Seismostratigraphic Analysis of the Early Pliocene Productive Redbed Series

It is known that detailed (precise) seismostratigraphy includes an interpretation of particular features of different-age sedimentary series, their lithofacies and stratigraphic peculiarities, paleogeographic conditions of formation, clarification of their origin, and an assessment of lithofacies features of stratigraphic units (of medium and small ranks) of the section and also such of applied problems as detection and mapping of non-anticlinal traps, the discovery of oil-and gas-bearing series and so on. Some results of precise (detailed) seismostratigraphy of the Early Pliocene are given in the present chapter. The Early Pliocene sedimentation seismo-complex-SSC-7 deserves close attention as an essential part of the SCMB sedimentary cover that causes its structural characteristics and oil-gas content. These deposits present a thick terrigenous formation formed relatively quickly (1.7-6.1 Ma) within an enclosed sea/lake isolated from the world ocean under rapid earth’s crust subsidence conditions, sharply contrasting tectonic movements, and growth of surrounding mountain structures. The Early Pliocene sedimentary complex is the primary oil and gas-bearing complex in the SCMB and named the Productive series (PS) within the western Caspian and Azerbaijan, while it is called a red bed series (RBS) within the eastern Caspian and western Turkmenistan. No unique fauna has been found in the PS and red-bed series terrigenous deposits. Therefore, the Early Pliocene age of these series is defined because they are underlaid by the Pontian clays having Upper Miocene fauna and overlapped with clay deposits of the Absheronian-Akchagylian stages of the Upper Pliocene.