BASIN-CENTERED GAS EVALUATED IN DNIEPER-DONETS BASIN, DONBAS FOLDBELT, UKRAINE

An evaluation of thermal maturity, pore pressures, source rocks, reservoir quality, present-day temperatures, and fluid recovery data indicates the presence of a large basin-centered gas accumulation in the Dnieper-Donets basin (DDB) and Donbas foldbelt (DF) of eastern Ukraine. This unconventional accumulation covers an area of at least 35,000 sq km and extends vertically through as much as 7,000 m of Carboniferous rocks. The gas accumulation is similar, in many respects, to some North American accumulations such as Elmworth in the Alberta basin of western Canada, the Greater Green River basin of southwestern Wyoming, and the Anadarko basin of Oklahoma. Even though rigorous assessments of the recoverable gas have not been conducted in the region, a comparison of the dimensions of the accumulation to similar accumulations in the US indicates gas resources in excess of 100 tcf in place. The paper describes the geology, the reservoirs, source rocks, seals, and recommendations for further study.