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Jabalpur Travel Guide

Zoon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:41:35 +0000

Jabalpur is one of the most important cities in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Jabalpur is the administrative and educational center in Madhya Pradesh. Jabalpur is also important because it is the gateway to important wildlife sanctuaries around it. Interestingly, the name Jabalpur is derived from the Arabic word ‘Jabal’which means ‘mountain’ pointing to the ancient trade connection with Arab countries.

The origin of Jabalpur goes back to ancient times. It was then known as Tripuri and was governed by Hayahaya rulers. The ancient Indian epic of Mahabharata has references to his city. It became a part of the great Mauryan and the Gupta Empires. In ad 875, it was taken over by the Kalchuri dynasty who made Jabalpur their capital. In the 13th century, the Gonds seized it and made it their capital. By the early 16th century, it had become the powerful kingdom of Gondwana. From time to time, the Mughal rulers tried to overrun it. The legendary Gond Queen Rani Durgavati died fighting the Mughal forces led by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. It finally fell to the Marathas in 1789 and was taken over by the British in 1817, when they defeated the Marathas.

Places to see in Jabalpur:

• Tilwara Ghat

From where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed in the Narmada, and venue of the open session of the tripuri Congress in 1939; the 12th century Mala Devi Mandir; Pisan Hari Jain Temples, and roopnath are some of the other places in the around jabalpur which merit a visit.

• Dla and Ramnagar

Mandla is known for its fort, built in the late 1600s by Gond Kings. The fort is now subsiding into the jungle although some of the towers still stand. Places worth seeing around Mandla are Ramnagar (about 15 km), with its ruined 3-storey palace overlooking the Narmada and the temples dotting the riverbank of Narmada.

• Chausatyogini

Situated atop a hill rock and approached by a long flight of steps, the Chausat Yogini Temple commands a singularly beautiful view of the Narmada flowing through the jagged gorge of Marble Rocks (Bhedaghat). Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this 10th century temple has exquisitely carved stone figures of deities belonging to the Kalchuri period. According to a local legend, this ancient temple is connected to the Gond Queen Durgavati’s palace through an underground passage.

• Bargi Dam

It is a multipurpose project on river Narmada. It’s also a tourist spot, recently the local authorities have started a cruise boat which runs on the reservoir of Bargi dam.

• Bandhavgarh Fort

This fort is believed to be nearly 2000 years old. It lies right in the middle of the wilderness on the highest point of Bandhavgarh Hill. There are references of this fort in the ancient books, the Narad Panch-Ratna and the Shiva Puran.

• Rani Durgavati Memorial and Museum

Dedicated to the memory of the great Queen Durgavati, it is her memorial and museum, which houses a fine collection of sculptures, inscriptions and prehistoric relics. The museum has a good collection of artifacts and also has a section dedicated to artifacts and photos related to Mahatma Gandhi.

• Kanha Kisli national park

Jabalpur is nearest big city to go to Kanha Kisli national park which is one of the biggest national parks in India and has the distinction of successfully implemented Project Tiger, as tiger conservation program in India. The park is also the birth place of the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. Jabalpur also has ‘Bandhavgarh’ and ‘Pench’ national reserve forest very close by, and well connected through road.

Excursions from Jabalpur:

Bedaghat

The Small village of Jabalpur tehsil situated on the bank of river Narmada and widely famous for its marble Rocks is at a distance about 21 Km from Jabalpur by road. Soaring in glittering splendor, the Marble Rocks at Bhedaghat rise to a hundred feet on either side of the Narmada. The serene loveliness of the scene is one of cool quiet, the sunlight sparkling on the marble-white pinnacles and casting dappled shadows on the pellucid waters. Sunlight, now glancing from a pinnacle of snow-white marble reared against the deep blue of the sky as from a point of silver; touching here and there with bright lights the prominences of the middle heights; and again losing itself in the soft bluish grays of their recesses.

Dhuandhar

The famous waterfall is located just 25 km from Jabalpur. The waterfall is known as Dhuandhar (‘Dhuan’ is the Hindi word for smoke) since the water droplets at the fall go above in concentrated mass and crete illusion of vapours.

How to get Jabalpur:

By Air

Jabalpur has an airstrip called Dumna Airport capable of landing most of the aircraft but the regular flights are yet not started.

By Train

Jabalpur is well-connected with super fast trains from Mumbai, Bhopal and New Delhi.

By Road

Jabalpur has an excellent road connection with Nagpur, Bhopal and several other important cities in the country. There are two national highways namely NH-7 & HN-12 passing through Jabalpur.

Offshore Black Sea an Opportunity for the Future – Evidence of Larger Structures With Improved Understanding of the Depositional Systems

Zoon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:17:33 +0000

International Hot Spots – The Black Sea

AAPG & AAPG European Region Energy Conference and Exhibition (November 18-21, 2007) Technical Program

I have compiled these abstracts from the AAPG conference in Athens 2007, where the Black Sea had its own sessions. Especially Bulgaria, Ukraine and Georgia were covered during the session, but also some examples from offshore and onshore Turkey were covered during these sessions. The under explored Offshore Black Sea has gained more attention the latter years since more data has been collected. Especially offshore Ukraine, several generations of 2D seismic has revealed some potential offshore until now not been discovered. However since the mid 1990’s there has been some interest due to the first generation 2D seismic and some older CCCP seismic, pre 1990’s. With this compilation we want to promote more interest for the offshore Black Sea, as we see this as an area for the future as oil and gas legislations in bounding countries mature and gets more open for international oil and gas companies, as well as investors.

Upper Jurassic Reefs of the Western Caucasus-Crimea; Hydrocarbon Implications for the Eastern Black Sea

Li Guo1, Stephen J. Vincent1, Samuel P. Rice1, and Vladimir Lavrishchev2. (1) CASP, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, 181a Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DH, United Kingdom, phone: +44 1223 337068, li.guo@casp.cam.ac.uk, (2) Kavkazgeols’emka, Ul. Kislovodskaya 203, Yessentuki, Russia

Widespread Upper Jurassic reefs are important potential reservoir facies in the Eastern Black Sea Basin. Russian seismic reflection data from the northern Shatskiy Ridge indicate possible offshore reef-facies occurrences up to 1-2 km thick and 10-20 km wide. Data from excellent onshore exposures in the Russian Western Caucasus and Crimea provide a reservoir analogue for offshore targets. A model for development and distribution of the carbonate reefs is presented with reference to possible alternative tectonic settings for the Upper Jurassic north Tethyan Margin.

Outcrops of well-preserved Upper Jurassic reefs can be grouped into coral-dominated, siliceous sponge-microbial and microbial types. Patchy and massive coral-dominated reefs formed at shallow-water platform margins or in slightly restricted deeper-water mid shelf settings. Siliceous sponge-microbial and microbial reefs occur as lenses and mounds and are restricted to deeper-water mid-outer shelf environments. The development of these reefs was controlled mainly by local variations in water depth, light, and the availability of nutrients.

The reefs exhibit a complex pattern of porosity development reflecting independent diagenetic histories involving near-surface and deep-burial dissolution, dolomitization and dedolomitization. Porosity is particularly common in coral-dominated reef facies and consists of both primary and secondary types.

