The Oil of Baku Archipelago
Dedicated to the 40th Anniversary of Starting the Developing of the large oil/gas field Sangachal - Sea, Duvanny-Sea and Hara Island-Zira
Mr. Rasim Museib oglu Dadashev was born on January 21, 1933 in Baku. He is the member of Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) political party. Mr. Dadashev graduated form the Geological Survey Faculty of the Industrial College of Azerbaijan with a major of mountainous engineer-geologist.
1957-1964 - operator of oil & gas wells research, engineer of servicing wells of second field of Gurganneft Scientific & Production Company, Neft Dashlari State Scientific Company at present, engineer-geologist of the Geological Department of Gurganneft.
1964-1981 - Chief Geologist of the Yuzgnaya (South) Major Oil Field.
1966-1981 - Head of the Geological Department, Chief Geologist of the Scientific State Oil/Gas Producing Company named after N. Narimanov.
1981-till present - Head of Department of Oil & Chemistry of the Cabinet of Ministers (Prime Minister Office) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Candidate of geological & mineralogical sciences. Mr. Dadashev has more than 100 scientific monographs, number of invention patents
Mr. Dadashev is the member of the National Geophysical Committee, the member of the Chief Committee of the Society of Geologists & Oil Workers of Azerbaijan. Recommendations and suggestions of Mr. Dadashev benefited a number of survey activities, developing oil, gas and gas condensing reserves, exploration of wells, also, it benefited to the analysis of fields and production collectors. He took an active part in developing a number of oil/gas and gas condensing fields in the Caspian Sea. Mr. Dadashev has been awarded by the Nations' Friendship medal and with the Honorary Certificate of the Higher Soviet (analogue of the Prime Minister Office in former Soviet Union) of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR).
In 1960-70's several new oil/gas and gas condensing fields were developed as a result of surveys within the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea. Most notable field of oil and gas was Sangachal-Sea, Duvanny-Sea, Hara Island-Zirya.
In the summer of 1963 the first survey well # 24 from the seventh horizon, which was holed from the separate sea basement, became flowing with the debit of more than 200 tons of oil per day. Further on it was proved as a result of conducted surveys that the oil deposit is being stretched from the Sangachal Cape to the region east of Hara-Zira Island for more than 20 km.
In order to accelerate the construction of the Sangachal-Sea, Duvanny-Sea, Hara-Zira Island field and to put into the industrial operation the development of oil/gas reserves of the seventh horizon, the enlarged oil/gas field was formed, which, by the middle of 1966, became the Oilfield Department named after Nariman Narimanov. At first, it was based on Hara-Zira Island, then - on-shore near Sangachal Cape. The best specialists from the number of sea fields were transferred here.
Fairly at the same time, the first Director of the Oilfield Department named after Nariman Narimanov, Mr. Farhad Gamzayev asked me to transfer him to the position of the Chief, Geological Department. I knew him back from the work on Neft Dashlari (OilStones). The expedience of this transfer was also pointed out by Mr. Fuad Samedov, Chief Geologist at Morneft unit and by Mr. Hoshbaht Yusifzade, the Deputy.
Despite the fact that at this time I was working as Chief Geologist of the Yugnaya enlarged oilfield, employees of which were successfully developing the first gas condensed field in the Caspian, which was named Yugnaya Structure, and the Ghiloy Island oilfield, I finally decided to transfer into the Scientific Industrial Department named after N. Narimanov. The reason for that was in my assuredness in high level of perspective of Sangachal-Sea, Duvanny-Sea, Hara Island-Zira field. Besides, the volumes of forecasted works on developing the site, holing hundreds of wells and its service were of much interest to me, geologist-oilier.
In September 1966 I came to the Hara Island-Zira for the first time. Only 16 highly debited wells were working and the daily production of this young oil-producing department was already higher than on old sites of the Republic.
My old friends greeted me with a big joy, with which I worked, on Neft Dashlari for several years.
A lot of things were clearly different in terms of its complexity from the other sea fields of the Republic. Depths of used wells were as low as 4, 500 m and more, and its daily debits were from 200 to 300-400 tons of oil. With increased acceleration, the sea aqueduct was being constructed in two directions at the same time. Later, 20 and more production wells were holed from the near-aqueduct. It was for the first time in the Republic when preparatory works on pumping seawater into the production layers with the purpose of keeping the layer pressure with the pressure of pumping at 200 atmospheres. At the same time, survey works on contouring the developed oil/gas reserves of the seventh horizon and on developing new perspective sites, as well, were continued.
