The SOCAR’s Department of Geophysics and Geology (GGD) was established by Decree No. 340 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan of December 22, 1994 from the former “Geophysics and Engineering Geology” Production Union.
The department has three operating divisions – Kashfiyatgeofizika, Madangeofizika, and Integrated Exploration and Topography, one research institute (the Geophysics Research Institute), and one service division (the Department of Transportation and Special Machinery).
The Department’s divisions conduct geophysical and geotechnical surveys, do exploratory drilling, and conduct research at all of Azerbaijan’s onshore and Caspian offshore areas. The Department studies the geology of oil and gas areas, does deep exploratory drilling, forecasts the petroleum potential of prospects, assesses the geology and productivity of the fields, runs well logs and formation tests during drilling, prepares reserve estimates, drills into oil-bearing formations, monitors field development, conducts a variety of geotechnical surveys, designs new methods and technologies, and so forth.
After the Department was reorganized in late 2005, there were major upgrades of equipment and technologies in the Department’s divisions, and this process is still underway.
Currently the Department has good instruments and equipment, proper exploration, well log, and geotechnical data processing and interpretation software, and highly qualified personnel. This has allowed the Department to conduct studies in different fields under contracts with foreign companies.