The Buzovna-Mashtagha field is located in the north-east of Absheron peninsula, Eastern Absheron oil and gas region, between the villages of Mashtaga and Buzovna. The field covers an area of 588 ha (7 km x 2 km) and has a brachy anticlinal structure. Its industrial development began in 1941.
Several researchers have studied the field at various times. This region was first studied by M. V. Abramovich in 1913. According to Abramovich, the region consists of two anticline rises - the basin located between Girmaki in the south and Pirallahi Island in the east. After a long interval, in 1932, geological research was proceeded in the region. Korneyev confirmed Abramovich’s opinion based on the electrical intelligence data. During an exhaustive search of the area by structural drilling in 1935, B.P. Yasnev noted that the area consisted of an anticline rise with non-closed shape in the west. Therefore, he called the Mashtaga area a “structural cape”. Only one of the 5 wells drilled in this structure enabled opening the entire productive layer. The rest were abandoned as they were of no importance.
In 1940, partial seismic surveys were carried out in the Buzovna area, where the presence of an anticline rise was discovered. After studying all the geological and seismic data, it was drilled in 1940 at the suggestion of B.K. Babazadeh, and deep exploration well No. 1/1056 opened the entire thickness of the productive layer at 2,051 m. Thus, on the 28th of November 1940, the well began to produce 85 tons of oil per day. After a positive result from the first exploration well, there was a major turn in exploration. Through the wells drilled in 1941-1945, the oil content of the Girmakialty and Girmaki formations was discovered, and the field extended to the Mashtaga area. Wells No. 1821 and 1814 drilled in 1945 revealed significant oil content. 11 productive layers are in exploitation in the field. Their depth varies in the range of 1,200-2,100 m. The oil produced here varies from other onshore oil types as it refers to the fluids that are not subject to Newton’s laws for their physical features. Thus, it is considered to be low-bitumen (7.2% per ton), low-asphaltene (2.4% per ton) oil. This type of oil contains a small number of mechanical impurities – 0.03% per ton.
From the beginning of the development until the 1st of January 2024, 1,334 wells were drilled in the field, which produced 29.785 million tons of oil and 5.375 billion m3 of gas up to date. The field’s highest production was observed in 1950 with 1.927 million tons of oil.
On December 14, 2021, GL International LTD and SOCAR signed a Risk Service Agreement on Rehabilitation and Development of the Block including Buzovna-Mashtagha, Gala and Zira Oil Fields. The Agreement was adopted and approved by the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated April 5, 2022, and its execution was authorized.
Since the Agreement came into force on July 01, 2022, H.Z. Taghiyev OGPD under SOCAR’s Azneft PU, which previously operated the development of the fields, was liquidated. Currently, the rehabilitation and development of the fields is carried out by Taghiyev Operating Company LLC established under the Agreement.