Department of Problems of Oil Geophysics

Department of Problems of Oil Geophysics

Head of the department: Candidate of Science in Geology and Mineralogy, senior research worker I.M.Kurovets Ph. +38032 263 92 16, e-mail  i.kurovets@gmail.com   The team of the department consists of 13 employees, among their number 4 Candidates of Science,  1 associate research workers, 6 leading engineers. The department was founded in 1975 under the leadership of Cand.Sc. G.I.Petkevych. The main task: theoretical and experimental substantiation of principles and methods of geophysical diagnostics of the composition, structure and physical state of rocks in sedimentary sections with the purpose of studying the deep structure of the earth’s bowels and predicting oil and gas deposits and other combustible minerals. Well-known scientists and experts in the field of geophysics and geology have worked at the department for many years of its existence. Among their number are: Doctors of Science in Geology and Mineralogy G.I.Petkevych, I.D.Hofshtein, R.S.Kopystiansky, V.G.Osadchiy, S.O.Lyzun, Candidates of Science in Geology and Mineralogy B.M.Ulizlo, A.Kh.Sergatiuk, V.S.Syzonenko, V.V.Leshchuk, R.P.Moroshan, Kh.B.Zayats and other. At the head of the department were: D.Sc. G.I.Petkevych (1975-1991), D.Sc.Prof. S.O.Lyzun (1991-2000), Cand.Sc. I.M.Kurovets (since 2000). Main scientific directions of the department’s activity confirmed by the Academic Council of the Institute for the present day:
  • Studying of formation conditions and the law-governed nature of the hydrocarbon deposits distribution based on the geological-geophysical data;
  • Development of the physical-geological grounds of new technologies of geophysical diagnostics of sedimentary series.
In 2012-2023 the department took part in the fulfilment of a number of programs of the Division of Earth’s Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, namely: “Potential for oil and gas presence and evolution of oil and gas”, “Scientific ensuring of the growth in mineral reserves (natural resources) in Ukraine”, “Problems of geoecological safety of Ukraine”, “Development of geological, geophysical sciences, technologies and growth of mineral resources in Ukraine and study, prediction and minimization of emergency situation”. The team of the department has carried out and is carrying out research tasks within the framework of the following fundamental research themes: Б-III-05-11 Petrophysical criteria of the potential for oil and gas presence in the main productive lithological-stratigraphic complexes of Ukraine. Б-III-05-16 Б-ІІІ-05-16 Theoretical-experimental grounds for diagnostics of unconventional deposits of hydrocarbons  based on petrophysical criteria. Б-ІІІ-16-21 Geological-geophysical informative value of petrophysical parameters of perspective lithological-stratigraphical complexes of the Western oil-gas region of Ukraine, Б-ІІ-12-23 «Studying of capacity-filtration properties of reservoir rocks and the processes of kerogen transformations in the Boryslav-Pokuttya zone of the Carpathian Foredeep” within the framework of the research work of the young scientists of the National Academy  of Sciences of Ukraine in 2023-2024. Theoretical and experimental foundations of diagnostics of unconventional pools of hydrocarbons based on petrophysical criteria.   Complex themes within the framework of the IGGCM of NANU: Б-II-01-12 Problems of the development of the “shale” gas resources in the west of Ukraine Б-II-02-12 Geoecological problems of the Western Ukraine (on the example of the Lviv Region) Б-III-02-17 Special features of the geological structure of the earth’s crust of the west and the south of Ukraine and their influence upon the formation of mineral deposits Б-III-03-17 Geological monitoring of emergency situations of the territory of the Chervonohrad geological-industrial region of the Lviv-Volyn Coal Basin/   Complex themes within the framework of the institutes of the Division of the Earth’s Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: II-02-13 Studies of geological-petrophysical properties of rocks of coal rock mass for qualitative interpretation of data of 3D-seismic survey with the purpose of distinguishing perspective gas-saturated areas (Goal-directed complex program of researches of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine “Usage of 3D-seismic survey with the purpose of commercial gas production and degassing of coal beds”).   Complex theme within the framework of the institutes of different divisions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: STCU Project No.5726 “Methodical-program complex for seismic acoustic survey for shale gases based on identical models of structural mechanics”.   International project “Studies of Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Miocene at the crossroads of the south-eastern part of Poland and the western part of Ukraine” (an order of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine No.793 of 15 December,2014) within the framework of the Agreement of Scientific Cooperation between the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Polish Academy of Sciences in 2015-2017. To order of the National Joint-Stock Company “Naftogaz of Ukraine” the following theme was carried out on self-supporting grounds: “Petrophysical models of fractured, carbonated and low-porous reservoirs of the Western oil and gas region” At the department close cooperation both with domestic and foreign organization was organized, among their number Geological Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Polish Geological and Research Institute of Poland, the Kyiv National University, the Ivano- Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, the N.P/Poliakov Institute of Geotechnical Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Joint-Stock Company “Naftogaz of Ukraine”/ In the course of the period from 2012 to 2023 7 collective monographs were published in collaboration, including 5 books in the collective monograph “Unconventional deposits of hydrocarbons in Ukraine”, in 21 papers in international and national journals, among their number in reports of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The results were presented at the conferences of different levels (41 theses of the reports), including: 74th EAGE Conference & Exhibition incorporating SPE EUROPEC 2012 Copenhagen, Denmark, 4–7 June 2012, Conference ”GeoShale-2012” 14–16 May 2012, Warsaw, Poland, GeoShale-2014, The 2nd International conference Dedicated to Mudrocks, 24-26 september 2014, Warsaw, 31stIAS Meeting of Sedimentology 22-25 June 2015, Krakow,Petroleum Systems of Alpine-Mediterranean Fold Belts and Basins,19-20.05.2016, Bucharest, Romania, SEISMIX 2016 Seismology at the crossroads, UK, 15-18.05. 2016. 18th International Conference Geoinformatics: Theoretical and Applied Aspects, EAGE 13-16 may, 2019 Kyiv, Ukraine, 13 International Conference Monitoring of Geological Processes and Ecological Condition of the Environment, EAGE 12–15 November 2019. Conference Proceedings, Fourth EAGE Workshop on Assessment of Landslide Hazardsand impact on communities, Sep 2023. Lviv. Research workers of the department have received an award of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and geological and oil-producing organizations of Ukraine. Candidate of Economy R.-D.A.Kucher has got a grant of the President of Ukraine for the young scientists (2023-2024).  Further perspectives of fundamental scientific investigations of the department are connected with the development of new principles and methods of geophysical diagnostics of oil- and gas-bearing objects based on the studying of complicated reservoirs of oil and gas and construction of their geological-petrophysical models. The development of theoretical-experimental grounds of diagnostics of unconventional deposits of hydrocarbons (shale gas and oil, gas of consolidated reservoirs, coalbed methane) based on the study of the influence of thermobaric conditions upon the formation of capacity-filtration properties of rocks, studying of the structure of porous space of hydrocarbon reservoirs, establishing of interconnections between capacity-filtrational, physical-mechanical and thermobaric parameters.