Coral-dominated reefs analogous to onshore outcrops in the Russian Western Caucasus are likely to occur along the northwestern margin of the Yuzhnyi-Adler carbonate platform in the Eastern Black Sea. Possible isolated deeper-water reefs imaged on the northern Shatskiy Ridge could be largely composed of siliceous sponge-microbialite and microbialite facies. Similar reef facies may be present on the Mid Black Sea High.
Lithostratigraphy of the Upper Jurassic – Cretaceous Deposits and Hydrocarbon Perspective in the Romanian Shelf of the Black Sea

Ovidiu Nicolae Dragastan, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Bucharest University, Bulevardul N Balcescu no. 1, Bucharest 010041 Romania, phone: 0040729610876, ovidiud@geo.edu.ro

In the Romanian shelf of the Black Sea (offshore), Petromar Co. drilled and has obtained cores of Middle and Upper Jurassic- Cretaceous deposits, as well as Paleogene and Neogene ones. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits belongs to two main geological units: the North Dobrogea Orogenic Belt and the Moesian Platform. In the offshore of the North Dobrogea Orogenic Belt three cycles of sedimentation have been identified: 1. A lower transgressive cycle corresponding to the compression phase of synrift 1 (Bajocian- Callovian ?), the last stage possible corresponding to a „general” unconformity or to a break up 1 between the Middle and Upper Jurassic , with black calci- and siltic turbidites (Heraclea Formation). 2. A middle transgressive compression phase composed by mudstones, claystones and siltstones ( Pontus Formation), Upper Jurassic- Neocomian in age corresponding to the synrift 2 followed by a break up 2 to the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary and intra Neocomian covered different times hiatuses. 3. An upper large postrift phase Albian to Senonian, continued during the Paleogene and Neogene. Many short and long time hiatuses are recorded that include the Cretaceous deposits. Three source rocks can be identified for hydrocarbon generation: – the black argillaceous, siltic to sandstones of the Heraclea Formation (Middle Jurassic in age), about 1000 m in thickness.; – the black argillites of the Pontus Formation (Neocomian) and – the Oligocene- Miocene bituminous shales, clays and marls known more or less as the Maikop beds.
Hydrocarbon Accumulation in the Permo-Triassic Reservoirs of the Moesian Platform

Pene Constantin1, Niculescu Bogdan1, and Mitru Daniela2. (1) Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, 6 Traian Vuia Street, Bucharest, RO – 020956, Romania, phone: +40 21 3181588, penec@gg.unibuc.ro, (2) T.E.I.-Kozani, T.E.I.-Kozani, 114, Ioanis, Kozani, Kozani, Greece

Romanian petroleum basins contain hydrocarbon fields in the Triassic reservoirs only in the north-west of the Moesian Platform and in its south was identified an “oil show”. This distribution of the oil and gas fields is a little enigmatic, because of their position regarding the Bals-Optasi Uplift. Well logs, cores, some seismic profiles and lithophacies maps define the depositional systems and the dispersal patterns of the reservoirs and seals of the Triassic formations. The Permo-Triassic deposits consist of three lithostratigraphic formations: Lower Red Detrital (LRD Fm) (Lower Triassic), Carbonatic-Evaporitic (C-E Fm) (Middle Triassic) and Upper Red Detrital (URD Fm) (Upper Triassic). The lowest part of the LRD Fm and the URD Fm consists of multiple coarsening-upward parasequences deposited in deltaic and fluviatil environments of the lowstand systems tract during a forced regression. The upper part of the LRD Fm consists of fining-upward parasequences that sugests a strong transgression. This evolution is the result of the Permo-Triassic riftogenesis. The main reservoir is a very well sorted sandstone (“Bradesti sandstone”). The seals consist of marls associated with evaporitic rocks. The reservoirs of the C-E Fm consist of limestones and dolomites, especially in the lower part of this formation and the seals are composed by evaporitic rocks. Analysis of the main Triassic reservoirs (Bradesti sandstone as well as dolomite and limestone in the C-E Fm) suggests that there are others prospective areas for hydrocarbon accumulations in the southern part of the Bals-Optasi Uplift.
Tectonic Style and Oil and Gas Accumulation in the Moldavian Platform

Pene Constantin1, Negulescu Rodica2, and Coltoi Octavian1. (1) Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, 6 Traian Vuia Street, Bucharest, RO – 020956, Romania, phone: +40 21 3181588, penec@gg.unibuc.ro, (2) Prospectiuni SA, Prospectiuni SA, Caransebes Street, 1, Bucharest, 020834, Romania

The Moldavian Platform represents the western part of the East European Platform. Seismic profiles, well logs, cores as well as geological cross sections and maps show that during Alpine orogeny, the western part of the platform was gradually underthrusted by the Eastern Carpathian Orogene. This structural evolution imprinted a monoclinal character of the deposits and they dip westward beneath the Carpathian Foredeep (Molasse) and Eastern Carpathian Flysch. The compressional tectonic regime accompanied by slowly strike-slip movements and interrupted by short moments of extension imprinted the main tectonic style of the Moldavian Platform. It is dominated by a fault network with two predominantly directions. A first system of major faults, almost parallel with the Eastern Carpathian Orogene is of NNW-SSE orientation (Paltinoasa Fault, West Paltinoasa Fault, and Siret Fault). The second system consists of small cross faults (E-W oriented) and it generated more tectonic block alignments that follow the longitudinal fault trace. The older deposits than the Upper Sarmatian ones plunge step by step beneath Eastern Carpathians along major faults. The tectonic blocks on every step folded and generated gently anticlines and faulted monoclines. The intense compressional regime and the high subsidence rate of the Sarmatian deposits favored the formation of the lithostratigrafic traps. The gas and gas-condensate are reservoired in Albian, Badenian and Sarmatian sandstones and marls and anhydrites seal them. The study of the tectonic evolution of the Moldavian Platform suggests new prospective areas for the gas and gas-condensate in the pre-Badenian deposits.
Paleocene carbonate platform facies distribution (northern part of the Black Sea basin, Ukrainian offshore)

Sergii Vakarchuk, Department of Complex Geology- Industrial Researches, Scientific Research Institute of Oil and Gas Industry (Naukanaftogaz), Uritskogo Str., 45, Kyiv, 03035, Ukraine, phone: +380445850219, fax: +380442487101, vakarchuk@naukanaftogaz.kiev.ua, Piter Chepil, Scientific Research Institute of Oil and Gas Industry (Naukanaftogaz), Uritskogo Str., 45, Kyiv, 03035, and Tetyana Dovzhok, Department of oil and gas geology problems, Scientific Research Institute of Oil and Gas Industry (Naukanaftogaz), Uritskogo Str., 45, Kyiv, 03035, Ukraine.

