavl. One gas field has been opened west of
Penza. The Devonian and Carboniferous beds extend westward as overlaps on
the Fenno-Scandia shield. It is in these overlaps, and particularly against closure
where it is present on the larger folds where the Devonian thins, that stratigraph-
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is-type oil deposits may be sought in Lower Carboniferous and Devonian beds.
North of a line eastward from the south end of Lake Onega to the Svermaya
Dvina River (broken line on map) the Devono-Carboniferous section may be too
thin to be worthy of prospecting, as, according to Bubnoff's interpretation, the
Fenno-Scandia shield and Cambrian beds underlie this area at shallow depth;
later Russian maps give, however, a different interpretation. This area should be
given a low value for oil possibilities and it is excluded in the areal estimate. Oil
has recently been found in the Devonian at Kasmokamsk.
The thickness of beds in the Moscow basin, Silurian through Tertiary,
averages 3,460 feet; the thickness of Cambrian beds is 510 feet. The Devonian
and Carboniferous section important from an oil standpoint has a thickness of
2,000 feet, and the Permian, chiefly continental in facies, averages 350 feet.
(2 and 3) Timan range and Pechora basin.-The Timan range is a northwest
branch of the Urals which separates the Moscow basin from the Pechora basin
bounded on the east by the main Urals. The range extends northwest across the
White Sea just north of Murmansk and skirts the Fenno-Scandia shield. It there-
by permits the extension of the Pechora basin into Barents Sea. Production has
been opened on the Timan Range at Ukta. The range exposes Devonian and
older rocks, so that only limited parts of the range will be productive, and due to
lack of cover only 5,000 square miles of its total area is suitable for prospecting.
The Pechora basin has Permian, Carboniferous, and Devonian rocks; produc-
tion from the Devonian is assured by oil found at Severokamsk in the northern
Urals. Bubnoff places a small shield area just east of the river's mouth. Folds near
and paralleling both the Timan and Ural ranges should be found with production
possibilities. Oil is produced at Perm and in other localities.
(4) East Russian basin.-With its Permian, Carboniferous, and Devonian
(upper, middle, and lower) beds, this is an important petroliferous province. Its
best developed oil fields are in the vicinity of Molotov and south. Its southward
extension which is mapped as a primary area where the thickness of sediments,
about 5,000-9,600 feet into the Devonian, is greater, includes the Kuibyshev
(Samara) fields. Also, the finding of oil in the Lower Carboniferous and particu-
larly in the Devonian limestone has been of prime importance and a factor in
supplying much needed production in the last r2 years of the war. This included
the Tuimazy field which is an anticline 3o kilometers long and may cover a pro-
ductive area of 75,000-90,000 acres where the Lower Carboniferous production is
at 5,500 feet and the Devonian at 9,6oo feet. The middle Devonian porous lime-
stone (which does not crop out in the Urals at the east) has developed production
not only at Tuimazy but also at Molotov on the north and in the Samara bend at
Yablonovog at a depth of 8,500 feet. The greater thickness of Permian deposition
is responsible for greater depth than in the Moscow basin. Marshall Kay gives the
Permian a thickness of 4,545 feet east of Kungur, though farther north at Kizel it
is only 2,575 feet. This is comparable with the thickness of 350 feet in the Moscow
basin. The average covering of Mesozoic-Tertiary beds is 1,400 feet and there is at
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326
I. AREAL CLASSIFICATION OF PROMISING OIL PROVINCES AND DISTRICTS OF U.S.S.R.
PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY
I. NORTH RUSSIAN PROVINCE
Square Miles Square Miles Square Miles Square Miles
Land Water Land Water Land Water Land Water
(1) Moscow basin (less north
part)
250,000
(2) Timan range
29,591`
(3) Pechora basin and Barents
Sea
tox,685
21,162
57,388
(4) East Russian basin
124,641
240,315
(a) Saratov region
37 661
(b) Sterlitamak region
11,657
Total-East Russian, Pechora and
Barents
124,641
391,318
21,162
279,591
57,388
..........................................................................................................
2. SOUTH RUSSIAN PROVINCE
(I) Ukrainian basin
157,819
(2) Pre-Caspian (Emba-Astra-
kan) basin
195,480
18,472
25,107
(3) Kazakh basin]
236,190
26,542
1,793
(4) Ferghana basin
22,417
(5) Chu River basin
43,938
Total-South Russian Ito 5
498,025
45,014
182,926
1,793
(a) East Ferghana basin
14,347
(b) Lake Issyk Kyl basin
3,138
(c) South Ferghana
(Sary Tash and Bartang
rivers)
15,97r
...............:........................................................................................
3. CASPLIN-BLACK SEA PROVINCE
-Trans-Caucasian basin-
(I) Kuban (Northeast Caucasus)
basin
84,289
27,797
13,450
(2) Crimea-Seaof!Azov
6 ,456
15,960
2,241
2,690
(3) North Black Sea
16,14o
2,152
(4) Bessarabian (Moldavian)
basin
30,308
717
W Turkmen-Uzbec basin
224,175
24,211
27,977
Total-Trans-Caucasus
345,228
84,108
44,385
4,842
-South Caucasian basin-
(I) Baku (Kura River) basin
20,265
10,222
(2) Nebit-Dag basin
17,934
19,727
(3) Black Sea basin
4,752
1,614
Total-South Caucasus
42,951
29,949
1,614
..........................................................................................................
4. WEST SIBERIAN PROVINCE
(I) Turgai-Obdepression 443,866
(2) Irtysh River basin 373,030
(3) Yenisei River''. depression 95,946
Total-West Siberian I, z, 3 539,812 373,030
(4) Karaganda block
(a) Ishim basin
(b) Kuznetsk basin 6,725
(c) Ili River basin 8,070
Total-Karaganda 8,070 6,725 23,314
............ .............................................................................
5. NORTH-CENTRAL SIBERIA PROVINCE
(1) Khatanga River basin 179,340 118 3 4
(2) Lower Lena basin
Total-North-Central Siberia 179,340 118,364 64,562
.......................................................................................................
!
6. NORTHEAST SIBERIA PROVINCE
(I) Yana River basin
8:5,393
(S22 Anadyr basin
10,760
111,190
21,520
l3) Southwest Kamchatka
17,934
33,177
(4) East Kamchatka
60,347
77,295
Tota1-Northeast Siberia
17,934
33,177
60,347
77,295
10,760
19,4,583
21,520
7. FAR EASTERN PROVINCE
(1) Amur basin
44,835
6,276
(2) East Sakhalin
)
4,483
22,417 ,
West Sakhalin
(3
9,594
10,939
(4 Blagovoshchensk
16,140
(5) South of Chita
11,657
... . . ......... ...................I......................................
...
Grand total,P es 1,033,262 214,665 1,2o6,414 io 9,396 936,591 186,870 310,256 21,520 all : ? An area of only 5,ooo square miles has enough cover to prospect.
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Hungary
Austria
Yugoslavia
Roumania
Roumania Black Sea water
Czechoslovakia
Poland
Bulgaria
89
7,263
54,248 7,352
Affiliated states total-13o,464 square miles.
47,076
10,401
least i,ooo feet of Permian; under this there is i,ioo-t;6oo feet of Carboniferous.
The upper Silurian may underlie most of this basin. The Carboniferous and
Devonian may be thicker than indicated. Our only check is depth of Devonian
production at Tuimazy, 9,600 feet. Already several good fields are producing, and
many more should ultimately dot this region. This area has many similarities with
the West Texas basin. The production due to the recent development of Devonian
oil is greatly increased but is still only 20 per cent of that from the Baku fields, al-
though no recent figures have been published; a statement suggesting an increase
of 400 per cent from 1940 to 1944 makes it seem probable that it may yield 36 per
cent of all production by ig5o; the Russians call it "Second Baku."
The Saratov area is closely related to the Samara Bend fields. The Sterlitamak
district probably has less thickness of sediments.
(I) Ukrainian (South Russian) basin.-This is a long narrow northwest-
southeast graben-type syncline extending westward from Stalingrad through
Kharkov to the new Polish border. In this region only minor oil and gas fields
occur, with productive 'salt domes at Lubny and Romney; the large gas field on a
long north-south anticline, just east of Saratov, is closely related to the Kuiby-
shev fields.
(2) Pre-Caspian (Emba-Astrakan) basin.-This may well be proved the third
or fourth most productive area. Its Jurassic, Permian, Carboniferous, and Devo-
nian beds should all produce. It consists of two principal parts; the northern which
contains three large arch folds and the southern which contains salt domes, salt
anticlines, and a number of anticlines parallel with the Urals and their southwest
extension. Wells opened are principally in Jurassic beds to depths of 2,200 feet.
In the western or Astrakan part, gas has been developed. Deeper drilling is gener-
ally essential.
(3, 4, and 5) .Kazakh, Ferghana, and Chu River basins.-Southeast of the
Emba district and extending southwest from the Urals is a narrow strip which
HUNGARIAN BESSARABIAN
BASIN BASIN
Primary
Square Miles
Land
35,868
2,241
9,863
5,380
Primary Primary Tertiary
Square Miles Square Miles Square Miles
Land Land Land
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328
may be uplifted or of older rocks bordering the basin and extending southwest to
the Mangyslak Mountains. This strip is shown as a second-grade area with Cre-
taceous and deeper beds. The present study rejects Brod's interpretation of corre-
lating this zone across the Kuban area into the Crimean-Black Sea uplift. Due
south from the Urals are the Mugodzhary Mountains, of which there is a buried
counterpart in the west part of the Aral Sea and underlying also the east side of
the Ust-Ort Plateau. This buried uplift (formerly considered a shield area) prob-
ably dies out against, or bends southwest en echelon with, the Mangysl.ak-Hissar
Mountains uplift which forms the south boundary of the Kazakh basin.
