This book provides a review of Azerbaijan’s water reserves and main economic deposits (both hydrocarbon and hard) and describes the integrated application of geophysical methods (land, airborne, shipborne and satellite) for studying near-surface and environmental features and regional tectonic-geophysical zonation as well as the study of deep structures in the search for hydrocarbon and hard (polymetallic, copper, gold-bearing, iron-ore, magnetite, etc.) deposits. It particularly focuses on the geophysical examination of seismic activity in the region related to the interaction of the Afro-Arabian and Eurasian lithospheric plates. It is aimed at scientists, engineers and students interested in the commercial potential of Azerbaijan’s deposits and the application of different geophysical methodologies (gravity, magnetic, seismic, thermal, electric, electromagnetic, etc.) for analyzing mud volcanism, identifying subsurface structures (including the analysis of hydrogeological problems, the examination of past climates and archaeological inspection) revealing the deep tectono-structural peculiarities of the region under study, mining and oil & gas geophysics, development of 3D physical-geological models and advanced seismological prognosis.

This edited volume is based on the best papers accepted for presentation during the 1st Springer Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences (CAJG-1), Tunisia 2018. The book is of interest to all researchers in the fields of petroleum engineering, reservoir engineering and petroleum geochemistry. The MENA region accounts for more than 50 percent of the world's hydrocarbon reserves. Despite being the largest oil and gas producer of the world, the MENA countries face routine problems regarding petroleum engineering, reservoir modelling and production optimization. This volume offers an overview of the latest information and ideas regarding reservoir engineering, petrophysical engineering, petroleum system modelling, non-conventional energy resources and environmental impact of oil production. Main topics include: 1. Advances in petrophysical characterization of reservoir rocks2. Enhanced oil recovery methods 3. Advances in petroleum exploration and management 4. Evaluation of hydrocarbon source potential and petroleum system modeling5. Non-conventional energy resources

Many publications on lacustrine systems concentrate on reconstructing paleo-environments, deciphering paleoclimate or estimating hydrocarbon source potential. This is the first memoir to give attention to describing the occurrence, distribution and character of sandstones in various lake settings. The memoir is divided into four sections beginning with a global overview, and followed by two sections covering lacustrine systems in compressional and extensional regimes, and concludes with a series of papers on modern lake regimes.

Remote Sensing image analysis is mostly done using only spectral information on a pixel by pixel basis. Information captured in neighbouring cells, or information about patterns surrounding the pixel of interest often provides useful supplementary information. This book presents a wide range of innovative and advanced image processing methods for including spatial information, captured by neighbouring pixels in remotely sensed images, to improve image interpretation or image classification. Presented methods include different types of variogram analysis, various methods for texture quantification, smart kernel operators, pattern recognition techniques, image segmentation methods, sub-pixel methods, wavelets and advanced spectral mixture analysis techniques. Apart from explaining the working methods in detail a wide range of applications is presented covering land cover and land use mapping, environmental applications such as heavy metal pollution, urban mapping and geological applications to detect hydrocarbon seeps. The book is meant for professionals, PhD students and graduates who use remote sensing image analysis, image interpretation and image classification in their work related to disciplines such as geography, geology, botany, ecology, forestry, cartography, soil science, engineering and urban and regional planning.

The geological evolution of Central Asia commenced with the formation of a complex Precambrian–Palaeozoic orogen. Cimmerian blocks were then accreted to the southern margin in the Mesozoic, leading to tectonic reactivation of older structures and discrete episodes of basin formation. The Indian and Arabian blocks collided with Asia in the Cenozoic, leading to renewed structural reactivation, intracontinental deformation and basin development. This complex evolution resulted in the present-day setting of an elongated Tien Shan range flanked by large Mesozoic–Cenozoic sedimentary basins with smaller intramontane basins distributed within the range. This volume presents multidisciplinary results and reviews from research groups in Europe and Central Asia that focus on the western part of the Tien Shan and some of the adjacent large sedimentary basins. These works elucidate the Late Palaeozoic–Cenozoic tectono-sedimentary evolution of the area. Emphasis is given to the collision of terranes and continents and the ensuing fault reactivations. The impact of climatic changes on sedimentation is also examined.

This publication contains 12 extended abstracts and 6 full-length papers that discuss technology development, challenges in estimating proven and potential reserves, outcrop-based studies of potential reservoirs, regional tectonics and geodynamic evolution, and source rock and stratigraphic analyses of the greater Caspian area, which, throughout time, has maintained its position as one of the major petroleum provinces in the world.

The energy reserves of the Caspian Region have been hailed as the new 'Middle East'. This book offers a thorough assessment of its energy resources and the nature of the international politics that surround them. This volume presents a unique study of the various dimensions of Caspian energy, ranging from the geopolitical to the economic, technical, religious and political.

The Black Sea remains one of the largest underexplored rift basins in the world. Future success is dependent on a better understanding of a number of geological uncertainties. These include reservoir and source rock presence and quality, and the timing of migration of hydrocarbons relative to trap formation. An appreciation of the geological history of the Black Sea basins and the surrounding orogens is therefore key. The timing of basin formation, uplift of the margins, and of facies distribution remain issues for robust debate. This Special Publication presents the results of 15 studies that relate to the tectono-stratigraphy and petroleum geology of the Black Sea. The methodologies of these studies encompass crustal structure, geodynamic evolution, stratigraphy and its regional correlation, petroleum systems, source to sink, hydrocarbon habitat and play concepts, and reviews of past exploration. They provide insight into the many ongoing controversies concerning Black Sea regional geology and provide a better understanding of the geological risks that must be considered for future hydrocarbon exploration.