The Durovdagh gas field is located in the Lower Kura oil and gas region, on the left bank of the Kura River, 55 km south-east of Shirvan and 20 km north-west of Neftchala. The field is connected to both the city of Neftchala and the Baku-Salyan highway. The relief of the field consists mainly of plains, where the Durovdagh mud volcano is located. The structure located in the Kurovdagh-Neftchala anticline has a brachioanticline structure.
The first data on the presence of oil in the structure dates back to the early XX century. Exploration work in the area began in 1912-1913 and continued intermittently until 1982. The gas content of the Middle Absheron sediments was first determined by well No. 1 drilled in the field in 1950. However, a fire broke out in the well after a strong gas fountain at a depth of 1,427 m. Then, in July 1951, the next well No. 2 was drilled, and in April 1954, drilling was completed at a depth of 3,002 m. The well was put into operation with a daily gas production of 1 million m3. The field was commissioned in 1978. The wells drilled here were put into operation to meet the gas needs of the Neftchala region. Prior to the seismic works, it was disputable whether the Durovdagh was a separate structure or a south-eastern pericline of the Babazanan structure. As a result of seismic work carried out in 1958, Babazanan and Durovdag were identified as two different structures in a diagram established for the lower horizons of productive strata sediments. The Durovdagh area is on the Kurovdagh-Neftchala anticline and extends from the north-west to south-east. This area is shaped like a brachianticlinal fold, separated from the Babazanan area in the north-west by a transverse fracture, and from the Khilli structure in the south-east by a wide saddle. Laboratory analysis of samples taken from the Durovdagh field showed that the extracted gas contains 98.67% methane and 1.33% ethane. As of the 1st of January 2024, only 12 wells have been drilled in the field. 522 million m3 of gas were extracted from these wells. Four of the drilled wells were abandoned. 8 wells are expected to be liquidated due to defects in the production pipelines and irrigation.
The field is exploited by Neftechala Operating Company acting as an operator in accordance with the Agreement on Rehabilitation, Development and Production Sharing on the Block including Neftchala, Khylly and Durovdagh-Babazanan Oil fields and the South-west Wing of Mughan Monocline in the Republic of Azerbaijan, concluded between SOCAR, Neftchala Investments Limited and SOCAR Oil Affiliate. The agreement entered into force on the 5th of October 2009. Currently, oil and gas operations are carried out on Neftchala and Khylly fields. The agreement area covering 2,707.7km² is located in the territory of Neftchala and Salyan regions.