From the narrow strip, which is the southeast boundary of the Emba area, the
Kazakh basin; extends eastward broken only by the Mugodzhary uplift, and al-
though covered with Tertiary and Cretaceous rocks, it is primarily similar to, but
not as deep as, that of the Emba. The Ferghana Valley is the extreme east exten-
sion of the Kazakh (Kysyl Kum) basin. It is a prolific producer from a consider-
able number of oil pools though it is a small inter-montane basin. Production in
Ferghana hasIbeen from the Eocene but Jurassic and Cretaceous will doubtless
also produce,; although the folds nearest Cretaceous hills have not shown any-
thing. There has been no production reported from the main Kazakh district,
though its area is both large and promising for a primary producing territory.
North of Kazakh and separated from it by the Kara Tau Mountains is the
Chu River (Moyun Kum) basin which is bounded on the north by the Karaganda
block. Of the old Paleozoic rocks, this region is probably less deep than the
Kazakh basinand its main possibilities probably are in the Permo-Carboniferous
and Devonian beds. The Turgai depression adjoins it on the northwest. The only
production thus far opened is at Frunze in the extreme east corner.
(6) Inter-Montane basins east of Ferghana
(a) East Ferghana.-This is located just southeast of the Ferghana Valley.
As it has Triassic at the surface with Carboniferous and Devonian beds below, it
has possibilities.
(b) On the north is Lake Essyk Kyl, a small basin with Paleozoic and Trias-
sic at the surface. This is southeast of Frunze, and has possibilities.
(c) Farther south of East Ferghana are the inter-montane basins of the Sary
Tash and Bartang rivers with Paleozoic rocks and some Triassic and Jurassic,
which also may have possibilities. These are immediately west of the Tarim
shield area of Sinkiang province, China. This old shield area probably has only a
thin cover of unmetamorphosed sediments, and is of little if any value as prospec-
tive oil area.
CASPIAN-BLACK SEA PROVINCE (TRANS-CAUCASIAN BASIN)
(I) Kuban (Northeast Caucasus) basin.-This Trans-Caucasus region dips
north off the Caucasus Mountains and is limited on the north by the west-buried
continuation of the Mangyslak Mountain uplift. Its greatest thickness of Ter-
tiary (Pliocene through Eocene), sediments is in the Caspian just off Daghestan
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PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES OF U.S.S.R. 329
and adjacent to the Apsheron Peninsula, where they reach an estimated thickness
of 13,900 feet with a thinned Pliocene, but greater Miocene, while in the Tersky-
Sunja region, the sedimentary thickness is 11,400 feet. Principally tested to date
are the uppper 2,000 feet of Pliocene beds, though the upper and middle Miocene
have better reservoir beds. As in South Caucasus, the Jurassic and Cretaceous
beds also underlie this region; hence, the maximum thickness of strata is at least
25,000 feet for a considerable part of this basin.
There extends northeast from the Caucasus Mountains in the region between
Krasnodar and Grozny a raised shield area with a thin covering of later rocks
which for this reason is mapped third grade.
In the northwest, in the deepest part of the Kuban geosyncline, lies the Donets
basin, one of the principal sources of Soviet coal. It is a closely folded basin with
Devonian beds appearing on top of part of the anticlines and a heavy thickness of
Carboniferous and overlying beds in the intervening narrow synclines. This is
rather fully described by Bubnoff. The section is: Cretaceous-Jurassic, 2,440
feet; the Carboniferous formations reported from 16,i6o to 32,340 feet, though
part of this thickness may be exaggerated due to tilting of beds; and Devonian,
330 feet. Where the Devonian has ample cover and closure on the anticlines, it
may yield oil. The Carboniferous section is probably too important for producing
coal, or for the making of producer gas from the coal beds in place.
Principal oil production thus far has been from a stratigraphic trap at Maikop,
from anticlinal structures at Grozny, and from Daghestan; gas has also been pro-
duced from the last. At Daghestan, a great many anticlines and domes have been
mapped and the Caspian off-shore area should contain others with some very
rich oil pools; in the same trend toward the south, an oil field was opened in 1946
in the sea about 412 miles east of Baku.
(2) Crimea-Sea of Azov.-On the west are the Sea of Azov and Crimea, con-
tinuation of Kuban. Most of the Azov area should be exploitable. In Crimea,
a number of fields have been opened; part of these belong to the North Crimean-
Kuban basin, part to the Caucasus axis, with oil principally on the north in
the former, and gas with some oil in the Caucasus extension on the south. These
fields have not been proved as good as those farther east where the basin is
wider. This part of the basin is limited by the Podolian block on the north, as is
the Black Sea continuation of the Crimean basin.
(Sand 4) North Black Sea and Bessarabian basin.-The Black Sea part of this
basin while sizable and wider remains as yet unexplored; this part joins the Bes-
sarabian (Moldavian) basin on the west, and is north of the uplift shown on the
map as a second-grade belt extending into Dobrudja. Farther northwest, the
Bessarabian basin has the former narrow Polish sub-Carpathian basin as its ex-
treme west extension; this narrow basin is also bounded by the Podolian block on
the northeast. The oil fields at Boryslav are now principally within the new
Russian boundary as the map and areal classification table show. The region be-
tween Boryslav and Odessa remains almost wholly unexplored.
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330 F. JULIUS FOIIS+
(5) Turkmen-Uzbec basin.-This great basin is the Trans-Caspian extension
of the Kuban-Daghestan syncline. It is bounded on the south by the Kopet Dag,
part of the Altaids, and on the north by Mangyslak-Hissar Mountains axis. Just
north of Krasnovodsk are some minor uplifts, probably northwest branches from
the Kopet Dag Mountains. No production has been reported, excepting the
Termez fields in Uzbec at the extreme east. This, like all Trans-Caspian basins, is
covered with recent beds and considerable geophysical exploration is necessary
for mapping the buried structures. Here is found a large and important off-shore
Caspian Sea area. The geologic section should be proved very similar to that of
the Kuban, and ultimately the production from this area, because of size and
other favorable conditions, should be as great as, or greater than, any yet ex-
plored in Soviet Russia.
The Mangyslak Mountains and echelons at the north and Kopet Dag and its
offshoots are all rated as oil-explorable areas with Cretaceous and deeper beds, as
their flanks may be important for oil possibilities, and buried sections equally so.
The Kuban',, basin includes part of the Kerch Peninsula; the remainder belongs
with the Batum-West Georgia area at the south. Here in the north Sub-Caucasus
twenty-seven structures have been reported, but only a few are thus far produc-
tive. The Maikop field-stratigraphic in type-has chiefly Miocene and Oligo-
cene beds, with'a thickness on the west of 3,350 feet and on the east of 5,000 feet.
Much of Maikop was ruined in the war. The Grozny oil fields, at the east, were
heavily drawn on. Greater depth of exploration of some of these structures, as
well as farther north from the mountain axis, where the section greatly thickens,
should get results.
CASPIAN-BLACK SEA PROVINCE SOUTH CAUCASIAN BASIN) -
(I) Baku (Kura River) basin.-The southeast Caucasus Valley, inclusive of
the Apsheron Peninsula, is the most important oil district of U.S.S.R. from the
standpoint of (a) thickness and marine character of strata, (b) large number of
structures already mapped, and (c) number of producing zones, known and pos-
sible. The Apsheron Peninsula strictly interpreted belongs, partly also, to the
Kuban-Daghestan area. The total thickness of sediments of this :region at its
deepest part based on known thicknesses of exposed formations in the southeast
Caucasus Mountains and in wells aggregates 29,700 feet with a range according to
Goubkin, as follows: Pleistocene 136 meters, Pliocene 2,306, Miocene 1,171,
Oligocene 730,'1,, Eocene 6oo, Upper Cretaceous 1,675, Lower Cretaceous 1,025,
and Jurassic 1,370 meters. There is a fair chance of finding oil in all but the first
and last formations though in the past it has come principally from Pliocene beds.
This region, is bounded on the north by the Caucasus Mountains and on the
south by the northwest extension of the Elburz Mountains. It narrows and thins
toward the northwest, west of Tiflis. While production is thus far principally
from Pliocene beds, as one approaches the edges of the basin,' lower beds come
within reach ofi the drill and with proper traps will produce through the Creta-
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ceous. Several hundred structures have been mapped both on land and in the Cas-
pian off-shore areas, and most of these should ultimately produce. From these
fields has come most of the Russian oil, and though production at present is less
than it was before World War II, it should eventually become larger.
As is the case in Apsheron, on the Taman Peninsula, the lower Kura Valley
and, likewise, in South Georgia in the upper Kura Valley, only a few of the known
structures have been developed.
(2) Nebit Dag basin.-Inclusive of an off-shore Caspian Sea area, this is the
southeast, Trans-Caspian extension of the Baku-Southeast Caucasus basin. It
differs chiefly in that the Pliocene beds are thinned on the land area and are
principally a red facies with a less productive zone. The underlying Miocene
should yield the principal production. The remaining stratigraphic section should
be similar to that of the Southeast Caucasus. Large oil wells have produced at
Nebit Dag, Chikishlyar, on Chelekin Island, and at Neftedag. Off-shore in the sea,
larger Pliocence production may also appear. Here the Elburz Mountains occur
on the south and the Kopet Dag Mountains on the north. The land area is some-
what less, but the land-sea area is greater than that of the Southeast Caucasus;
because of thinner Pliocene, the area though primary, should have a somewhat
lower reserve rating. The amount of drilling and exploration has been much less,
but when fully developed the area should produce much oil.
(3) Black Sea basin.-The Kura River valley heads in the vicinity of Tiflis in
the South Caucasus. Farther west in West Georgia, the continuation of this
basin enters the Black Sea, reaching it at Batum and Tuapse; this may be desig-
nated the West Georgia wedge. It is the east corner of a very large basin, the
major part of which is in the Black Sea, but which is in fact the east three-fourths
of the Danubian basin of Roumania and Bulgaria. 'On this border, the 200-meter
depth of water is reached close to shore, so that very little off-shore area is
available. However, on the Dobrudja shore, off the Danubian basin, a large area
occurs at drilling depth off-shore entirely untested. According to a recent report,
this Dobrudja area is said to have been ceded by both Roumania and Bulgaria to
the U.S.S.R. (evidently acquired for security reasons). While nothing is known
directly of the stratigraphic section, the main part of this basin must have a con-
siderably greater thickness of Tertiary beds, expecially of Pliocene and Miocene,
than in the west sub-Carpathian section of the Danubian basin where the present
Roumanian oil fields are located.