This study is aimed to detailed facies subdivision and mapping of the Paleocene carbonates that is stipulated by several oil and gas discoveries recently made in this sequence. An analysis is based on an integrated interpretation of core sets and well logs for more than 40 deep wells drilled in the different tectonic zones of the basin and regional and local seismic data. Carbonates of Paleocene occur at depth of 500-6000 m and extend over the most of structural-tectonic zones of the Black Sea basin. The thickness of these sediments changes from 50-100 m to 600-900m. The study has revealed several facies zones in the carbonate sediments of Paleocene: littoral (alternation of skeletal wackestones and packstone, lime mudstones, marls, calcareous sandstones and siltstones), intra-shelf (skeletal wackestones and packstone 60-70%, marls 10-20%, pelitomorphic limestone 5-15 %, baundstones 3-5%, sales 10%), outer-shelf, (skeletal wackestones and packstone 30-40%, marls 20-30%, pelitomorphic limestones 10 %, sales 20%), gentle slope (marls 20-30%, wackestones and packstone 10-15 %, pelitomorphic limestones 20 % sales 30-50%) and basin (sales and marls with intercalation of pelitomorphic limestones). Four gas and gas-condensate fields are discovered within the Paleocene carbonate to date. All from them are located in the intra-shelf zone. The reservoirs are represented with skeletal wackestones. The reservoirs are porous and porous-fissured types. Open porosity – from 10 to 32%, permeability – 0,0005-0,045 mcm2.
South Akcakoca Gas: A Black Sea Discovery 30 Years in the Making

Michael J. Fitzgerald, III1, Ed Ramirez1, William Moulton2, and Al Garcia3. (1) Toreador Resources Corp, 4809 Cole Ave, Suite 108, Dallas, TX 75205, phone: 214-559-3933, fax: 214-559-3945, mfitzgerald@toreador.net, (2) Independent Consultant, (3) Integral Technology Group

Six Eurasian countries surround the Black Sea. Of those six countries, the Republic of Turkey has the longest coastline, 1595 km. of any bounding country. Prior to 2004 there had been only six well drilled in the Turkish Black Sea, four in the far western Black Sea area and two in the west central area offshore from a small vacation town, Akcakoca.

The Akcakoca #1 and #2 wells had been drilled in the mid-1970’s designed to test Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments seen onshore in outcrops and the subsurface. Early seismic had indicated the presence of sizable structures formed by compressional tectonics bounded by trust faults. The Akcakoca #1 well encountered gas shows in Eocene clastics from 1000m to 1400m and tested 3.25mmcfpd during an open-hole DST. The Akcakoca #2 well encountered gas shows but no tests were run.

In 2000 Madison Oil Turkey, later merged with Toreador Resources, acquired a 962,000 acre permit that contained the Akcakoca wells. Utilizing existing seismic and the original wells Toreador explorationists determined that potential existed for a significant accumulation. A conventional 2-D seismic survey and follow-up high resolution 2-D surveys enabled geophysics to map velocity anomalies that could be tied to the 1970’s wells.

In 2004 the Ayazli #1 wildcat was drilled on a thrusted anticline 3 km south of the original Akcakoca #1 well. This well tested approximately 12.0mmcfgpd from four Eocene age sands. Drilling over the next two and a half years saw the exploration group drill 12 successful well out of 14 and initiate the first gas production in the Turkish Black Sea.

This paper will review the geology and geophysics that went into this effort.
Debunking the Myths of Crimean Geology

Igor V. Popadyuk, Naukanaftogaz, Kyiv 03035 Ukraine, phone: 38 044 5852764, fax: 38 044 2487101, popadyuk@naukanaftogaz.kiev.ua

The Crimea Mountains located in the southernmost part of Crimea Peninsula in southern Ukraine hold keys to the Black Sea understanding as the coastline of Crimean Peninsula spans both Western and Eastern Black Sea.

At least two myths of the regional stratigraphy might be debunked. Myth 1: Tauric Group is not Triassic-Early Jurassic in age. Based on published palaeontological data (Ammonites) it is likely the Tauric Group to be younger, the most probably Aptian- Early-Mid Albian in age. It means that the compressive event affected basins in the Crimea region at the end of Albian, not Middle Jurassic. Myth 2: The flysch and conglomerate successions widely developed on eastern Crimea and commonly referred to the Upper Jurassic are Tertiary in age as it might be concluded based on published palaeontological (foraminifera) data. It means the volume of clastics shed from the Crimea Mountains during the Tertiary uplift seems to have been significant.

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous successions are incorporated in two major thrust sheets, named structurally descending as Yayla thrust and Tauric thrust. Yayla thrust is composed mostly of shallow marine carbonates of Late Jurassic-Neocomian age. Tauric thrust consists of Tauric flysch succession and equivalent siliciclastic deposits of Aptian – Early-Mid Albian age. Both of these thrust sheets were transported northward probably during the Late Albian pulse and sealed by post-tectonic cover of Cenomanian to Late Eocene sediments. The Crimea region was tectonically uplifted and eroded after Late Eocene.
The Tertiary Kamtchia Fluvio-Estuary-Fan System of Eastern Bulgaria

Rudolf Dellmour, OMV Exploration & Production GmbH, Vienna, Austria, Rudolf.Dellmour@omv.com and Gian Gabriele Ori, IRSPS, c/o Univ d’Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, Pescara, 65127, Italy.

OMV Bulgaria is holding the “Varna Deep Sea” Exploration license in the near offshore from the city of Varna in Eastern Bulgaria. The block covers a large Tertiary fan system sourced from the Balkanide and Carpathian mountains.

The tectonically active Hinterland provided during Eocene to Miocene a vast amount of siliciclastics from eroded crystalline and metamorphic rocks. These sediments were deposited into alluvial plains and alluvial fan aprons during relative high-stands and periods of tectonic quiescence. Relative low-stands produced massive erosion of this detritus which has been funneled through a pronounced Paleo-valley system into the deep sea. This paleovalley system spans over large parts of the Paleogene and Neogene. Two major sequence boundaries have been identified along with several minor unconformities. Today the “Paleo Kamtchia Incised Valley” forms an impressive geomorphologic feature in the landscape south of Varna.

Recent geological fieldwork over the last 3 years revealed the sedimentary history from the Eocene to the Pliocene. Field evidence for this clastic system includes fluvial, tidal and estuary sedimentary environments. This long living system of the Paleo Kamtchia came to an end when the Danube River finally broke through the Carpathians during early Quaternary. After this event the Danube captured the drainage area of the Paleo Kamtchia reducing the Kamtchia River system to a creek of minor importance.

3D seismic data acquired in 2006 reveals a pronounced and complex deepwater fan system connected to this “Paleo Kamtchia Incised Valley”. This fan system opens up a new play in the Bulgarian Black Sea similar to that which has been successfully chased by Explorationist’s worldwide over the past 20 years.

The Moesian Platform: a Critical Piece in the Tectonic Puzzle of the Black Sea Region

Gabor Tari, AllyGabor Geoscience, 6719 Avenue B, Bellaire, TX 770401, phone: 832-724-1404, gabor@allygabor.com

Based on recent results on the structure of the Moesian Platform and the Bohemian Massif segments of the European continental margin, a new model of the evolution of these passive margins is outlined. The Moesian Platform is interpreted as the upper plate, conjugate margin of the Bohemian segment of the European margin, rifted and drifted away during the Middle and Late Jurassic. Moesia, as a new microplate, was separated from the European margin at about the end of the Bathonian and started to drift towards the SE. There are no constraints on the rate of the drifting but by the Aptian Moesia should have reached its present-day position, at least 600 km to the SE from its original position. The direction of drifting can be deduced from the geometry of the major faults to the NE from the present-day Moesian Platform, in the broader Tornquist-Tesseyre fault zone, for example the Peceneaga-Camena fault bounding the Dobrogea orogenic belt. To the SW, the northeastern edge of the Bohemian Spur projecting below the Pannonian Basin is mappable by reflection seismic data providing an additional geometric constraint for the separation of Moesia from Europe. The correct reconstruction of the pre-Jurassic position of the Moesian Platform has important implications for the paleogeography of the Black Sea prior to its opening. For example, the Triassic rift system of Dobrogea in Romania can be directly correlated with the Strandzha rift sequence in southernmost Bulgaria offering a much simpler paleogeographic scenario than previously thought.
The Geological History of the Istria ‘Depression’, Offshore Romania: Tectonic Controls on Second Order Sequence Architecture

