U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2014–3048

July 2014

National and Global Petroleum Assessment

Introduction

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) evaluated the potential 

for undiscovered conventional and unconventional oil and natural 

gas resources in Armenia (fig. 1). The assessment was based 

on the postulated presence and viability of petroleum-system 

elements, including petroleum source rocks (quality, source-rock 

maturation, generation, and migration); reservoir rocks (depositional environments, stratigraphy, and petrophysical properties); 

traps (type and formation); and timing considerations. Using 

this geologic framework, the USGS defined two hypothetical

total petroleum systems (TPSs)—the Paleozoic Composite 

TPS and the Cenozoic Composite TPS (table 1). A total of four 

assessment units (AUs) consisting of one conventional and one 

unconventional (shale gas and coalbed gas) in each TPS were 

evaluated. Only the Paleogene-Sourced Conventional Reservoirs AU was quantitatively assessed for potential conventional 

oil and gas resources because it had a sufficient probability 

for petroleum resources, a 10 percent chance or larger. This 

assessed AU focused on the potential for technically recoverable 

resources in new field discoveries; economic resources were 

not evaluated. The Paleozoic-Sourced Conventional Reservoirs 

AU, the Permian Shale Gas AU, and the Cenozoic Coalbed Gas 

AU were not quantitatively assessed because probability for 

petroleum resources was low.

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean volumes of 1 million barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional oil and 6 billion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional natural 

gas in Armenia.

44° 45° 46°

41°

40°

39° 0 50 KILOMETERS

0 30 MILES

ARMENIA

Permian Shale

Gas AU (20800161)

Paleozoic-Sourced

Conventional Reservoirs

AU (20800101)

PALEOGENE-SOURCED

CONVENTIONAL RESERVOIRS

AU (20810101)

AZERBAIJAN

AZERBAIJAN

(NAKHICHIVAN)

GEORGIA

TURKEY

IRAN

CASPIAN 

SEA

BLACK

SEA

IRAN

RUSSIA

IRAQ

TURKEY

ARMENIA

SYRIA

GEORGIA

AZERBAIJAN

Area of Figure 1

CENOZOIC COALBED

GAS AU (20810181)

Figure 1. Locations of assessment units (AUs) in Armenia. Solid area indicates that the AU was quantitatively assessed; outlined areas 

indicate that the AUs were not quantitatively assessed. Assessment units for conventional oil and gas resources are shown by blue 

outlines, and unconventional oil and gas resources are shown by red outlines. Maps of AUs were based on data from Mkrtchyan and others 

(1974). Base map from USGS Landsat Orthorectified Thematic Mapper mosaic. 

Assessment of Undiscovered, Technically Recoverable Oil and Gas 

Resources of Armenia, 2014
Resource Summary

Four AUs were delineated entirely within the country of 

Armenia. The postulated petroleum-system elements of the 

Paleozoic-Sourced Conventional Reservoirs AU, the Permian 

Shale Gas AU, and the Cenozoic Coalbed Gas AU are uncertain, resulting in low geologic probabilities; thus they were 

not quantitatively assessed. The petroleum-system elements of 

the Paleogene-Sourced Conventional Reservoirs AU, although 

uncertain and risked, were quantitatively assessed because they 

resulted in a geologic AU probability above the threshold of 

10 percent (that is, the probability of at least one conventional 

oil or gas accumulation of 5 million barrels of oil equivalent or 

greater based on postulated petroleum-system elements). We 

estimated fully risked mean volumes of about 1 million barrels 

of oil, about 6 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and less than 

1 million barrels of natural gas liquids (table 1). The assessment 

of undiscovered petroleum resources at the 95th and 50th 

fractiles (table 1) is zero and reflects the low geologic AU 

probability of 16 percent and high geologic uncertainty on 

petroleum-system elements.

For Further Information

Supporting geologic studies of the Armenia assessment are 

in progress. Assessment results are available at the USGS Energy 

Resources Program Web site: http://energy.usgs.gov/OilGas/.

References Cited

Mkrtchyan, S.S., Vardanyants, L.A., Gabrielyants, A.A., 

Magak’yan, I.G., and Paffengol’ts, K.N., eds., 1974, Geology 

of Armenia SSR, Volume 5, Lithology: Yerevan, Publishing 

House of Armenia SSR, 495 p. [In Russian.]

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the assistance of the Ministry 

of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia 

(Mr. Areg Galstyan, Deputy Minister) and for the coordination 

and logistical help provided by the U.S. Department of State.

Armenia Assessment Team

Timothy R. Klett, Christopher J. Schenk, Craig J. Wandrey, Michael E. Brownfield, 

Ronald R. Charpentier, Marilyn E. Tennyson, and Donald L. Gautier.

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20143048

Table 1. Assessment results for undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional and unconventional petroleum resources in Armenia.

[MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; MMBNGL, million barrels of natural gas liquids. Results shown are fully risked estimates. For gas 

fields, all liquids are included under the natural gas liquids (NGL) category. F95 denotes a 95-percent chance of at least the amount tabulated, F50 denotes a 50-percent 

chance, and F5 denotes a 5-percent chance. TPS, total petroleum system; AU, assessment unit; Accum., accumulation. Gray shading indicates not applicable.]

Geologic province, total petroleum 

system (TPS), and assessment 

unit (AU)

AU

probability

Accum.

type

Total undiscovered resources

Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL)

F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean

Araks Province, 2080; Paleozoic Composite TPS, 208001

Paleozoic-Sourced Conventional 

Reservoirs AU, 20800101 0.09

Oil

Not quantitatively assessed

Gas

Permian Shale Gas AU, 20800161 Not quantitatively assessed

Lesser Caucasus Province, 2081; Cenozoic Composite TPS, 208101

Paleogene-Sourced Conventional 

Reservoir AU, 20810101 0.16

Oil 0 0 5 1 0 0 8 1 0 0 <1 <1

Gas 0 0 33 5 0 0 1 <1

Cenozoic Coalbed Gas AU, 20810181 Not quantitatively assessed

Total resources 1 6 <1