The stratigraphic section in the West Georgia wedge region is very similar to
that in the Maikop area, but, being more basinal, the Tertiary section is greater
and it should be underlain by a greater thickness of Jurassic and Cretaceous beds.
Deeper drilling would doubtless uncover considerable productive oil, both in this
region and in the entire east Kerch Peninsula at the north and west. Only a small
amount of oil has been produced thus far and the ultimate reserves may not be
large.
(4) Danubian basin and Sub-Carpathians.-It is necessary to point out the
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332 F. JULIUS FOHS
salient points of this region, for though it is outside Russia, nevertheless Bessa-
rabia and Polish', Galicia, both in Russia, are part of it and if, as recently reported,
Dobrudja is ceded to the Soviets, the eastern land strip of this basin at the mouth
of the Danube and the off-shore area in the Black Sea are important for future oil
development. The general geology and oil geology of the Roumanian. and Polish
Galician oil fields have been fully described by others (see bibliography). They
represent primarily folds and overturned folds and diaper salt anticlines which
have already produced much oil. These fields rim the Carpathians on the east
from Boryslav through Bacau to Ploesti..Toward the end of the last war a salt
dome was found productive somewhat farther east 'in the west edge of the plain.
Salt domes should be found over most of the lower Danubian plain and its Black
Sea off-shore extension. In Bulgaria, at the south end of the plain, there may be
folds paralleling' and north of the Balkan mountain range. In Bessarabia, folds
along the extension of the Caucasian axis may be sought, and on the northeast
other possibilities are present. The essential point is that the greater part of the
Danubian basi' remains untested, and the decrease in production due to war
damage and excessive use of the older fields can best be remedied by new and deep
exploration of the plain.
According to Ray P. Walters, 98.5 per cent of Roumanian production has
come from the Ploesti or southernmost of the Roumanian fields. The big produc-
tion in Polish Galicia has come from Boryslav, which has the largest of the Gali-
cian reserves. For stratigraphic sections and further details of this basin as well as
the Hungarian basin, reference may be made to Walters' paper, "Oil Fields of
Carpathian Region."
WEST SIBERIAN PROVINCE
This province may be subdivided into the West Siberian lowlands consisting
of three related basins and the Karaganda block with some minor basins.
(I) Turgai-Ob depression.-This should be an important petroliferous prov-
ince. There should be folds adjacent to and paralleling the Urals, with cross-
folding effects extending northwest from the several fold axes of the older com-
plex on the southeast.
(2) Irlysh River basin and Upper Ob River extension.-The southwest part of
this depression is probably a continuation of the syncline showing in the Kara-
ganda block on the south, but deeper and with greater thickness of sediments than
in the remainder',of the region. At Gankino, a test well had showings of oil and gas
at 770-900 meters. It is possible that the higher plateau region exposed on the
southeast may to some extent be represented under the region between the Irtysh
and Upper Ob River though covered by the Jurassic sediments. This region
generally is given a third-class rating.
(3) Yenisei River depression.-This represents a northwest syncline west of
the Yenisei River, probably of some importance with folds paralleling the lower
Yenisei and Angara uplifted blocks (Cambrian). The region southeast to
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Krasnoyarsk is here excluded, though this interpretation may be wrong, since the
area east of the go' meridian may be basinal instead of a covered part of the
Yenisei horst; only geophysical studies can decide.
The Turgai-Ob depression should have the greatest thickness of sediments.
Together with the remainder of the West Siberian lowlands, it has a Paleozoic
base, but on top of this perhaps Cretaceous, certainly Triassic, and Jurassic beds
have been deposited; as a foredeep of the Urals, it should be a depression of some
depth. No worthwhile prospecting has been.done, though one borehole has shown
a depth of 500 meters through the Jurassic-Cretaceous beds in the Turgai.
Little or no folding is reported in this region since the close of the Paleozoic so
that the Jurassic-Cretaceous beds generally in the lowlands are probably struc-
tureless. This unconformable cover of 500-1,000 meters will require geophysical
studies to locate the deeper Paleozoic folds. Accumulations are probable in beds
ranging from the Carboniferous to the Ordovician.
(4) Karaganda block
(a) Ishim basin.-This small coal basin (Lake Tengiz), with Carboniferous
and Triassic rocks and some intrusives, may have possiblities worthy of explo-
ration in the Lower Carboniferous, Devonian, and Silurian strata. This is the
region of the Upper Ishim River valley and lies west of Akmolinsk. It is a depres-
sion in the main Karaganda folded region.
The Balkash Sea, a part of the Karaganda block, is a large basin filled with
flysch from the rocks of the Kirghiz Steppes and surrounding mountains and is
underlaid principally with Silurian beds. It is of doubtful significance for oil pros-
pecting.
(b) Kuznetsk basin.-This important coal basin covers a small area in the
Paleozoic complex south of Tomsk. While some prospecting has been done, and
oil and asphalt showings obtained, no commercial oil has been reported. Anti-
clinal structure occurs and doubtless deeper drilling to the Devonian and Silurian
may be more fruitful.
Minusinsk is a small basin east of the Kuznetsk but is shallower and much
less promising for oil, though it is coal-bearing, and is underlaid at shallow depths
with Silurian and Cambrian. An adjoining small basin at the north is still less
favorable, and the Ust-Kamenkorsk basin at the south, while larger, is likewise
unfavorable.
(c) Ili River basin.-This is in the extreme southeast corner of the Karaganda
block. It has a Quaternary cover over Paleozoic rocks with intrusives and prob-
ably is of little importance. It is just west of the Urumchi (Tihwa) region of north-
ern Sinkiang province, China; in the southwest part of this basin, twenty-five oil
wells were drilled by the Soviets, which at the end of the war were turned over to
the local authorities. The size of this production is not large. Although China has
been studied by J. Marvin Weller, not much is known of the possibilities of this
basin; this is outside Soviet territory but its proximity made reference here
desirable. This basin is bounded on the south by the Tien Shan range.
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334 F. JULIUS FOHS
NORTH-CENTRAL SIBERIA PROVINCE
(I) Khatanga River basin.-Between the Kara Sea and Anabar-Angara
shields is the Khatanga River (Taimyr) depression. This is a wide graben-type
basin, rimming both the north and south shield areas. It is also a continuation of
the Ob basin, which is on its southwest; on the east it becomes one with the ex-
treme Lower Lena and Yana River basins which rim the Anabar shield on the
east.
The Khatanga area has been drilled only in the vicinities of Ust Port where a
slight oil showing was found near the mouth of the Yenisei River, and in the delta
of the Khatanga River near Cape Nordvik. Aside from Quaternary cover, the
beds are principally Jurassic, Cretaceous, Tungusian (Carboniferous), and De-
vonian, with some probability of being also underlain with Silurian, Ordovician,
and Cambrian: The sections that can be estimated from drilling and from out-
crops are not good, partly because the drilling was done on salt domes near Cape
Nordvik, and partly near Ust Port where the depths were inadequate. It is pos-
sible to give what may be considered minimum thickness of strata for this basin
from top of Devonian through Cretaceous with the approximate section as
follows: Cretaceous sandstones, slate, and sands, as thick as 2,310 feet; Jurassic
clays and sandstone, 2,145 feet; Tungusian estimated, 1,320 feet; Devonian
limestone and dolomite; and rock salt with anhydrite which may be Silurian or
Cambrian.
In the vicinity of Ust Port, an asymmetric anticline has been mapped and at
Cape Nordvik,' several salt domes have been partly explored.
This region' has been given a third-class rating since conditions favor oil being
found when adequate testing is done; neither sufficient tests have been made
nor have they been drilled deep enough on the salt domes, and of course, other
tests at the southwest have been very few, and some of these were so far south of
Ust-Port as to be outside the basin.
(2) Siberian platform
(a) Tunguska River basin -This is a shallow but large basin in the west half
of the central Siberian massive, lying between the Anabar and Angara shields, and
bounded on the northwest by the Yenisei horst block. It has Permo-Carboniferous
rocks at the surface, mostly interpenetrated with intrusives and is the second
largest coal-reserve basin of the U.S.S.R., with coal from the Lower Carbonifer-
ous. The character of the Permian and Carboniferous strata makes them improb-
able source beds; this and the presence of the intrusives do not encourage oil
prospecting, but since much of this basin is underlain with,Silurian limestones, it
can not be entirely eliminated as prospective territory.
(b) Upper 'Lena and Aldan Rivers region.-This, inclusive of the Vilui and
Tolba tributaries of the Upper Lena, is part of the Upper Lena River basin, a
shallow depression in the south half of Anabar shield-Cambrian-Silurian area.
The region has been prospected for oil. by Soviet geologists and some asphalt in-
dications were ound particularly in Cambrian rocks; also, evidences of Cambrian
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PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES OF U.S.S.R.
salt beds. While mild folding occurs in the Vilui region, and also on the Tolba
branch of the Lena River just east of Olekina branch, and a small amount of oil
and asphalt occurs also at the southeast on the Aldan River, the region lacks
ample cover to warrant further prospecting. In basins, where amply buried, these
showings may point to possible Cambrian production, but because of the great
age of the beds, possibilities are limited. A small production is reported from
Maiya, east of Yakutsk.
(3) Lower Lena River basin.-A narrow basin between the Anabar shield and
the Orulgan-Verkhoyansk Mountains has principally Jurassic and some Triassic
beds, and these in turn are underlain probably with Silurian and Cambrian beds.
The basin is here rated as fourth class, chiefly because its folds may contain
Silurian and less possibly middle Cambrian oil. This has heavier cover than the
Vilui region at the south; hence, it is more likely territory, yet not good enough to
be rated as third class, according to a recent report, oil has been discovered and
produced near the mouth of the river.