David Boote, Consultant, 12 Elsynge Road, London SW18 United Kingdom, phone: 0208 871 0069, davidboote@elsyngeroad.fsnet.co.uk

The Istria ‘Depression’ or trough of offshore Romania, lies at the intersection of the trans-European, Tornquist-Teisseyre ‘Zone’ and the Black Sea back arc basin, just outboard of the East Carpathian orogenic welt. It experienced an extraordinary polyphase history of subsidence, sedimentation and dramatic sediment evacuation during the late Mesozoic and Tertiary, reflecting the interplay between these three tectonic domains. It first developed as a trans-tensional rift in the Triassic- Jurassic to be compressed and deformed during the (?)end-Jurassic Cimmerian orogeny. Residual topography was filled by a west-facing continental clastic-evaporite sequence during the Neocomian. This was terminated by uplift and doming associated with Apto-Albian rifting and back-arc spreading in the western Black Sea. Post break-up subsidence and tilting of the Black Sea rift margin, led to easterly evacuation of its early Cretaceous sedimentary fill by gravity-driven mass wastage. The margin was subsequently transgressed from the east with deposition first confined within the open Istria trough and later expanding out onto the bounding highs. By the end of the Cretaceous, it had been entirely buried, only to be partially evacuated once more in the early Palaeocene and again quite spectacularly during the (?)late Eocene. The deeply incised canyon formed at that time, was rapidly filled by Oligocene-Miocene sediments, but late Miocene (Messinian?) draw-down of the Black Sea basin was reflected by yet a third period of erosional incision. Continental margin outbuilding followed during the Plio-Pleistocene with deposition of several rapidly prograding wedges. This was interrupted by a major gravity slide event and several phases of shelf-margin canyon incision and late phase of shelf margin listric faulting, reflecting the final docking of the Carpathian orogen.
Oil and Gas Prospects of the Ukrainian Part of the Western Black Sea

Oxana Khriachtchevskaia, Naukanaftogaz, Uritskogo Str., 45, Kyiv, 03035, Ukraine, phone: +38(044)5852762, hryaschevska@naukanaftogaz.kiev.ua and Sergiy Stovba, Naukanaftogaz, Uritskoga Str., 45, Kiev, 03035, Ukraine.

Hydrocarbon Bearing Area in the Eastern Part of the Ukrainian Black Sea

Sergiy Stovba, “Naukanaftogaz” – Scientific Research Institute of Oil and Gas Industry of National Joint-Stock Company “Naftogaz of Ukraine”, Kyiv, Ukraine, phone: +38 044 5852765, stovba@naukanaftogaz.kiev.ua and Oxana Khriachtchevskaia, Naukanaftogaz, Uritskogo Str., 45, Kyiv, 03035, Ukraine.

A regional investigation of the eastern part of the Ukrainian Black Sea has been carried using a vast set of regional seismic reflection profiles, including the new set of regional seismic profiles by Naftogaz of Ukraine. To the south of the Crimea peninsula 20 large structures with closures of 50-200 sq. km have been mapped within Oligocene-Miocene-Pliocene sediments. Huge structures (>350 sq. km) in Tertiary and older sediments exist further to the east within Sorokin Trough and Andrusov Ridge. In the easternmost part of the Ukrainian Black Sea a number of high-amplitude anticlines has been mapped in shallow water depth and a huge Mesozoic structure of 400 sq. km in deep water depth (150-700 m). Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene sediments are considered as source rocks with good generative potential for hydrocarbons. There are strong direct hydrocarbon indicators on seismic data. According to expert appraisal, each major lead formed within Upper Mesozoic-Cenozoic section in water depths of 100 m to 2000 m has an area of several hundred sq. km, with vertical closure of hundreds of meters, and has the potential to contain hundred million barrels of recoverable hydrocarbons. The drilling of Subbotina well up to 4300 m has confirmed the high oil and gas potential of Kerch shelf. Plenty of oil and gas reservoirs were determined along the section of the well. Some of them were tested in the lower part of Oligocene sequence with successful result and commercial oil inflow.
The Tectonic Ecology of the Black Sea

Celal Sengor, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey, phone: 90 212 285 6209, sengor@itu.edu.tr and Boris NatalIn.

The Black Sea formed within a complicated area. It had two orogenic collages plastered against each other and fragments of one Gondwana-Land bound continental margin orogen: the Scythides, and the two parts of the Cimmerides. It began opening as a consequence of Alpide subduction of Neo-Tethyan ocean floor in the Aptian-Albian interval and at least in its eastern part, clearly split a continental margin arc. Eastwards it clearly did not connect with the earlier Flysch trough of the Greater Caucasus and neither did it have any relation to the ongoing Cimmeride shortening as late as the Nish-Trojan trough formation. It disrupted a pre-existing fabric, but it is remarkable that the Andrusov Ridge exactly parallels the old Scythide/Cimmeride fabric of en-echelon arc segments.

It evolved as a marginal basin of Japan-Sea type and even in its history of rear-arc shortening it greatly resembles the present structure of the Japan Sea. After the Miocene Arabia/Eurasia final collision, Black Sea began shortening as far east as Zonguuldak. West of there it was extending north-south in unison with Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece.

It is remarkable how ‘continental’ its behaviour is. We compare this with that of the Tarim Basin and suggest that the Tarim is perhaps a palaeo-Black Sea.
Geological History and Hydrocarbon Potential of the Eastern Black Sea Region

Anatoly M. Nikishin, Geological Faculty, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia, phone: (495) 939 49 31, fax: (495) 939 38 65, nikishin@geol.msu.ru and Aleksandr P. Afanasenkov, YUKOS oil companie, Moscow, Russia.

The Eastern Black Sea Basin originated as a back-arc basin during the Cretaceous times. Both the Western and Eastern Black Sea basins have been opened nearly simultaneously during Cenomanian to Coniacian times. Shatsky Ridge was a carbonate platform and zone of pinnacle-type reefs during the Late Jurassic. It was a platformal area since the Cretaceous. The Tuapse, Guria and Sorokin basins originated at the Eocene-Oligocene transition as a flexural foredeep basins. Shatsky Ridge was affected by flexural tectonics also at those times. Shatsky Ridge has a Miocene river system. Since Pliocene only Shatsky ridge was subsided up to 2 km simultaneously with main folding event in the Tuaspe Basin. Hydrocarbon potential of the Shatsky Ridge, Tuapse Basin and Sorokin Basin is connected with: (1) Late Jurassic carbonate platform and system of large pinnacle-type reefs: (2) Possible Paleocene bioclastic limestones; (3) possible Eocene nummulite limestones; (4) possible Oligocene turbitites with sandstone bodies; (5) Miocene river system; (6) Miocene and Pliocene horizons of sandstones.

The Impact of Recent Data on the Interpretation of the Geologic Evolution and Petroleum System of the Eastern Black Sea Basin, Offshore Georgia

Ryan J. Wilson, Neil Mountford, Paul Maguire, and Richard Hedley. Anadarko Algeria Corporation, 1 Harefield Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1YH, United Kingdom, phone: +44 (0)1895 209400, ryan.wilson@anadarko.com

The genesis and sediment-fill history of the Eastern Black Sea Basin, offshore Georgia has been largely understudied with little new data being acquired since the Soviet Era. However, recent data acquired demonstrate the existence of a Tertiary petroleum system.

