THE ROLE OF MUD VOLCANOES IN THE FORMATION OF OIL AND GAS STRUCTURES OF THE SOUTHERN CASPIAN BASIN

The research work considered the issue of the formation of oil and gas structures of mud volcanoes, and also analyzed the geological structure of the South Caspian Basin. In addition, the presented article characterized the South Caspian depression as being covered by a sedimentary cover with a thickness of more than 30 km, along with the widespread manifestation of mud volcanism. Therefore, the issue of studying the area, taking into account the regularity of the distribution, number and activity of mud volcanoes within the framework of the research, is considered relevant. Based on the research conducted, it should be noted that the movement of plates moving horizontally and vertically and mud volcanism form the morphological structure of the seabed. The activity of volcanoes in marine conditions leads to the formation of some relief forms. It should be noted that mud volcanoes are considered to be one of the factors that played a major role in the history of the geological development of the Caspian Sea. Underwater and island-type mud volcanoes located in the sea, like volcanoes located on land, are attributed to transverse and longitudinal faults and are located in different parts of anticlinal uplifts. The article provides a general analysis of mud volcanoes, both on land and at sea, and as a result, the geological characteristics of the eruption products, geochemical properties, as well as the differences and similarities between the morphologies of the volcanoes were determined. Keywords: South Caspian Depression, mud volcanoes, seismicity, eruption products.