(1) Yana River basin.-Though classed as fourth grade on the map, because
the geology is still too little known, it probably should be included with areas of
possible oil. Certain facts stand out: (a) this syncline lies between the Orulgan-
Verkhoyansk Mountains, back of which is the Anabar massive on the west and
the Cherski Mountains on the east, (b) the rocks are principally Cretaceous, both
upper and lower, in part marine, with a cover of upper Triassic and both upper
and marine Jurassic, (c) there is ample folding of Mesozoic age, (d) the area has
greater thickness of strata than the Indigirka-Kolyma area on the east.
Indigirka River, Kolyma River, and Omolon River basins.-North of the Cher-
ski Mountains which are north of the Verkhoyansk-Kolyma chain, are two
basinal areas in which little is known of the geology because of ice and Quater-
nary covering. The presence of Silurian outcrops and granitic intrusives is ample
evidence, however, even though affected by Mesozoic folding, to class these areas
as unpromising.
In the same category belong the Quaternary-granitic outcrops at the north,,
fringing the East Siberian Sea. This is part of an apron-like area south of the
East Siberian-Chuckchee Seas shield, which consists of older Paleozoic rocks and
was subject to Middle Paleozoic (Variscan) folding.
(2) Anadyr basin.-This large syncline between the Anadyr Mountains and
the Koryaksk-Sreddiny Mountains thus separating the mainland from part of
the Kamchatka Peninsula, is primarily a Cretaceous region subjected to post-
Cretaceous folding and containing 14,000 feet of sediments, consisting of tuffs,
sandstones, argillaceous sandstones, and clays, with heavy volcanic intrusions; it
is graded fourth class, because of these intrusions and because we know nothing of
its exploration; a small central core shown free of intrusions is graded as third
class, though undoubtedly with this thickness of sediments much of the basin
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F. JULIUS FOHS
may rate equally high. It lies just south of the Paleozoic beds bordering the East
Siberian-Chuckchee Seas shield.
(3) Southwest Kamchatka.-Off the west flank of the Sreddiny Mountains is a
long strip of Tertiary-Cretaceous, flanking and partly in the Sea of Okhotsh
which deserves rating as a primary area, although no oil has yet been found. This
is the southern continuation of the Anadyr basin', and is south of the both par-
allel. The two more northerly of the Kuril Islands and their offshore areas may be
classified as an extension of West Kamchatka.
(4) East Kamchatka.-In the Koryasksk Mountains and eastward into Bering
Sea and on the east flank of the Sreddiny Mountains north of Petropovlask is a
region subjected to Tertiary (Alpine) folding, which has a number of prospects,
and is entitled to rating as a second-class area. It covers a considerable region,
though most of it is above the 6o? parallel. There are Tertiary and Upper Cre-
taceous strata. High volcanic mountains define this area on the west.
(r) Amur basin.-In the Amur province, is a narrow syncline plunging north-
northeast between the Sikota Alin. Mountains on the east and the Stanovoi
Mountains on'the northwest. Here Devonian beds reach the surface on the south
but on the north first Permo-Carboniferous and then Triassic and Jurassic cover
appears, together with some granitic intrusions, so that Carboniferous and more
probably Devonian beds may serve as reservoir rock. This may be a southward
continuation of the Yana River basin.
(2 and 3) Sakhalin Island.-The recent article by Leo W. Stach gives an ex-
cellent statement of the conditions in both North and South Sakhalin. In eastern
North Sakhalin three producing fields have yielded about 34,500,000 barrels of
oil to the end of 1939; the amount of recent production is not known. For thirteen
fields, Stach estimates 3,133 acres with proved reserves of 370,000,000 barrels.
This is from a length of 250 miles, mostly from a 12-mile strip on the east flank of
the island, from an anticline 150 miles long, with a series of high structure de-
veloped thus far only in the Pliocene and with the deepest well about 3,500 feet.
The oil is produced from the upper part of a Neocene sequence of 3o,ooo feet in
thickness. It is most probable that other zones will be opened with depth, which
will add greatly to the estimated reserves. There is little reason to doubt that ex-
ploration should show other productive fields under the sea on the 'continental
shelf at the east within the 200-meter limit. Development was principally by the
Japanese, but it has now been taken over by the Soviets.
The backbone of the island is an old Paleozoic complex. West of this complex
is a Cretaceous and Tertiary belt. East of the backbone is the Neocene belt with
its Alpine folds.
Tests have been drilled by the Japanese on the west side of South Sakhalin,
ranging in depth from 650 to 5,275 feet. No commercial oil has been developed
although there have been showings in the Neocene. The total thickness of Ter-
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tiary formations according to Stach ranges from 11,480 to 36,080 feet. They are
folded into a series of common gently en echelon anticlines trending from north to
northwest. Gas seepages are also known in two instances from the Cretaceous.
Stach believes there are potentialities worthy of further exploration. This area is
here rated as second class, for both deeper drilling and drilling in the sea at the
west should prove oil deposits of importance. On the east side of the island,
Paleozoic rocks and granites are present, but farther east on the continental shelf,
a part of the area must be underlain with Tertiary worthy of development.
Sakhalin may well be proved to be a very large oil reserve.
(4) Blagoveschchensk area.-In the upper Amur River Valley, a small fourth-
grade basinal area has been hollowed out of the old Paleozoic complex. This has
a Paleozoic base with a covering of Jurassic and Triassic beds, and in the south
and deeper part some Cretaceous beds; there may also be igneous intrusions such
as occur surrounding it. South of the Amur River are Manchuria and the Hsiaok-
hiang Shan Mountains.
(5) South of Chita.-A small basin, the extension of an east Manchurian basin,
with Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous, and intrusive rock at the surface, occurs
upstream from Blagoveschchensk on the east side of the upper Amur River. It is
a small hollow carved out of the Paleozoic-granitic complex with minor possibil-
ities.
Soviet Russia has at present three provinces in which salt domes occur.
(i) Ukraine.-In the Ukraine (South Russia) basin there are three salt
domes, those of Lubni, Poltava, and Romney (only Romney and Poltava have
production), and others are possible. With these, some oil and gas are associated,
but they are of minor importance since this basin does not contain beds much
deeper than the Devonian and though Silurian be may present, the salt may have
originated in either Silurian or middle Cambrian beds.
(2) Khatanga Bay.-The Khatanga Bay (Cape Nordvik) region is part of the
Khatanga depression. Here twelve (twenty structures reported) salt domes have
been found. The salt is considered Silurian or may be middle Cambrian in age.
Oil showings occur, but no oil has been found commercially productive; three of
the salt domes have been outlined by test core-holes. The domes are piercement
with varying amounts of cover; deeper testing to reach the Tungusian (lower
Carboniferous) series is recommended, and the Silurian also warrants testing.
(3) Emba-Astrakan district.-This has a large number of salt domes as well as
some salt anticlines. Oil is produced from both Jurassic and Permian beds and the
chances favor production from the Carboniferous, Devonian, and upper Silurian
limestones when sufficiently deep tests are drilled. Additional salt domes, some of
them deeper-seated, may be expected in the northern Caspian Sea.
(4) Kuban-Turkmen and Baku.-The two basins on the south, both the Ku-
ban-Turkmen and the Baku, may be proved to have salt domes in the at-present
non-explorable deeper areas of the Caspian Sea, since the depth of cover is favor-
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F. JULIUS FOHS
able to such occurrences, though this will depend on the presence of Silurian or
Cambrian salt, which may be absent if this was a land area in those periods.
(5) Vilui and Upper Lena-Aldan.-Cambrian salt is known to occur in the
Vilui and Upper Lena-Aldan region, but conditions there are not favorable to
productive salt '!,domes.
OIL ,PRODUCTION, RESERVES, AND ULTIMATE POSSIBILITIES
PRODUCTION
The following table gives total production to date and also for the year 1946.
Regression of production due to the effects of World War II was particularly
noticeable in Roumania, Russia, and Poland. In Roumania, production was
45,048,000 barrels in 1939 against estimated 32,450,000 barrels in 1946. In Soviet
Russia (except Sakhalin) it was 216,886,000 barrels in 1939 against estimated
16o,ooo,ooo barrels for 1946. In Poland it was 3,900,000 barrels in 1939 against
estimated 8oo,0oo barrels in 1946; part of this great divergence is due to Soviet
Russia having taken over such a large part of the Polish Galician oil fields.
PRODUCTION IN U.S.S.R. AND AFFILIATED COUNTRIES
(From 1946 Yearbook-Forecast Number (February, 1947)-Oil Weekly)
Inclusive
Y
In Thousands of Barrels
ears
Total to Date
1946
1933-1946 Albania
9,923
725
1919-1946 Czechoslovakia
3,803
188
1935-1946 Austria
34,135
4,500
1937-1946 Hungary
3,291
5,220
1857-1946, Roumania
1,130,053
32,450
1863-1946 Russia (except Sakhalin)
5;655,712
16o,ooo
1921-1946 Sakhalin
66,240
6,ooo
1874-1946 Poland
277,644
86o
From another source the total 1945 production of Soviet Russia, inclusive of
Sakhalin, was 143,500,000 barrels-the .great bulk being produced from Baku.
One reason for the failure of the Second Baku to produce more was the decline at
the important Ishimbaero field. According to this report almost 7o per cent still
comes from Caucasus fields, and 14 per cent from the Second Baku.
United States production in 1946 was 1,731,889,ooo barrels as against
U.S.S.R. production of 166,ooo,ooo barrels, inclusive of Sakhalin, which is less
than one-tenth:
;that of United States; and whereas Soviet production declined
one-third since ''1939, the United States production is more than a half billion
barrels greater annually.
