Studying geological and geophysical conditions of Donbas structures for the formation of hydrocarbon fields based on the Mobilist concept of tectonics

Abstract An actual direction of modern geoscience is the research of gas flows coming through deep faults in the Earth’s crust. These processes determine a wide range of geological phenomena of the Earth’s. The Dnipro-Donets Depression is one of the most important oil and gas regions in Ukraine, where the migration of hydrocarbon gases through faults plays a significant role in the formation of hydrocarbon fields. The geological structure of this depression has numerous faults that serve as paths for the migration of gases from the deep subsoil to the upper layers of the Earth’s crust and surface. The geological and geophysical conditions of the Donbas structures have been studied for the formation of unconventional hydrocarbon fields based on the Mobilist concept of tectonics. The optimal conditions for methane accumulation in the Kalmius-Toretsk kettlehole are as follows: confinedness to the maximum coal accumulation, low catagenesis of the strata containing coal beds, connection with gas-dynamic phenomena, confinedness of the beds-reservoir to channel and delta sandstones, the presence of gas-impermeable strata, and favorable tectonic conditions. Research confirms the significant gas-generating potential of the Vovchansk and Kalmius-Toretsk kettleholes, with an emphasis on the possibility of using also fractured reservoirs for methane gas production.