Oil and Gas Deposits in The Czech Republic - Deposits

Deposits

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Oil deposits of the Czech Republic are confined to the Vienna - Moravia oil and gas-bearing province. The deposits are distributed over a great number of individual oil-bearing structures and producing horizons situated at the depth going down to 2,800 m. The most productive oil-bearing rocks are represented by sandstones of the Middle and/or the Upper Badenian. The largest deposit of this area (Hrušky) whose major part has already been extracted, serves as an underground gas storage.

Another region in which oil is anticipated to occur lies in the Moravian part of the Carpathian foredeep where oil exploration still continues. The most important accumulations occur particularly in the weathered crystalline and Paleozoic rocks. Light, sulphur free, paraffin to paraffin - naphthenic oil prevail in this field. Uhřice and Kloboučky (in the Ždánice region) are the only oil deposits in this area.

Three grades of oil were extracted in 1999 with specific gravity from 856 to 930 kg/m3 at 20°C, 20-33° API and with content of sulphur 0.08-0.32% by weight.

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Natural gas deposits are in reservoirs that contain oil. The deposits are mostly located in south Moravian part of the Vienna Basin. Northern part of the basin contains rather oil deposits. Extracted natural gas contains from 87.2 to 98.8% of CH4, its caloric value is 35.6-37.7 MJ/m3 (dry natural gas at 0°C), specific gravity is 0.72-0.85 kg/m3 (at 0°C) and content H2S is under l mg/m3. The Carpathian foredeep is considered as a promising area for the occurrence of natural gas. The composition of local gas deposits varies considerably. The Dolní Dunajovice deposit is characteristic of high content of methane (98%) whereas the deposit Kostelany-west contains only 70% methane and is high in helium and argon which can be extracted on industrial scale.

In Silesia, specifically between Příbor and Český Těšín, the gas deposits are mostly confined to the weathered and tectonically affected Carboniferous paleorelief. The origin of these gas deposits being developed close to the top of the Carboniferous morphological elevations has not been deciphered yet. Ideas about the gas to have originated during coalification of the local coal seams has little support and its origin is considered to be connected with the neoid movements which led to the origin of natural hydrocarbons. This applies particularly to the gas deposits of Žukov, Bruzovice and Příbor. Part of the Příbor gas deposit is used as an underground gas storage.

Natural gas of obviously Carboniferous origin and age is extracted during so-called degasification of coal seams of the Czech part of the Upper Silesian coal basin. Its quality varies considerably depending on the method of extraction and technical limitations related to degasification.