ESTIMATES OF PROVED RESERVES
Of proved oil reserves, the World Oil gives, the total for the world at
63,187,037,000 barrels with United States 24,194,587,000 barrels and Soviet
Russia 7,590,000,000 barrels, inclusive of Sakhalin. If Stach's estimate on
Sakhalin of 370,000,000 barrels is used and 7,500,000 barrels for Soviet Russia,
the total would be 7,870,000,000 barrels; probably this figure more nearly reflects..
present status than L. F. McCollum's recent figure of 5,700,000,000 barrels. For
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Soviet-controlled Albania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Roumania, the
proved reserves would be 241,000,000-491,000,000 barrels depending on the
estimate for Roumania of 150,000,000-400,000,000 barrels; most of the Rouma-
nian estimates have been of the latter order. Logan gives 13,051,450,000 barrels as
the interest in foreign oil reserves held by American companies.
The principal Soviet authority on oil reserves was I. M. Goubkin. He reported
estimates in 1937, 1938 and 1939. He has classified reserves as "industrial" prob-
ably equivalent to our "proved," with two other categories of "supposed" and
"possible." The 1937 report was detailed as to districts and categories, and from
this we find him giving prime importance to the South Caucasus and Trans-
Caucasus, allotting seven-eighths of his "industrial" to these areas. If we add the
last two of his categories together and call them "speculative," we would get the
following relative groupings: South Caucases first place, with Pre-Caspian and
East Russian basins rated about equal and each at a little more than half that for
South Caucasus. Still lower values are given the Trans-Caucasus and Sakhalin,
with the other districts making up the remainder. It is probable that with the
finding of deeper oil, he would now give East Russia and the Pre-Caspian a some-
what higher rating. In 1938, he raised his industrial estimates about 730,000,000
barrels to 7,194,000,000 barrels; this after Lower Carboniferous production was
found at Tuimazy; his over-all estimate was about 63,146,000,000 barrels. In
1939 his estimate of "explored and visable" was 2,420,000,000 metric tons which
may be translated as 17,641,800,000 barrels.
In a 194o estimate of ultimate reserves covering the entire Soviet Union, 25
per cent was assigned to South Caucasus and Baku fields, 14 per cent to the East
Russian basin, Emba basin 22 per cent, and Trans-Caucasus 19 per cent. This
estimate is more conservative than that of Goubkin. It is also reported that there
has been a considerable increase above the figures then given as a result of devel-
opments during the war years. Goubkin's total figures for speculative possibilities
are not out of line.
The most optimistic of any of our American estimates has been 8,500,000,000
barrels proved.
Gas is reported both in separate reservoirs and accompanying oil production
from most of the oil districts, and while large amounts were flared in the early
days just as in our own country, now gasoline absorption plants have been built to
save the natural gas-gasoline, and a considerable gallonage is produced. Gas in the
Baku region is principally from oil fields; it contains 73-95 per cent of hydrocar-
bons, with carbon dioxide and nitrogen making up the remainder. Of fields prin-
cipally gas, there may be mentioned those of Saratov (where a large number of
potential structures are reported still to be developed), Daghestan, Shugarov, and
Astrakan.
In 1940, Russian geologists estimated available gas reserves at 1.8 trillion
cubic feet of which about one-third was from gas fields and the remainder from oil
fields. Inclusive of possible reserves, their estimate was 32.7 trillion cubic feet,
about half from gas fields. A more recent estimate of the Daghestan gas reserves
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340 F. JULIUS FOHS
alone is reported as given by Kovalevsky at 3 billion tons. To what extent the
proved gas has been increased since 1940 is unknown. United States proved gas
reserves as of the end of 1946, estimated by the American Gas Association, are
16o trillion cubic feet. In the writer's estimates of oil reserves herein there is no
effort to separate gas reserves.
SUMMARY OF CLASSIFICATION
Relative importance of districts.-In any attempt to judge relative values it is
necessary to weigh subdivisions of provinces, basins, and districts, because depo-
sition may differ sufficiently as, for example, west of the Caspian Sea a better set
of conditions appears in all basins than in the Trans-Caspian region, chiefly
because of greater depth of marine deposition. West Georgia and West Kuban
regions appear less favorable than farther east, and for the same reason. Another
example is the west coast of Kamchatka classed as primary, where conditions are
not yet amply known to rate it with other primary localities. In second class, the
south part of the East Russian basin is more important than the Pechora basin.
Likewise, Eastern Russia may have a higher value than. the Turgai-Ob and
Yenisei basins, or than the Ukrainian. The Pre-Caspian basin may rate somewhat
higher than that! of East Russia or Kazakh, while Chu River is probably less im-
portant. The Danubian basin is more important than the Bessarabian-North
Black Sea, Crimean-Azov syncline, and particularly more so than the Hungarian.
The East Kamchatka region may well be proved of as great importance as the
East Russian basin. The East Sakhalin coastal plain is small but will be highly
productive. Perhaps the entire north part of the Moscow basil- should not be
counted. Among fourth-class areas, the Yana and Andyr basins especially offer
possibilities.
The principal Soviet development thus far has been in .the Southeast Cauca-
sus, in the Trans-Caucasus, in the Emba district, and the East Russian basin,
with the Trans-Caspian, Ferghana Valley, Sakhalin (Japanese development), and
a lesser amount in the Ukraine and Uzbec. Hence, not only is there the room for
intensive and deeper developments, but very great' districts remain untouched.
Above 6o? Parallel.-Considerable territory in the second, third, and fourth
categories falls above the 6oth parallel, as follows.
Square Miles
Secondary 753,000
Tertiary 478,836
Possible 276,183
Of these areas, those of the Pechora basin, the Oh and Khatanga depressions,
Yana basin, Anadyr basin, and Kamchatka region are the more important.
Enough work has been done by the Russians (and some by Americans in Alaska),
to prove that operations are practical even though ice and cold increase the cost
and lower the efficiency. The inefficiency can be partially eliminated with greater
experience. Certain it is that development of these areas may be deferred and the
U.S.S.R. still have very large oil territories to develop.
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PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES OF U.S.S.R.
Deep-sea areas.-In addition to the figures given in the table, the following
deep-water areas exist, and are too deep for exploration under present conditions.
Primary: (i) North Black Sea, 1,345 square miles, (2) Black Sea extension of
Danubian basin, 77,295 square miles, (3) Trans-Caucasus section, Caspian Sea,
19,625 square miles, and (4) Baku section, Caspian Sea, 28,056 square miles. The
total is 126,321 square miles primary; and in Black Sea areas there are 3,586
square miles of tertiary grade.
Younger beds.-Since Pratt has indicated that 8o per cent of the world's pro-
duction has come from younger formations, Cretaceous through Pliocene, it is
important to note that the areal extent of such basins, counting only those that
have been affected by Mesozoic and later folding, is 1,007,000 square miles.
Categories and basins.-In any estimate of the ultimate oil-reserve possibilities
of the U.S.S.R. it is clear that the total areas worthy of development are very
large compared with that of any other nation, and since the basic geologic con-
ditions do not greatly differ from those of the United States, we must agree with
Wallace Pratt who in a Kansas University lecture in 1941 said of Russia: "Still
largely undeveloped, indeed, largely unexplored, they (the oil resources) are
nevertheless without question potentially far greater than those of any other
nation." This is fully supported by the following summary figures of prospective
areas based on the present writer's map and the areal classification table.
The U.S.S.R., out of a total land and lake surficial area of 8,390,000 square
miles, has 3,625,425 square miles of prospective oil territory inclusive of 126,971
square miles of under-water lake areas; in addition, there are 406,480 square miles
off-shore in seas and oceans of prospective territory, and finally there are 93,000
square miles worthy of further investigation belonging in the fourth group. This
gives an over-all land and sea prospective sedimentary area in excess of 4,000,000
square miles. In European affiliated and controlled countries there is an additional,
chiefly primary, area of 130,000 square miles.
Divided into the principal categories shown on the map, there are: Primary,
1,248,727 square miles; Secondary, 1,378,578 square miles, Tertiary, 1,164,986
square miles, and selected from the fourth group, 239,417 square miles.
If we summarize contiguous areas of the principal synclinal and monoclinal
stratigraphic areas, we find single basins and their genetic extensions very large as
is shown by the following figures.
Moscow and Timan
Pechora-East Russian
South Russian province
Trans-Caspian basin
South Caucasian basin
West Siberian province
992,645
Khatanga graben
287,700
Northeast Siberia (Yana and Anadyr basins)
216,000
Kamchatka
188,753
Sakhalin, East
26,900
Sakhalin, West
21,533
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Square Miles Categories
255,000 (3rd)
536,121 (1st & 2nd)
543,039 (1st)
478,663 (1st & 3rd)
72,900 (1st; in addition large deep
sea areas)
(2nd & 3rd)
(3rd)
(3rd or 4th)
(1st & 2nd)
gist)
2nd)
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342 F. JULIUS FOHS
For comparison, the Gulf Coast-Mississippi embayment region inclusive of
northeast Mexico, land area only, covers 190,000 square miles and the West
Texas-New Mexico Permian basin 50,000 square miles. Those Soviet areas most
comparable with the Gulf Coast are the Trans-Caspian and South Caspian
basins which were intercommunicating in the Caspian Sea, while conditions in
the East Russian basin parallel those of the West Texas basin.
Lewis G. Weeks advises the writer that his estimates of ultimate oil in sedi-
mentary basins have two principal bases: (r) reserves of special basinal areas on
an areal basis, and (2) oil content per cubic mile to a maximum depth of 20,000
feet, but only to the average estimated thickness if of less depth; where depth is
greater than 20,000 feet it is ignored. He makes use of known production and
estimated reserves of certain United States areas, his estimates in barrels of oil
per cubic mile being as follows.
Barrels
Michigan and Kentucky basins, each
6,000
Illinois
35 , 000
Texas Gulf Coast (to the Cretaceous boundary)
6o,000
Oklahoma
70 , 000
California
18o , ooo
Texas as a whole
38,000
He states larger concentrations favor mobile basin types. For producing basins
of the United States, he used an average figure of 30,000 barrels. He further states
that in well developed basins the percentage of total basin area that will be proved
productive may vary from less than z-r per cent to as much as 5 or 6 per cent.