The Oligo-Miocene Maykop Formation is a widespread source rock that extends from Romania to Turkmenistan. It has been identified as the source of the hydrocarbons in the giant fields of the South Caspian and the accumulations in both the western and eastern onshore basins in Georgia. In addition, oils collected and analyzed from active seeps offshore Georgia, directly above mapped structural culminations, confirms the presence of a generative Maykop in the Eastern Black Sea Basin.

Offshore Georgia can be subdivided into three tectonic provinces, one of which is characterised by high-amplitude anticlines that strike in a southwest-northeast direction as a result of shortening from the Middle Miocene to present day. These fold and thrust anticlines range from classic box folds to overturned folds, with a common decollment within the Maykop.

The primary reservoir sands are believed to be of Middle Miocene age, and based on 3D seismic data, the sandstones were deposited in deepwater channel-levee systems that originated from the north. Late Miocene to present day depositional systems have a south-easterly provenance of volcanic/lithic origins.

In 2005, the first deepwater well in the Eastern Black Sea Basin was drilled offshore Turkey but did not penetrate the northerly-sourced reservoir system. Consequently, the offshore Georgia petroleum system, with billion barrel opportunities, remains untested.

Mud Volcanoes and Fluid Migration in the Sorokin Trough

Sebastian Krastel1, Michelle Wagner-Friedrichs1, Volkhard Spiess1, Leonid Meisner2, Gerhard Borhmann3, and Michael Ivanov4. (1) Marine Technology – Environmental Research, Bremen University, Klagenfurter Strasse, Bremen, D-24359, Germany, phone: +49-421-2184598, skrastel@uni-bremen.de, (2) Marine Geology and Hydrocarbon potential department, Okeangeofizika Research Institute, Krymskaja Str. 18, Gelendzhik, 353470, Russia, (3) Marine Geology, Bremen University, Klagenfurter Strasse, Bremen, 28359, Germany, (4) Moscow State University

The Sorokin Trough forms structural depression along the south-eastern margin of the Crimean Peninsula. Compressive deformation affects the growth of diapiric ridges and facilitates fluid flow to the seafloor and the evolution of mud volcanoes above the diapirs. The main objective of a high-resolution multi-channel seismic survey carried out by Bremen University (Germany) was to study the evolution and formation of mud volcanoes correlated to gas/fluid migration and gas hydrates occurrences. We grouped mud volcanoes in the Sorokin Trough in three areas. The different geological setting influences the evolution of the individual mud volcanoes and hence their morphology. Collapsed depressions dominate in Area 1 in the western survey area. A 2.5D seismic data set was collected across the Sevastopol Mud Volcano representing a typical collapsed depression located above a complex diapiric structure with two ridges. Bright Spots in direct vicinity of the conduit of the mud volcano probably mark the base of the gas hydrate stability zone. We postulate that overpressured fluids initiated an explosive eruption generating the collapsed depression of the Sevastopol mud volcano and subsequent mud extrusions formed cones within the depression. The homogeneous fan deposits of the Palaeo Don-Kuban Fan in the central and eastern Sorokin Trough are characterized by increased permeability resulting in quiet effusive mud extrusions in Areas 2 and 3. Mud volcanoes in the central Area 2 reach enormous dimensions with diameters up to 2000 m and heights of about 100 m where faults with large offsets allow high mud flow rates.
Geology and Petroleum Potential of the Shatsky Ridge (Black Sea)

Alexey L. Meisner, DCS, Schlumberger logelco inc, 9 Taganskaya str., Moscow, Russia, Moscow, Russia, phone: +7 916 868 61 84, ameisner@moscow.oilfield.slb.com and Leonid B. Meisner, Geological, Yuzhmorgeologiya, Krymskaya Str. 18, Gelendzhik, Russia, Gelendzhik, Russia.

The Shatsky Ridge is an anticline structure that is comprised of the Upper Mesozoic-Paleogene rocks. Anticlinels have dimensions up to 66 x 18 km. It lies mainly at water depth about 2 km and extends from the Georgia coast to the Mountain Crimea (Ukraine). The goal of this work was to research perspective of Shatsky Ridge. Seismic and magnetic data have contributed to the recognition of main geological features. There are no wells drilled within the ridge, and the analog data from the Western Georgia and Crimea were used for lithology and reservoir prediction.

The lowest sequence consists of the Low Jurassic thick black shales, deposited on the top of Paleozoic basement. Magnetic anomalies caused most likely by the Middle Jurassic gabbro intrusions. Upper Jurassic-Eocene section consists of mainly carbonate rocks. This section contains the reservoir quality rocks. Limestone porosity varies between 5 – 20 %, range of permeability is 10 – 40 md. Presence of Upper Jurassic reefs, Eocene nummulitic limestone points to a shallow marine sedimentation. These reservoirs are overlain by marine thick shale seals of the Oligocene-Quaternary ages.

A potential of source rocks belongs probably to the Jurassic and the Low Cretaceous rocks. It is also possible that hydrocarbons could migrate into Mesozoic reservoirs from sources rock of the Eocene and the Maikop succession of the adjacent troughs.

Mud volcanoes and seismic anomalies “bright spot” indicate hydrocarbon accumulations in the sedimentary cover of the Shatsky Ridge.

Reservoir prediction, sizes of anticlines and hydrocarbon seeps make conclude that the Shatsky Ridge may contains undrilled prospects and form a basis for its future exploration.

Effects of Tectonics on Deposition in the Balkans of Eastern Bulgaria

Michal Nemcok, Energy and Geoscience Institute, University of Utah, 423 Wakara Way, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, phone: 801-585-9829, fax: 801-585-3540, mnemcok@egi.utah.edu, Charles J. Stuart, EGI at University of Utah, 423 Wakara Way, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, Dian Vangelov, Department of Geology at Sofia University, bul. Tzaz. Osvoboditel 15, Sofia, 1000, Bulgaria, Eric R. Higgins, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, 6100 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73118, Chelsea Welker, EGI at University of Utah, 423 Wakara Way; Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, and David Meaux, AOA Geophysics Inc, 11200 Westheimer, Suite 850, Houston, TX 77042.

The E Balkans geometry during Paleocene-Recent was characterized by a southeastward plunge toward the Western Black Sea, caused by: 1) a combination of eastward-thinning continental crust in the west, and oceanic crust in the east; 2) post-rift thermal subsidence of the continental crust; 3) buttressing against the Moesian Platform in the west and no buttressing in the east; and 4) northeastward advance of the thrustbelt.

The eastward-fading uplift and buttressing are evidenced by: 1) eastward decreasing amount of shortening along constructed profiles, yielding 30km, 10.5km, 11km and 4km from west to east; 2) eastward trend of more complete stratigraphic sections and shallower erosional levels; and 3) eastward increase in décollement depths, being 3.7km, 3.8km, 9.5-13.5km and 12.3-14.1km. The last thrusting age is progressively older toward the east from Middle Eocene through Late Eocene to Late Eocene/Oligocene. Onshore thrustbelt, which was significantly affected by buttressing against the Moesian Platform, exhibits thrusting followed by Late Eocene gravitational collapse, Oligocene quiescence and Neogene extension. The offshore thrustbelt exhibits thrusting followed by Oligocene-Neogene extension. A Paleocene-Middle Eocene piggyback basin formed in the onshore portion of the thrustbelt, centered in the East Balkan Zone, with a southeastward plunging axis, which migrated northeastward with basin shortening and filling.
Sedimentology And Timing Of Hydrocarbon-seepage (Lower Eocene, Varna, Bulgaria)

Eva De Boever, Geologie, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium, phone: +32 16 32 77 98, eva.deboever@geo.kuleuven.be, Rudy Swennen, Geologie, K.U.Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium, and Lyubomir Dimitrov, Institute of Oceanology, P.O. Box 152, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria.