Later on, the management of the Oil Producing Department named after N. Narimanov was strengthened. Mr. Akif Djafarov, the famous oilier, Hero of Socialist Labour, was appointed as the Department's Director.
This Department became one of the most perspective and strong sea fields in the former Soviet Union, thanks to Mr. Djafarov. He was the leader with strong organizational skills. He valued the labour of a working man, employees of engineering-technical nature. Employees themselves liked and respected their Director.
I was working as the Chief of the Geological Department with Akif Djagfarov as being my Director. In February 1975 I was appointed to the position of the Chief Geologist of the Oil/Gas producing Department.
The work on all the fields and sites of the State Oil Producing named after N. Narimanov (SOPN) was going on the round-the-clock basis. As a result, in 1976 the maximum level of oil production was achieved by SOPN when 4.8 million tons of oil was produced.
In 1970 strong gas condense reserve of the eighth horizon of production thickness started to develop. The peak of the natural gas production at SOPN was in 1978, when more than 3 billion cubic meters of gas was produced.
In 1974 oil/gas reserve of the fifth horizon of the production thickness started to develop.
It is also notable that the time came when we were proudly that this or that well of Sangachal-Sea, Duvanny-Sea, Hara Island-Zira field peaked at million tons of oil produced in total from the start. There were several wells like this.
A lot of publications were devoted to the proud labor offshore employees. Prominent people, famous writers and scientists were frequent guests at SOPN. The Minister of Gas Industry of the USSR, Mr. Orudjev visited us twice, as well as the Minister of Oil Industry of the USSR, Mr. Shashin. As I was the Chief Geologist of the Department, I frequently gave speeches for them and answered their numerous questions.
I remember a single episode with the visit to our Department of Mr. Orudjev. Because of full flooding of several highly debited wells and untimely incorporation of wells from holing, SOPN could not succeed in implementing designated level of oil production and was giving more than thousand tons of oil a day short. By not succeeding we were basically putting spot on the whole Republic.
At this very time, Mr. Orudjev came to visit us. He patiently listened to us, to our answers on his questions, thought for a while and told me: Rasim, show me the year of maximal oil production on a development of the seventh horizon scheme of curves. I showed. When he saw that after the peak of 1976 yearly production of oil from the major horizon of the development Sangachal-Sea, Duvanny-Sea, Hara Island-Zira field sharply decreased, Mr. Orudjev sadly noted: No single parachute would keep you afloat! But during the discussion of this very complicated situation, he never blamed us. As being a prominent specialist, he understood that the situation is very complicated and could not be solved only by unfounded demands. In reality, the analysis of the developing of the seventh horizon of production thickness indicated that the production of oil sharply declined, despite all the measures we were implementing. Further, Mr. Orudjev said very calmly that he believes in us, our knowledge and experience, and thinks that we could manage to cope with situation and solve the problem. He promised us al the necessary supports.
Later on, when we begun to use a cyclic pumping of water into the layer (it helped to prevent untimely flooding of a number of highly debited oil wells), took measures on accelerating implementing wells and increased the number of geological & technical activities, we could stabilize the level of production and even increase its daily selection.
Mr. Orudjev was very much interested in our results of geophysical research on defining profiles of oil inflow in exploitation and water-receiving force wells. It was the most progressive achievement in oil production, and we were among the firsts in the Republic who was extensively implementing these researches.
In April 1970 the labor of all oil industry workers was highly evaluated by the country: 125 employees of SOPN were awarded with jubilee medals for conscientious work. At the club in Lokbatan settlement, all the awarded were congratulated and received recognition directly from the leader of our Republuc, Mr. Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev.
Employees of SOPN will never forget October 5, 1981 when Mr. Aliyev visited them. He visited several sites of SOPN. Mr. Aliyev was very much interested in activities of oil industry workers, difficulties in work and life, and was very glad with their success.
40 years have passed since the day of the first oil fountain on Sangachal-Sea, Duvanny-Sea, Hara Island-Zira sites. Employees of SOPN heroically continue their labor in the name of strengthening the independence of Azerbaijan and development of the Republic's economy.