Such percentages and per-acre yields, as well as the productivity per cubic mile
vary in accordance with certain factors. Among these are the class of basin, de-
gree of mobility, the deposition bottom environment and history, the structural
history, type and degree of porosity development, portion or elements of the
original basin represented today, and so on. Over large areal units ranging up to
continental proportions, the errors in estimating small areas or basins will tend
to iron out.
For the sedimentary basins of the world, he gives: area, 15,ooD,oco square
miles; mass 20,000,000 cubic miles; and content, 6oo billion barrels of oil.
His estimate of United States sedimentary basins exploitable for oil is
1,400,000 square miles and 2,000,000 cubic miles, to which he given an ultimate
estimated production of roo,ooo,ooo,ooo barrels.
As United States production has been 34,000,000,000 barrels and proved re-
serves are estimated at 24,000,000,000 barrels, there remain speculative reserves
of 42,000,000,000 barrels to be found and intensively developed.
Weeks' Russian equivalent is 1,200,000 square miles in European Russia plus
2,500,000 in Siberia. These are somewhat different basinal areas from those the
writer has outlined. His estimate for ultimate reserve is 16o,oo0,000,000 barrels,
based on a total volume of 5,000,000 cubic miles at 32,000 barrels per cubic mile.
Of this, 2,000,000 cubic miles are allotted to European Russia at 50,000 barrels per
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PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES OF U.S.S.R. 343
cubic mile and 3,000,000 cubic miles to Siberia at 20,000 barrels per cubic mile.
For continental shelves, he would allot additional value for both nations.
Comparing Soviet areas in kind with those given by Weeks for certain United
States regions, and allowing for average depth of favorable sedimentaries in each
basin judged by available data, the writer obtains for the U.S.S.R. the following
figures inclusive of land and continental shelf: for the more important districts,
namely, Moscow-East Russian basin, Pre-Caspian and extension, Trans-Cas-
pian, South Caucasus, and East Sakhalin, a total area of 1,805,000 square miles
with sedimentaries totaling 2,736,000 cubic miles and having an oil-gas content of
162,000,000,000 barrels. Additionally of much more speculative character,
1,650,000 square miles, with an estimated total of 1,708,000 cubic miles of sedi-
mentary rocks, may yield an ultimate of 33,000,000,000 barrels. Of this only
6,000,000,000 have been produced and about 8,ooo,ooo,ooo proved, leaving the
balance to be found and developed, a truly stupendous task, although a large
number of mapped structures await adequate testing.
It appears likely and reasonable, therefore, to conclude that the Soviet Union
has within its own borders an ultimate oil reserve of at least 15o-i6o billion
barrels, and it may conceivably approach 18o-19o billion barels. If allowance is
made for areas under Soviet control, it is clear that the U.S.S.R. dominates more
than one-third of the total ultimate oil reserve of the entire world.
In the August, 1947, A.A.P.G. Bulletin, the writer pointed out that the Middle
East ultimate reserves should be of the order of ioo,ooo,ooo,ooo barrels; it may
reach 130,000,000,000 barrels. Its chief advantage is the great thickness of pro-
ducing strata so that large production may be obtained from a smaller number of
wells and cost per barrel will be very low.
Of the Danubian basin and contiguous sub-Carpathians, a fuller statement
was given previously, since part of this is now Soviet owned, the U.S.S.R. having
taken over the greater part of the Polish Galician oil fields and Bessarabia. What
remains in Roumanian hands is still one of the most important producing prov-
inces of Europe; the basinal part is practically untested, and likewise its south-
ern part which is in Bulgaria. This basin including offshore area in the Black Sea
covers 75,000 square miles.
The Hungarian basin covering 55,000 square miles has been only partly
developed, although it is not as important as the Danubian. In the southeast, the
Transylvanian section has principally gas fields. The north part in Hungary and
the most westerly area which is in Austria contain some productive oil fields.
South of, and adjacent to, southeast Siberia are Tannu Tuva and Outer
Mongolia. In Tannu Tuva is a basinal area covering most of this small state. It is
bounded on the north by the West Sajan and the Ost Sajan Mountains. It is made
up chiefly of older Paleozoic rocks and probably is of small prospective value.
On the south, in adjoining Outer Mongolia, are smaller graben valleys before
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344 F. JULIUS FOHS
the Mongolia Altai Mountains are reached, but they are narrower and probably of
even less value. On the east, and covering much of the country, is the Gobia
shield. The stratigraphic studies of Berkey, Morris, and others make it seem
doubtful if there are any important prospective oil areas in Outer Mongolia.
Thus, there are under control of the Soviet Union an additional 130,000
square miles of, oil exploitable territory in eastern Europe which will ultimately
yield large reserves, but is particularly important to the Union now because of her
need for immediate production.
In the United States large sums of money with devoted application of a very
large group of risk-, incentive-, and pioneer-minded corporations anc. individuals,
as well as a period of 8o years, were necessary to develop our oil reserves. United
States corporations and individuals have more than 17 billion dollars invested,
and a program'] calling for the expenditure of 1o billions more of capital over the
next 5 years for our own and foreign fields. In the United States alone there are
424,000 producing oil wells, a large number of gas wells, and many thousands of
dry holes. The j last are a necessary part of the cost of finding and developing oil
fields. In 1946,!', there were completed 16,169 oil wells, 3,303 gas wells, and 8,515
dry holes. The verage depth of hole in United States in 1946 was 3,342 feet. Deep
drilling 12,000 feet and deeper, is only a matter of 10-12 years in the future.
In contrast, development is very young in the U.S.S.R., which as already
stated, is 30 years behind the United States. The Soviets have only an estimated
12,000 producing wells, and are thought to have completed in 1946 about 8oo oil
wells according to the Oil Weekly. Until 1944, there were 117 fields discovered, of
which 34 were found after 1940. The present reported total is 172, of which 36 are
in Asia. Besides, the average depth drilled is much less than in the United States.
Outside of Baku and occasionally elsewhere, with maximum producing zones to
a depth of Io,2oo feet, not even medium-depths wells (5,500-9,60o feet) were
drilled before 11944, and most were 2,000-3,500 feet.
The laying of Soviet oil and gas lines was speeded by the last war. Greater use
of gas by city and industry is now being made, but still it is only a beginning. A
start has been made in reallocating and building new oil pipelines to speed better
distribution, but only a start since the total mileage as yet is small. There is great
use of tankers,'on the Caspian and Black seas; also on rivers and new canal
net-works.
Due to decreased imports both from affiliated countries and the United
States, as well, as lowered or inadequate production at home, Robert S. Allen
recently reported that a reorganization of the personnel has been ordered of the
Russian oil trusts to increase Soviet production. It has been elsewhere reported
that Roumania is preparing to divert part of its output from the 95z per cent
being sent to Russia. Part of the diversion may be needed by other countries
under Soviet control from whom also United States oil imports have recently been
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cut. Although the input of water is a conservation measure, the injection of about
58,ooo barrels daily into the Tuimazy oil reservoir is evidence of the heavy pulling
from Soviet wells.
While the U.S.S.R. has great potential oil and gas reserves, it is clear that a
period of many years, large expenditures, greater allocations of steel and machine
tools, and a much increased technical personnel are required to develop them.
This requires diversion from other industries and especially from the military,
which apparently still absorbs much of the heavy industry. Besides, Soviet in-
dustry as a whole has heavy rebuilding tasks due to Czarist backwardness and
two great wars, not to speak of the large new developments necessary in consumer
and other lines to give its people a modern living standard and permit the country
to rank as its size, resources, and number of people warrant as the second greatest
nation. It will require much expenditure and a long peacetime effort to industrial-
ize the Soviet Union.
Oil is the most mobile of power sources and it is clear that Soviet Russia's
ultimate store is large. On what other power sources can she depend?
Her coal reserves, according to George B. Cressey, amount to 1.654 trillion
metric tons, being only second to those of the United States which are estimated
at 2.889 trillion tons, with China in third place. According to C. A. Carlow, these
estimates require downward revision, and are probably too high. The Soviet
coal is well distributed from the Moscow basin on the west to Khaborovsk in the
Far East. In 1940, there were mined 164.6 million metric tons. Some producer gas
is reported being made by burning coal in place in the Donets basin. Two plants
for hydrogenation and one for synthetic petrol are to be built by .the Soviets.
There can be no question that ample power sources are available for centuries to
come for both the Soviet Union and the United States within their own bound-
aries, now that gas and oil products can be produced from coal on an almost
competitive basis with that from oil. The initial drawback is the high capital in-
vestment necessary for building the plants.
In the U.S.S.R. there is an abundance of bituminous and kerogen (oil) shales
in formations principally of Ordovician, Upper Devonian, Upper Carboniferous,
and Upper Jurassic age. It is estimated this amounts to 15 billion metric tons
from the following districts: Leningrad, Moscow basin, East Russian basin, Ural
Mountains, and Pre-Caspian basin. With recoverable oil at only 1o gallons per
ton of shale, it has been estimated that this tonnage would yield 3.5 billion
barrels of oil minimum, when fully processed. In addition other sources of oil
shale are the Kuznetsk, Minusinsk, and Donets basins, Ferghana Valley, and
Lake Baikal region.
Major Cadman reports the world's proved reserve stock of kerogen and bi-
tuminous shales at one million million tons. He reports Esthonian bituminous
shale to contain 48-86 gallons of oil per ton, and the Germans during their occu-
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346
pation set a goal of recovering 12,000,000 barrels of oil annually from this source.
Three new shale refineries are now under construction there and gas from them is
to be piped to Leningrad; these refineries will supply chemicals, plastics, and
sulphur as by',products.
Esthonian bituminous shale is interbedded with Ordovician chalk beds, the
shale having an aggregate thickness of two meters, and underlies the Baltic
coastal strip i'a width of 25 miles. In this study, it is estimated that it represents
a tonnage of more than 16 billion metric tons with an oil content of the order of
16 billion barrels. In the Leningrad district the northeast extension of the same
beds is estimated in excess of 2.5 billion tons. Another principal source of
Soviet bituminous shales is of Jurassic age and occurs in the Lower Volga region
and also exceeds 2.5 billion tons. Large-scale stripping operations are necessary
for mining these shales. From recent reports, gasoline from shale can be pro-
duced at 8-io cents per gallon and at a slightly higher cost than from coal and
oil, based on present oil prices.
