DEPARTMENT OF OIL AND GAS GEOLOGY Head of the department: Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M. I. Pavlyuk. The department of oil and gas geology was founded in 1961. There are 20 employees working at the department, among their number are 3 Doctors of Science, one of them is an Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and 3 Candidates of Science. Main trends of researches of the department are:

• studying the problem of oil and gas formation from the point of view of recent geological conceptions;
• studying the law-governed nature of the formation and distribution of oil and gas fields in the earth’s crust.

According to these directions, the following important and applied researches in the field of oil and gas geology are carried out:

• the improvement of the theory of hydrocarbon origin as the basis of the rise in efficiency and the development of new scientifically grounded strategy and tactics of prospecting and exploring of oil and gas deposits;
• at the modern stage under conditions of slowing down of the rate of increase in hydrocarbon reserves in Ukraine one of the priority problems of todayʼs oil and gas geology, as the main and applied, is the determination and scientific substantiation of main criteria and the estimation of the prospects for oil and gas presence based on the researches of geodynamic regimes of oil and gas accumulation in perspective regions of Ukraine, the peculiarities of geotectonic evolution and the influence of abovementioned factors upon oil and gas occurrence;
• the development of the hypothesis of the origin of oil and gas according to which they are the products of interaction of deep-seated (mantle) hydrogen-carbon-hydrocarbon gases and light oils (condensates) and organic matter of sedimentary rocks (“polygenesis of oil”);
• the development of thermodynamic methods of modelling for transformation of organic matter as an irregular polymer, with the formation of low-molecular hydrocarbons at wide range of pressures and temperatures, including within the limits of sedimentary unit;
• working out of the geological-geophysical and geochemical models of the formation of the oil- and gas-bearing provinces of the Ukraine, such as Carpathian, Dnieper-Donets and Sea of Azov-Black Sea provinces;
• geodynamic and geochemical aspects of oil and gas accumulation and the peculiarities of the distribution of oil and gas deposits in the oil- and gas-bearing provinces of Ukraine;
• determination of geochemical aspects of the processes of migration and accumulation of oils and condensates and the peculiarities of the distribution of hydrocarbon components of natural gas in the oil- and gas-bearing regions of Ukraine based on the researches of their geochemical features;
• determination of perspective reservoirs of hydrocarbons of non-anticlinal type (buried reefs, stratigraphically- and disjunctively-screened etc.) in Volyn-Podillya and substantiation of new exploratory objects: Paleozoic and Riphean deposits of Precarpathia;
• scientific substantiation of zones of hydrocarbon accumulation in not fully studied oil- and gas-bearing complexes of the Western Ukraine as the reserve for increase in extraction of hydrocarbon raw material.

“The development of scientific approaches and modern technologies for the increase in the energy efficiency, conservation of energy and the usage of renewable sources of energy for reaching the energy independency of Ukraineˮ within the framework of the programme-aimed and competitive themes of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine “Aimed complex interdisciplinary programme of researches of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine on the development of scientific methods for rational usage of natural-resources potential and stable developmentˮ (2015‒2017). Realization of these works corresponds to the Law of Ukraine “Confirmation of National Programme for the development of mineral-raw material base of Ukraine for the period till 2030ˮ, confirmed on 21^st April, 2011 no. 3268-VI, the direction of priority in the development of science and technology-Rational nature usage. The results of investigations were expounded in numerous scientific reports, about 500 publications, including in 14 monographs (2000‒2023). On the basis of investigations, it was possible to develop scientific-practical recommendations for fulfilment of geological-prospecting and drilling works were introduced. The employees of the department actively participated in numerous international scientific conferences, such as: 32^d‒33^th International Geological Congresses (Italy, 2004; Norway, 2008), CBGA Congresses (Serbia, 2006; Greece, 2010). The department carries out fruitful scientific cooperation with geological institutions of Austria, Poland, Slovakia and China. Publication of Geological Map of Border Territories of Poland, Ukraine and Slovakia is the result of cooperation with Polish and Slovakian investigators. Together with other departments of the institute, the department of oil and gas geology is a basic structure of the Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine on the problem “Geology and geotechnology of combustible minerals”, as well as of the Research Committee “Earth Sciences” of Western Scientific Centre of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and MES of Ukraine. The head of the department, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M. I. Pavlyuk, State prize-winner of Ukraine in the field of science and technology (2009) has rewarded the P. A. Tutkovsky prize in the field of geology (2017), was rewarded by the Medal for Labour Distinction (2003) and the Order for Services (Third degree) (2018), the Merited Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine (2008).