Natural resources of Azerbaijan

Snowy peaks, high mountains, foothill fertile soils, wide plains, Lowest Land Points Below Ocean Level are the main landscape forms of the republic.

This complex landscape structure has resulted in a variety of natural conditions, climate, soil-vegetation, and water resources.

Natural resources are divided into the following groups: Solar, geothermal, wind, nuclear energy, climate, water withdrawal and flood, sea currents.

The main productive oil and gas-producing layers are in Absheron, Shamakhi-Gobustan, Down-Kur and Baku archipelagi regions.

Fields with productive layers (Balakhani-Sabunchu-Ramana, Surakhani-Garachukhur-Zykh, Gala, Bibiheybat, Neft Dashlari, Puta, May 28, Lokbatan-Binagadi, Sangachal-Deniz-Duvanny-Deniz-Bulla, Bulla-Deniz etc.)

The largest oil and gas condensate fields are located in the Absheron, Baku archipelagi and the Lower Kuryani regions.

The flame in this area resulted from the burning of natural gas flowing to the surface from the underground oil and gas-storing layers through cracks that was caused by volcanic-tectonic movements and processes.

By the Decree of the Azerbaijani President dated May 2, 2007, the territory of the "Burning Mountain" was declared to be state-cultural and nature preservation.

This area includes the ‘’Gurd yuvasi’’, two cemeteries that are over thousand years old, and an ancient mosque, Gothursu fount, Ali Stone, Kardashi, Girmaki valley and Yanar dag.

[7][8] These excavations (iron, aluminum, chromite, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum ore etc.)

Iron ores (magnetite, hematite) are found in four classes in Azerbaijan: segregation-magmatic, skarn-magnetite (contact-metasomatic), hydrothermal-metasomatic and sedimentation.

[9] At present, numerous manifestations of gold have been discovered (Tulallar, Kepez, Dabalt, Kungutchay, Keleki, Unus and others).

Evaluation of gold deposits in powder form from Alincachay and Kurekchay Basin was carried out, initial reserves were calculated and industrial significance was determined.

of the LesserCaucasus, Vandam (Mugar, Balakenchay) and Araz (Bichanak, Alahi) of the Greater Caucasus structure-formation zones.

Copper-porphyry ore-bearing in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, is mainly located on the Mehri-Ordubad granitoid batholite's exo and endocontact zones (Diakhchay, Goygol, Goydagh etc.).

In addition, Halhal copper-pyrite, Goygol, Agridağ copper, Nashirvaz, Kilit-Katam copper-cobalt, Nergirvaz copper-polymetallic are known in this region.

Bauxite ore (Sadarak-Sharur districts) which is the best raw material of aluminum is found in areas where Permian deposit sites are spread in the western part of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The pyrite, chalcopyrite, antimonite, magnetite, hematite, sphalerite and other minerals are in association with Kinovar ore. Kishlak ores are found in Badamli-Ashaghi of Nakhchivan AR.

The largest deposits of Arsenic in Azerbaijan are found in the Gadabay (Bitibulag Enargit Field) and Julfa (Dardagh auripigment-real bed) areas.

This group includes rock-salt, gypsum, anhydride, bentonite clays, building materials, pyrite, barite, semi-precious and colorful stones, dolomite, Icelandic quarry and so on.

[10] Gypsum, anhydrite deposits are formed in a homogenous way in the Chalky sediments of Yukhari Aghcakand and Manash villages of Goranboy region.

Currently, the estimated commercial reserves of the sawn stone-block deposit on A + B + S1 category (Goyshtak, Garadagh, Guzdek, Stateyarlı, Dilagar, Shahbulag, Naftalan, Mardakan, Dash Salahli, Zayam and others) is 295836 thousand tons, whereas covering stone deposit (Dashkasan, Shahtakhti, Gulabli, Musakoy, Söyglu and others) is 23951 m3 thousand for the time being.

The volcanic ash-tuff is a zeolite raw material and the belonged field (Aydagh) is located in 7 km north-western of Tovuz.

Semi-precious and precious minerals (gems) were reported to be associated with the Dashcasan and Ordubad skarn ore deposits (granite, garnet, amethyst) of Lesser Caucasus, as well as volcanic rocks with Gadabay (tourmaline) and Khanlar regions (chalcedony, agate, heliotrop).

[13] Mud volcanoes play an important role in placing exploration wells of oil and gas fields without extra surveying costs.

The transboundary (flowing through two or several countries) rivers include Kur, Ganikh (Alazan), Gabrirri (Iori), Khrami, Arpachay and others.

The mountain rivers flowing from the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus (Balakanchay, Talacay, Kurmukchay, Kishchay, Turyanchay, Goychay, Girdimanchay, etc.)

As well as Shahbuz in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in 2003, Eldar Shamı in 2004, Mud Volcanoes group in Baku and Absheron Peninsula in 2007, and Korchay State Reserve in 2008.

Natural reserves are home to fish of the Caspian Sea, rivers, water reservoirs, mainly the various species of animals spread in the mountainous areas, reptiles in the plains (especially the Caucasian viper, which has a very valuable poison), many birds and so on.

The Regulation on the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan was approved by Decree #583 of the Azerbaijani President on September 18, 2001.