Hydro-electric power potential is also very large in the Soviet Union accord-
ing to Cressey.i Based on stream flow available, half the time (some of the proj-
ects are affected by their far-north position) potential hydro-electric power
amounts to 280,690,000 kilowatts. The projects under development and proposed
cover 15,000,000 kilowatts on the Volga, upper Yenisei, and Angara rivers, and in
addition there', is the plant on the Dneiper River which pre-war had a 900,000
kilowatt capacity. The aggregate capacity at present is not known, but in 1940 it
was 2,500,000 i,kilowatts.
The United States had at end of 1945 an installed hydro-electric capacity of
15,000,000 kilowatts. Our total hydro-electric and otherwise-der"ved electric-
power capacity are in excess of 65,ooo,ooo and will exceed 70,000,000 kilowatts
before the end', of 1948. It will require heavy expenditures and much time for an
equal development in the U.S.S.R.
Of atomic-energy sources in Russia very little is known. It is evident from the
map showing shield and pre-Cambrian areas that there are ample regions for ura-
nium vein prospecting. Recently, Major Cadman quotes Joseph Eklund of the
Swedish Geological Survey as reporting Swedish oil shale already mined as con-
taining o.1-1 per cent of uranium and estimated to contain 5o,ooc tons of ura-
nium; he further estimates Swedish oil shale averaging 0.2 per cent uranium will
yield 1,ooo,ooo tons of uranium and states that the United States and Soviet
Russia each have a like quantity available from oil shales; each nation has
greater quantities if lower uranium content proves recoverable. Extraction cost is
estimated at zoo kroner ($55.70) per kilo, or about $22 per pound of ordinary
uranium. One pound of fissionable uranium is able to develop as much energy as
io,ooo tons of pure coal, but only one pound of fissionable uranium is available to
each 140 pounds of uranium metal. It is impractical at present to compare the
equivalency of coal and uranium and it will be some years yet before practical
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uranium power plants are in operation. It seems possible that Soviet purchases
are being made from Sweden.
From a good source, it is learned that very little is being exported from Joachim-
stal in Bohemia to Soviet Russia, and that another locality, Piestamy, is con-
sidered favorable for prospecting. In Saxony (east Germany) now under Soviet
control, 8,8oo workers are mining the lean uranium veins; none is being obtained
from Marienbad where I,2oo additional workers are engaged. In a recent Russian
paper on rarer metals, no mention was made of atomic-energy sources.
The world's pre-war known large commercial vein deposits of uranium are
only those of Great Bear Lake in Canada and of Katanga, Belgian Congo, with a
number of other small scattered deposits. If, as Eklund points out, it is practical
to recover uranium from certain oil shales, it may be that further research will
prove this an important resource in the United States and elsewhere.
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ON GEOLOGY OF U.S.S.R. AND AFFILIATED COUNTRIES
i. ADAMS, ERNESTINE, "Estimates of Russian Oil Resources," Petrol. Eng., Vol. 18, No. I (October,
1946), PP. 178-82.
2. AISENVERG, D. E., BRAZHNIKOVA, N. E., NovuK, E. 0., and SHOULGA, P. L., "On the Carbonifer-
ous Deposits of the Lwow Trough," Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S. Comptes Rendus (Doklady), New Ser.,
Vol. 51, No. i (Moscow, 1946), pp. 51-54 (in English), map.
3. ALEKSEICBIK, S. N., "The Tubegik Oil Field, Peninsula Mangyskalk, Kasakusk, A.S.S.R.,
Russia," Petrol. Geol. Prosp. Inst., S.A., (1936), N. 86. 39 PP.
4. ALFIOROV, B. A., "Geological Survey along the Eastern Coast of Kamchatka (Malaya Chajma
Storoj)," Trans. Petrol. Geol. Res. Inst., Ser. A, Paper 15 (Leningrad, 1932).
5. ANDREEV, D. K., "New Data on the Geological Structure of the Main Caucasian Range," Bull.
Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S., Ser. Geol. No. 2 (1945), PP. 127-35. In Russian, summary in English, p.
135-
6. ARKHANGELSKI, A. D., "Structure Geologique et Histoire Geologique de L'U.R.S.S.," 17th Intern.
Geol. Cong., Vol. 2, pp.285-304..
, "Outline of the Structure and History of the Russian Platform," zd Intern. Cong. of Soil
Science (Moscow, 1930).
7. AZVAZOGLOW, W., and SKITSKY, V., "Bibliography of Russian Literature on Geophysical Explora-
tion 1929-1941," U. S. Bur. Mines, No. I.C. 7323 (June, 1945).
8. BAIBAKOV, N. K., "Report on Devonian Development in the `Second Baku,"' Petrol. Times,
Vol. 5o, No. 1267 (February 16, 1946), p. 187.
9. BEYSCHLAG, F., and SCHRIEL, W., Klein Geologische Karte von Europa, Lith. Anst. v. Leop.
Kraatz, Berlin. Techtonisches Bild von Europa, overlay for foregoing map, after H. Stille.
I0. BEYSCHLAG, FRANZ, Geological Map of the Earth. Scale: I to IS million. Gebrtider Borntraeger
(1932).
II. BEYRICH, M. M., et HAUCHECORNE, Carte Geologique Internationale de l'Europe, 1894 and later.
Scale I : i,Soo,ooo.
112. BROD, I. 0., "On the Principal Structural Elements and Possible Future Oil and Gas Resources
of the Southern Border of the European Part of the U.S.S.R.," Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S. Comptes
Rendus (Doklady), New Ser., Vol. 49, No. 7 (Moscow, 1945), PP. 510-13 (in English), map.
Trans. in Oil Weekly.
Oilfelds of the Eastern Fore-Caucasus (Grozny and Daghestan Oil Region). 220 pp.
Grozneft Trust, Grozny (1937)?
13. BROD, I., and USPENSKAIA, N., "Oilfields of the Daghestan A.S.S.R.," 17th Intern. Geol. Cong.,
Fascicle 3 (1937), P. 5.
14. S. VON BUBNOFF, Entworfen von, "Geologische Strukturkarte von Mitteleuropa"-Salomon,
Grundzuge der Geologie I. H. Miedaner, Stuttgart.
15. CADMAN, W. H., "Oil Shale Exploration for the Production of Oil," Inst. Petrol. Review, Vol. I,
No. II (November, 1947), P? 365.
16. CA.1u.ow, C. A., "Effect of Economic Changes on World Coal Reserves," presented at A.I.M.E.
March Session, 1947.
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348 F. J ULI US FOHS
17. CHAKHMAKNCHEV, A. G., "New Facts about the Oil Bearing Kirovabad Region," Petrol. Ind.
Bull. 3 (1947), PP. 37-45. In Russian.
18. COOMBER, S. E., "Poland, Distribution of Petroleum," Science of Petrol., Vol. i, Pt. i, a. 177.
Oxford Univ1 Press (1938).
ig. "Discovery of New Field in Russia Is Indicated," Oil Weekly, Vol. 120, No. 7 (January 14, 1946),
P. 70-
2o. FEDOTOV, I. K., "On the Geologic Structure of the Keyke-Bas-Shubar-Kuduk Oil Field (Temir
District)," Petrol. Geol. Prose. Inst., Vol. 52 (1936), p. i8.
21. FOHS, F. Julius, "Oil-Reserve Provinces of Middle East and Southern Soviet Russia," Bull.
Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., Vol. 31, No. 8 (August, 1947), PP. 1372-83-
22. FRISHENFEL'D, G. E., "Geology and Mineral Resources of the Northwestern and Vilyui Regions
of Ya A.S.S.R.," Trudy SOPS Ak. Nauk, No. 2 (1933)-
23. GESTER, G. C., "World Petroleum Reserves and Petroleum Statistics," Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol.
Geol., Vol. 28, No. io (October, 1944), pp. 1485-1505.
24. GouBKIN, IVAN M., "Petroleum Reserves of U.S.S.R.," 17th Intern. Geol. Cong. In Russian.
, "Tectonics of Southeastern Caucasus and Its Relation to the Productive Oil Fields,"
Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., Vol. 18, No. 5 (May, 1934), pp. 603-71.
25. Great Soviet World Atlas, Moscow (1938 and 1940), Vol. I and II, and translation by George B.
Cressey. Contains geologic tectonic and resources map of U.S.S.R.
26. GREGORY, JAMES S., and SHAVE, D. W., The U.S.S.R., a Geographical Survey. Harrap (London,
1944)
27. GURARY, F. G., "Salt Occurrences in the South-Eastern Part of the Siberian Platform," Bull.
Acad. Sci. U!R.S.S., Ser. Geol., No. 4 (1947), P. 75. Summary in English.
128. HOBSON, G. D., "U.S.S.R.," Science of Petrol., Vol. 1, Pt. I, p. 155. Oxford.Univ. Press (1938).
"Roumania.','
29. Jouxov, V. A., "The Tectonics and Structure of the Moscow Paleozoic Depression," Bull. Soc.
Naturolistes Moscou, Sec. Geol. Vol. 20 (1945), pp. 74-82. In Russian, summary in English.
30. KAY, G. M., "Classification of the Artinskian Series in Russia," Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol.,
Vol. 25, No.'7 (July, 1941), P. 1396.
31. KULTSKOV, V. I., "Results of Seismic Exploration Near Apsheron Peninsula," Petrol. Ind. Bull.
6 (1947), pp a-0. In Russian.
32. KHAIN, V. E., "Contribution to the Question of Structure of the Contact Zone between Cre-
taceous and Tertiary Deposits of the Caspian-Kuba Zone," Bull. A cad. Sci. U.R.S.S., Ser. Geol.,
No. 4 (1945), pp. 63-72. In Russian, summary in English, pp. 72-73.
