SUMMARY
The exploration area comprises the territory of the northernmost depression of the Pre-Ural Foredeep, called the Kosyu-Rogovskaya Depression, adjacent to the regions of the Circumpolar and Polar Urals (fig. 1).
The Pre-Ural Foredeep stretches from the south to the north from the Caspian Sea region to the Pechoromorsky shelf and covers approximately 3,000 square kilometers. Not all zones of this foredeep have sufficient geologic-geophysical data. The outer western zone which is adjacent to the East European Platform and the Pechora Plate is most explored; the central deepest part of the foredeep is less explored except for the largest anticlinal structures; and the inner eastern area characterized by the extensive development of the thrust dislocations has almost no geologic-geophysical data.
Taking into account the worldwide experience in performing works at foredeeps which proved high gas-and-oil presence of such tectonic elements, the fact that 5 subsidiary companies of "GAZPROM" OJSC are situated on the territory of the Pre-Ural Foredeep, considering also the availability of well-developed gas transport system (four gas-main pipelines pass through the foredeep, and the 5-th line is being constructed at present) and ultimate gas consumers the Geological Survey of "GAZPROM" OJSC is developing the Programme for the performance of exploration works on the territory of the Pre-Ural Foredeep.
According to this Programme exploration works including aero-space, geochemical and geophysical surveys and deep prospecting-and-appraisal drilling are performed in two license blocks located in the zone of juncture of the Kosyu-Rogovskaya Depression on the western slope of the Urals (fig.2).
In the first stage of works including remote sensing, geochemical and geophysical surveys the data confirming a great number of structures in the explored territory were obtained, also the traces of hydrocarbon migration were found out. The obtained data allowed to specify the tectonic zoning and determine first-priority objects to perform deep drilling works.
The second stage that provides for drilling of the two first-priority prospecting-and-appraisal wells (one at each license block) and the detailed seismic surveys is underway. One of the wells is already drilled while the second is being drilled. The interpretation of seismic data is being carried out.
The data obtained from the second still incomplete stage of works has already fundamentally changed the idea of: 1) geological structure of the explored territory; 2) mechanisms that form the fold-and-thrust zones of the whole region under consideration.