In the Pobiti Kamani area (Varna, NE Bulgaria), Lower Eocene sandy sediments contain several clusters of up to 8m high calcite-cemented chimney structures. ?13C values as low as -43‰ V-PDB indicate a hydrocarbon-seepage related origin. The depositional sequence of the shallow marine platform sediments is characterized by several cemented stratal surfaces which are cross cut by chimney structures. In this contribution, the origin of the cemented surfaces is addressed based on sedimentological, petrographical and stable isotope geochemical data and the implications with respect to the timing of hydrocarbon seepage are evaluated. Grain size measurements in two continuous vertical sections allow to distinguish two depositional sequences. Transgressive (TS) and maximum flooding (MFS) surfaces are characterized by extensive calcite cementation, thus indicating a sequence stratigraphical control on cementation. Different cement-types have been recognized. The bulk stable isotope signature of these cements indicates precipitation from Lower Eocene marine pore fluids, affected by later meteoric resetting. ?13C depletions of the dominant pore cementing “mosaic” cement as low as -20.6‰ V-PDB however supports also a pre-compactional influence of hydrocarbon-seepage which decreases within m-distance from chimney clusters. The MFS near the top of the Dikilitash Formation is partly cemented by transparent poikilotopic calcite in keystone-type vugs and in interparticular porosity. Its very early diagenetic origin and ?13C depletion (-16‰ V-PDB) suggest that hydrocarbon-bearing fluids percolated through the sandy sediments near the seafloor at the end of ??the Upper Ypresian. Other coarse-grained,13C depleted (-26‰ V-PDB) concretionary horizons likely resulted from post-sedimentary lateral migration of seepage fluids.

Offshore Black Sea – a New World Class Frontier Just Opened for Business

Zoon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:16:17 +0000

AAPG & AAPG European Region Energy Conference and Exhibition (November 18-21, 2007) Technical Program contained a session called; International Hot Spots – The Black Sea

I have compiled abstracts from these sessions from the AAPG conference in Athens 2007. Especially regions like Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia were covered during the sessions. Some examples from offshore and onshore Turkey were also covered during these sessions. The under explored Offshore Black Sea has gained more attention the latter years since more data has been collected. Especially offshore Ukraine, several generations of 2D seismic has revealed some potential offshore until now not been discovered. However since the mid 1990’s there has been some interest due to the first generation 2D seismic and some older CCCP seismic, pre 1990’s. With this compilation we want to promote more interest for the offshore Black Sea, as we see this as an area for the future as oil and gas legislations in bounding countries mature and gets more open for international oil and gas companies, as well as investors.

Since the conference was held, there has been some major news regarding Ukraine offshore area.

The PRYKERCHENSKA Block in the offshore Black Sea area was awarded to Vanco international Limited. This award marks a new trend offshore Ukraine. First time a Production Sharing Agreement has been developed with an international oil and gas company within Ukraine.

The PSA for the 12960 km2 or 3.2 million acres of offshore acreage Ukraine’s first Production Sharing Agreement was won by Vanco in April 2006; Final PSA negotiations have been concluded in 1st quarter of 2008. This PSA makes it possible for Vanco to perform a new 3D seismic survey and plan for one deep water exploration well within the first three years of the PSA.

Vanco has mapped out several play models within the Miocene to Oligocene stratigraphy. Play models ranging from compressional anticlines situated in the front of the imbricated fold belt as well as truncated traps within the same regime. Trap types like Slope fan deposits with semi-structural trap mechanisms, plane compactional anticlines and stratigraphic traps are also mapped out in the Sorokin foredeep section. Vanco has also identified large potential play models within the Eocene to Paleocene reefs, where they have mapped out several anticlinal structures. In addition they have identified Upper Jurassic reef structures which could hold potential larger volumes of hydrocarbons.

Vanco recognizes a large unexplored deep water area with several play concepts. The Prykerchenska Block may yield up to 6.4 billion barrels of oil – which makes it a ‘World

Class’ project. Numerous prospects exhibit direct hydrocarbon indicators and oil has been

found on trend near the block. ? Vanco will conduct a work program designed to mature drilling locations in the Sudak Fold Belt and on the Tetyaev Prospect. The 3D Seismic acquisition to commence in 2Q 2008 and to be performed in two areas over the Tetyaev Prospect and to be around 1238 km2. The other 3D area proposed is over the Sudak B prospect and to be around 1800 km2. Tetyaev proect is believed to most likely have around 2091 mmbo and the Sudak B area prospects to be most likely 1370 mmbo of hydrocarbons.

The Tetyaev prospect has an areal extent of around 225 km2 and believed to have an vertical closure of 700 meters. The waterdepth at prospect location is around 2185 meters and the prospect is at 4800 meters.

At the Andrusov high another prospect is identified with an areal extent of around 110 km2 and with a vertical closure of 700 meters. The resource is mostl likely to be 385 mmbo at a water depth of 2225 meters and the target depth is 5400 meters.

Upper Jurassic Reefs of the Western Caucasus-Crimea; Hydrocarbon Implications for the Eastern Black Sea

Lithostratigraphy of the Upper Jurassic – Cretaceous Deposits and Hydrocarbon Perspective in the Romanian Shelf of the Black Sea

Ovidiu Nicolae Dragastan, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Bucharest University, Bulevardul N Balcescu no. 1, Bucharest 010041 Romania, phone: 0040729610876, ovidiud@geo.edu.ro

Hydrocarbon Accumulation in the Permo-Triassic Reservoirs of the Moesian Platform

Tectonic Style and Oil and Gas Accumulation in the Moldavian Platform

Paleocene carbonate platform facies distribution (northern part of the Black Sea basin, Ukrainian offshore)

South Akcakoca Gas: A Black Sea Discovery 30 Years in the Making

This paper will review the geology and geophysics that went into this effort.

Debunking the Myths of Crimean Geology

Igor V. Popadyuk, Naukanaftogaz, Kyiv 03035 Ukraine, phone: 38 044 5852764, fax: 38 044 2487101, popadyuk@naukanaftogaz.kiev.ua

The Tertiary Kamtchia Fluvio-Estuary-Fan System of Eastern Bulgaria

Rudolf Dellmour, OMV Exploration & Production GmbH, Vienna, Austria, Rudolf.Dellmour@omv.com and Gian Gabriele Ori, IRSPS, c/o Univ d’Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, Pescara, 65127, Italy.