33. KosYGIN, A.; I., "Tectonics of the Pre-Caspian Lowlands and Mud Volcanoes," Nature, Acad.
Sci. U.S.S.R.,No. 12 (September, 1937), P. 93.
34. KREJei-GRAF, KARL, Die Rumanischen Erdollagerstatten, Ferdinand Enke (Stuttgart, 1929).
, "Relation between Tectonics and Oil-Bearing, Formations in Southern Roumania,"
Jahrb. Reichsamts fur Bodenforschung, Vol. 63 (1942) 1944, PP. 590-98.
35. Kuglir, H. G., "A Visit to Russian Oil Districts," Bull. British Inst. Petrol. Tech. (1939), pp. 68-
88. Summarizes data }rom the Petroleum Excursions; see 17th Intern. Geol. Congress.
36. LEUCxs, KURT, Geologie von Asien, Book I, Pt. I (1935). Gebriider Borntraeger, Berlin.
Geologic von Asien, Book I, Pt. II (1937). Gebrffder Borntraeger, Berlin.
37. MASLOV, V.; P., "Sedimentation Phases and the Karst-Formation in Buried Massifs of Ishim-
bai," Bull. Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S., Ser. Geol., No. 1 (1945), pp. 88-99. In Russian, summary in
English, pp.'''99-loo).
38. M1Roxov, C. I., "Petroleum Bearing Ural-Volga Territory and Future Investigating Problems,"
Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S. Bull. 5 (1947), pp. 113-20. In Russian.
39. MIROSHNICItENKO, V. P., "Geological Structure of the North-Western Khorosan," Bull. Acad.
Sci. U.R.S.S., Ser. Geol., No. 4 (1947), p. 61. Summary in English.
40. MOSxV1TIN,I' A. I., "The Mai-Kopcheghai Graben in South-Eastern Altai," ibid., pp. 61-73-
In Russian, summary in English, pp. 73-74.
41. NAGHIBINA,IM. S., "Some Data on the Tectonics of the Upper Mesozoic Transbaikal Depres-
sions," ibid.,'' pp. 131-48. In Russian, summary in English, p. 149.
42. NEVOLYN, N. V., "Geological Formation and Oil Bearing Salt Dome Structures of the Emba Oil
Region," Petrol. Ind. Bull. 4 (1947), PP. 39-45. In Russian.
43? "Natural Gas Developments," Petroleum Times, Vol. 5o, No. 1282 (September 14, 1946), p. 980.
44. "Natural Gas Discovery in Penza Province," Petroleum Times, Vol. 5o, No. 1280 (August 17,
1946), p. 886.
45. OBRUCmeV, V. A., Geologie von Siberian. Gebrifder Borntraeger (1926). _
, "Review of the `Mesozoic Deposits of the Central and Northern Urals,' " Bull. Acad.
Sci. U.R.S.S., Ser. Geol., No. 6 (1945), pp. 163-64. In Russian.
, "Central Asia Depressions and Their Anticipated Scientific Deposit Investigations,"
Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S. Bull. 5 (1947), pp. 17-36. In Russian.
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PETROLIFEROUS PROVINCES OF U.S.S.R.
46. OFFMAN, P. E., "On the Genesis of the Saratov and Don-Medveditsa Uplifts," Bull. Soc. Nat-
uralistes Moscou, New Ser., Tome 5o, Sec. Geol.; Tome 20 (1-2), pp. 122-29. In Russian, Summary
in English, pp. 129-30. Moscou (1945).
"The Ground Features of the Middle Timan Structure," ibid., Vol. 20 (1945), pp. 55-73. In
Russian, summary in English.
47. OSWALD, FELIX, "Armenien," Handbuch der Regionalen Geologie, Book 5, Pt. 3. Caucasus Moun-
tains geologic map. C. S. Hammond and Company, New York.
48. OTTEN, F. T., A Collection of Papers on Coal and Petroleum Resources of Eastern Siberia. 244 pp.
East Siberia Geol. Trust, Iskutak (1937).
49. REDFIELD, ARTHUR HUBER, "The Petroleum Resources of Russia," Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol.
Geol., Vol. 11, No. 5 (May, 1927).
5o. "Russia to Drill loo Wells in Tuimazy Field," Oil and Gas Jour., Vol. 45, No. 13 (August 3, 1946),
p. 6o.
Si. "Russians Plan Development for Eastern Turkmenistan," ibid., Vol. 45, No. Ig (September 14,
1946), p? 63-
52. "Russia's Reserves Largest in World, Official Claims," Oil Weekly, Vol. 121, No. 3 (March 18,
1946), p. 68.
53. RYABUEHIN, G. E., "Petroleum Possibilities in the Cambrian Usol Region and in the Central
Part of the Lower Angara River Region in Eastern Siberia," Petroleum Industry, Moscow, No.
ii (November, 1936), p. 16.
54. SAFONOV, A., "Orogeny of the Urals," Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., Vol. 21, No. 11 (November,
1937), P. 1439.
55. SANDERS, C. W., "Emba Salt-Dome Region, U.S.S.R., and Some Comparisons with Other Salt-
Dome Regions," ibid., Vol. 23, No. 4 (April, 1939), P. 492.
56. SCHWARTZ, SOLOMON N., "How Much Oil Has Russia," Foreign Affairs (1945), PP. 737-41.
57. SEVENTEENTH INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS, MOSCOW, 1937. In this connection a
series of geologic papers mostly in Russian, together with five pamphlets by A. J. Krems in English
covering the Petroleum Excursions to important oil and gas fields were published and available
to the delegates. Papers descriptive of stratigraphy, structure, magnetic, and gravimetric studies,
in Russian, were presented together with good maps and sections. An excellent Geological Map
of the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics, in 8 parts, scale 1:6,ooo,ooo, was made available.
Other papers were The Permian Excursion by D. V. Nalivkin, and on the Caucasus by Ivan M.
Goubkin. Also, see Arkhangelski and Goubkin, foregoing.
58. SHATSKY, N. S., "Outlines of the Tectonics of the Volga-Uralian Oil Region and Adjacent Part
of the West Slope of the South Ural," Soc. Naturalistes Moscou (1945)? 130 pp. In Russian,
summary in English, pp. 122-26.
"Problems of Oil in Siberia," Neft. Khoz., Vol. 24, No. 9 (1932).
59. SHouMILIN, S. V., "Geophysical Methods of Prospecting in Soviet Union Oil Industry," Pan-
Amer. Geol., Vol. 70, No. , (August, 1938), p. 30.
6o. STACH, LEO W., "Petroleum Exploration and Production in Western Pacific during World War
II," Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., Vol. 31, No. 8 (August, 1947), pp. 1384-1403.
61. SUJKOWSKI, SBIGNIEW, "The Geological Structure of East Poland and West Russia: A Summary
of Recent Discoveries," Geol. Soc. London Quart. Jour., Vol. 102, Pt. 2, No. 405 (July 31, 1946),
pp. 189-201 (discussion, p. 201), map.
62. SUKHAREV, G. M., "Surface Geological Outlines of Oil-Gas Deposits in Daghestan (East Trans-
Caucasus) Oil-Gas Province," Petrol. Ind., Pt. 10 (1949), pp. 11-21.
63. TYzlrnov, A. V., "The Problem of Oil in the Barzas Region of the Kuznetsk Basin," Vestn.
ZSGT, No. 3 (1936).
64. VAJK, RAOUL, "Data on the Tectonics of Transdanubia Based on Geophysical Research," Fold-
tani Kozlony, Vol. 93i Nos. 1-3, PP. -17-38. In Hungarian, abstract in German, pp. 195-200.
Budapest (1943).
-65. VASYLEV, V. G., VYSOTSKY, I. V., PANTELEV, F.M., "Artinsk Gaseous Source Beds,"Petrol. Ind.
Bull. 6 (1949), pp. 17-23. In Russian.
66. VORONTZOV, A. E., and MOOR, G. G., "New Data on the Geology of the North-Western Border
of the Siberian Platform," Bull. Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S., Ser. Geol., No. 3 (1949), p. 85. Summary in
English.
67. WALTERS, RAY P., "Oil Fields of Carpathian Region," Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., Vol. 30,
No. 3 (March, 1946).
68. WDOWSARZ, JAN, "Structure Geologique des Karpates dans la Region de Dynow," Inst. Geol.
Pologne Bull. zo. 24 pp., 3 maps. In Polish and French. Warsaw (1939) 1946.
69. WEBER, V. V., and FEDYNSKY, V. V., "Gravimetric Chart of the Southeast Caucasus Illuminates
the Paleogeography," Acad. Sci. U.B.S.S. Bull. 5 (1947), PP. 131-38. In Russian.
70. WELLER, J. MARVIN, "Outline of Chinese Geology," Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., Vol. 28,
No. zo (October, 1944), p. x417.
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"Petroleum Possibilities of Red Basin, Szechuan Province, China," ibid., p. 1430-
7r. "World Oil Atlas," Oil Weekly, Sec. 2 (June 30, 1947).., "U.S.S.R.-Russia, 2.nd Siberia," pp.
265-89. Map's of oil districts together with description and statistics. Affiliated countries: Hun-
gary, pp. 245-47; Poland, pp. 255-57; Roumania, pp. 259-61.
, "Statistics on Production and Wells Drilled," Forecast Number, Oil Weekly,iVol._ 224,
No. 22 (February 2o, 1947).
, "World Reserves," World Oil, Vol. 227, No. 8 (December, 1947), P? 57.
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Bd. 2 (Stuttgart, 2927). ?
73. ZABARYSKY, P. P., "Of Oil Bearing Maikop Formations in Black Hills and Northern Osetl ,
Petrol. Ind. Bull. 4 (1947), PP. 35-38. In Russian.
74. ZEGEBART, D. K., and STAROSTINA, Z. M., "On the Geological History of the Northwestern
Part of the Lena-Yenisei Field and the Northern Part of the Baikal Fold Zone," Prob. Soviet
Geol., Vol. 5,jNos. 3 and 4 (1935)
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