The Moesian Platform: a Critical Piece in the Tectonic Puzzle of the Black Sea Region

Gabor Tari, AllyGabor Geoscience, 6719 Avenue B, Bellaire, TX 770401, phone: 832-724-1404, gabor@allygabor.com

The Geological History of the Istria ‘Depression’, Offshore Romania: Tectonic Controls on Second Order Sequence Architecture

David Boote, Consultant, 12 Elsynge Road, London SW18 United Kingdom, phone: 0208 871 0069, davidboote@elsyngeroad.fsnet.co.uk

Oil and Gas Prospects of the Ukrainian Part of the Western Black Sea

Eight gas-condensate commercial fields have been discovered within the Odessa shelf (western part of the Ukrainian Black Sea) during last three decades. The success factor of drilling is 0.5. The productive horizons are located in Upper Cretaceous, Palaeocene, Eocene, Oligocene and Lower Miocene sequences. Present-day exploration activity is focused on inverted structural highs within shallow water area (350 sq. km) in Tertiary and older sediments exist further to the east within Sorokin Trough and Andrusov Ridge. In the easternmost part of the Ukrainian Black Sea a number of high-amplitude anticlines has been mapped in shallow water depth and a huge Mesozoic structure of 400 sq. km in deep water depth (150-700 m). Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene sediments are considered as source rocks with good generative potential for hydrocarbons. There are strong direct hydrocarbon indicators on seismic data. According to expert appraisal, each major lead formed within Upper Mesozoic-Cenozoic section in water depths of 100 m to 2000 m has an area of several hundred sq. km, with vertical closure of hundreds of meters, and has the potential to contain hundred million barrels of recoverable hydrocarbons. The drilling of Subbotina well up to 4300 m has confirmed the high oil and gas potential of Kerch shelf. Plenty of oil and gas reservoirs were determined along the section of the well. Some of them were tested in the lower part of Oligocene sequence with successful result and commercial oil inflow.

The Tectonic Ecology of the Black Sea

Celal Sengor, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey, phone: 90 212 285 6209, sengor@itu.edu.tr and Boris NatalIn.

It is remarkable how ‘continental’ its behaviour is. We compare this with that of the Tarim Basin and suggest that the Tarim is perhaps a palaeo-Black Sea.

Geological History and Hydrocarbon Potential of the Eastern Black Sea Region

The Impact of Recent Data on the Interpretation of the Geologic Evolution and Petroleum System of the Eastern Black Sea Basin, Offshore Georgia

Mud Volcanoes and Fluid Migration in the Sorokin Trough

Geology and Petroleum Potential of the Shatsky Ridge (Black Sea)

Mud volcanoes and seismic anomalies “bright spot” indicate hydrocarbon accumulations in the sedimentary cover of the Shatsky Ridge.

Reservoir prediction, sizes of anticlines and hydrocarbon seeps make conclude that the Shatsky Ridge may contains undrilled prospects and form a basis for its future exploration.

Effects of Tectonics on Deposition in the Balkans of Eastern Bulgaria

Sedimentology And Timing Of Hydrocarbon-seepage (Lower Eocene, Varna, Bulgaria)

Namibia – Four Deserts Within One Country

Zoon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:13:44 +0000

When looking up Namibia in your travel guidebook you will read about the vast open plains of the Etosha National Park, the small coastal resort of Swakopmund with its old colonial buildings or the red sand dunes surrounding Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. But rarely do you come across an article that explains in detail the different desert environments that make up the south of our beautiful country called Namibia.

Coinciding with the “International Year of Deserts and Desertification” Gondwana Desert Collection in partnership with Open Africa and other stakeholders have launched a wide-ranging tourism route through the 4 deserts of Namibia. This aptly named “Four Deserts Route, Namibia” covers the whole of southern Namibia from the Tropic of Capricorn down to the Orange River.

In the east is the Kalahari Desert with its red sand dunes that are partially covered in grasses, shrubs and old camelthorn trees. Even though surface water is a rarity the Kalahari is home to fast numbers of antelope, predators and a surprising number of birds. The Kalahari Anib Lodge, Bagatelle Game Ranch and the Intu Africa Game Reserve to name but a few, are located within the perimeter of he Kalahari and are an ideal first night stop-over en route.

The Nama Karoo is characterized by dwarf shrub and scattered grassland and has as its distinctive feature the well know quiver tree. The deep gorges of the Fish River Canyon fall within this desert environment as well as the canyons of the Zebra River. Animals such as the indigenous Mountain Zebra can be found here. All four Canon Properties; Canon Lodge, Canon Village, Canon Roadhouse and Canon Mountain Camp as well as Zebra River Lodge are ideal overnight stops en route through the second desert to visit.

Situated around the historic town of Aus and extending south into Namaqualand of South Africa the Succulent Karoo is the third desert on our route to be visited. This environment is unique in that it receives winter rains and as such has specially adapted plants to survive the dry summer months. This desert is known as one of the most plant diverse in the world and has been listed as one of the world’s 25 global biodiversity ‘hotspots’. After the rains this seemingly dry and arid landscape turns into a spectacle of color as the many different plants flower. Animal life is reduced to small antelope and rodents, but fascinating enough are the wild desert horses resident just west of Aus. Klein Aus Vista just west of Aus offers beautiful accommodation in bungalows at Desert Horse Inn and rock chalets at Eagle’s Nest. The newly renovated Bahnhof Hotel in Aus also provides a comfortable bed for the weary traveler.

The fourth and last desert on our Route is the most well known of them all – the Namib Desert. This desert comprises of just a narrow strip along the cold Atlantic Ocean with red dunes (the highest in the word) in the south, gravel plains and inselbergs in the central parts and blue mountains with deep valleys in the north. The Namib reaches as far north as southern Angola and is home to the pre-historic Welwitschia plant. Fog coming in from the Atlantic supplies the life-giving moisture to plants and animals. The Namib offers a whole array of lodges and guest farms for travelers to Sossusvlei and the Namib Naukluft Park. Desert Homestead, Tsauchab River Lodge and Bullsport Guest Farm are but a few establishments where guests can stay for their last overnight on the ‘Four Deserts Route’.

Bharatbook is Glad to Distribute Mining Report India

Zoon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:10:17 +0000

India has been among the world’s leading mining nations, and is endowed with vast mineral wealth. As a part of the Gondwana geological

landmass, India has a strong natural potential for coal, iron ore and bauxite. Accounting for about 6% of the global endowments, current estimates

mark India’s iron ore reserves at 23bn tonnes. The grade and quality of coal available in India may not be top notch, but the nation ranks fourth

worldwide, with reserves estimated at around 253.3bn tonnes.

However, much of India’s mining potential has not been attained due to outmoded legislation and government apathy in the past. Stringent

regulations, both to control as well as protect the industry, have cumulatively countervailed most of the growth potential so far. For instance, with

the objective of supplying coal at reasonable rates to strategic industries such as cement, power and steel, the government implemented the Coal

Mines Nationalisation Act in 1973. Apart from creating serious inefficiencies, this legislation led to an insulated market translating into little scope for

overseas investment.

Post reforms, the government is now striving to rationalise the high-risk investment environment faced by mining players. Policy recommendations by

the Hoda Committee need to be implemented in order to achieve the overall investment target of US$22.37bn for the 2007-2009 period. Meanwhile,

endemic problems such as delays in the issue of licences, infrastructural limitations, stringent investment regulations and the prevailing low levels of

mining royalties continue to hound the industry.

The decision-making powers of many Indian states, which hold the sole licensing authority for a number of minerals, have caused unrest among

investors. This is in spite of efforts to maintain a degree of uniformity in the licensing norms. States create their own qualifying stipulations, often

requiring companies to invest in other development projects in their domains. This acts as a disincentive for the global investor, more so, in

situations where there is uncertainty of tenure

For more details please visit:http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Mining-Report-India.html

Contact us:
Bharat Book Bureau
207, Hermes Atrium, Sector 11, PO Box.54, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai – 400 614, India.
Phone : +91 22 2757 8668 / 2757 9438
Fax : +91 22 2757 9131
E-mail : info@bharatbook.com
Website : www.bharatbook.com

Collecting Australian Aboriginal Art

Zoon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:06:47 +0000

A passionate engagement

Marie Geissler on collecting Australian Aboriginal art

Aboriginal art is richly rewarding for the collector.

Described by renowned Australian art critic, Robert Hughes, as belonging to ‘the world’s last great art movement’, collectors of art from this extraordinary ancient but vibrant living culture have, in recent years, fuelled a boom in sales. Prices at auction have skyrocketed, and those who entered the market early have enjoyed great returns on their investments.

In 2006, Emily Kame Kngwarreye’s Earth’s Creation achieved a record of AUS $1,056,000 at auction; the first million dollar plus sale at a Lawson-Menzies auction. Last year, Clifford Possum’s epic Warlugulong was sold at Sotheby’s to the National Gallery of Australia for AUS $2.4 million.

Swept along by the wave of this success, and the expectations of rich rewards from investing in Aboriginal art, art aficionados have mined their savings for a piece of the action and purchased Aboriginal art for their superannuation and investment portfolios. This has been reflected in industry statistics which show that in 2007, secondary art market sales exceeded AUS $25 million; and over recent years well over 40 records have been broken for the top performing artists.

Today, however with the impact of the global financial meltdown being all pervasive, sales in all sectors – including Aboriginal art – have dropped. Within this context, however, it’s well to remember that art provides a very stable haven for funds; if purchased wisely art can be a source of excellent return.

Today’s climate therefore is a great time to start collecting. It offers collectors a rare opportunity to buy well at auction and also through galleries.

But how do you begin collecting Aboriginal art? Before taking the plunge, savour first the pleasure you are about to enjoy. I strongly advise that this be an adventure of the heart; that you buy because you’re passionately in love with the work you wish to purchase. This is because, in the end, your artwork will be a constant companion; you will more that likely see it every day.

It’s also well to remember that the promises of your collecting adventure will not just be aesthetic ones. As an owner of an Aboriginal painting, you step into a world said to be at least 40,000 years old; one that that draws from the most ancient if not the most fascinating living culture on the planet today.

Aboriginal art is informed by a sacred mythology, or tjukurpa, that draws from this. It is called the ‘Dreamtime’ or Dreaming – the incredible Creation Period of Aboriginal belief.

The Dreaming occurred in ancient times when powerful Ancestral Beings were said to have formed the land, the waterholes, the rivers; and at the same time created the people, the plants and animals. They came from under the Earth and took epic journeys across the country, making and creating as they went, before finally disappearing beneath the ground again.

These magical Beings are said to have taught the Aboriginal people their laws, and ceremonies which need to be enacted in the present in order for survival and well-being. For Aboriginal people, the Spirit Beings still live today and are very much part of their traditional culture. Their stories form the inspirational source for the mythological content of Aboriginal art. When artists draw on this, the act of painting brings the Dreaming into the present. It generates strength and ancestral energy into the ‘Now’.

The next step in the collection process consists of building your knowledge base about the Aboriginal art industry. Begin by trawling the key commercial gallery internet sites, including Agathon Gallery, Alcaston Gallery, Cooee Aboriginal Art, Michael Reid, Hogarth Galleries, Gabriella Roy, Gondwana, William Mora, Utopia and Gabriella Pizzi.

Useful publications include Margo Neale and Silvia Kleinert’s Oxford Companion to Aboriginal Art and Culture; Wally Caruana’s Aboriginal Art; Susan McCulloch and Emily McCulloch-Childs’ Contemporary Aboriginal Art (which, helpfully, has just republished in a fully revised and expanded third edition); and any of Jennifer Isaacs’ beautifully illustrated publications.

Art auction house catalogues are a must, and it also pays to look in on State and National Gallery bookshops, especially for their exhibition catalogues on this subject.

Before making any art purchase, however, you should decide what you want from this exercise. You may wish to purchase one or two pieces just for the pleasure of owning and looking at the work. In this case feel free to shop around and spontaneously purchase at will. You can get great prints for around $300 (see the Aboriginal Art Print Network online) and paintings from $800 plus. Your reward will be a collection that makes you feel good; the motivation behind many of the truly great collections of the past.

Alternatively, if your aim is to buy with an eye for investment return and perhaps eventual resale through a dealer or art auction house, then you should take a more considered and strategic approach.

After research which includes reading, looking at art, and discussing your preferences with knowledgeable art advisors, an area of interest should be selected. For sheer pleasure, try looking at the optically dazzling and colourful community desert art online at Irrunytju, Utopia, Yuendumu, Balgo, Papunya Tula, Fitzroy Crossing and Lajamanu. There’s also coastal works from Yirrkala, Lockhart River and Tiwi Islands. These will certainly inspire you.

Your aim is to find an individual artist whose work appeals; or a specific community, painting style or theme around which you can build a collection. This will make your collection a meaningful entity. And remember: a collection linked to an interesting area often has much more value for resale than a selection of unrelated works.

Your next consideration is to decide how much you wish or can afford to spend each year. Ideally, for investment purposes, the purchase price needs to be around $10,000 plus. At this price, if you’ve done all your homework, and you’ve found a work that has a certificate of authenticity from a reputable art auction house, gallery, community art centre or dealer, you can expect it to be a purchase that will give you a sound return. To optimize this, your painting should be held for at least five to ten years.

Now we come to the really exciting stage: shopping around and making a purchase. Knowing which artists are hot in the market, the artists whose work is increasing in price and selling well at auction, is important. Auction prices are good indicators of what the market is prepared to pay for an artist’s work, so it’s worth drawing up a list of the artists who are in your price range, and familiarising yourself with their works, before you start.

For serious, cashed-up collectors, start at the top. Stars in the auction room, and now deceased, include Rover Thomas (sales in excess of AUS $13.8 million), Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Albert Namatjira and Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula, Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri, and Lin Onus.

Others who have sold between AUS $1-2 million are Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Paddy Bedford, Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula, Kaapa Tjampitjinpa, Queenie Nakarra McKenzie, Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, Uta Uta Jangala, Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi, and Maggie Watson Napangardi.

Of living artists, the dazzling talent of Tommy Watson tops the list. He is a stunning colourist who achieved a record sale price of AUS $240,000 for Waltitjata at Lawson-Menzies auction in 2007.

Other outstanding living artists whose work fetches good prices include Judy Watson, Dorothy Napangardi, George Tjungurrayi, Kathleen Petyarre, Ningura Naparrula, Makinti Napanangka, Lily Kelly Napangardi, Elizabeth Nyumi Nungurrayi, John Mawurndjul and Billy Whiskey Tjapaltjarri.

Emerging artists within the secondary market – those representing good value as their price tags are still affordable – include Regina Wilson, Tjayangka Woods, Jack Dale, Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty, Kudditji Kngwarreye, Paddy Simms, Anganampa Martin, Walangkura Napanangka, Wingu Tingima, Lorner Fencer and Eubena Nampitjin.

One you begin collecting, don’t be surprised if you find it taking over your life – just enjoy the ride!

The Fabaceae Familiy

Zoon — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:41:45 +0000

The Fabaceae Family

Plants in the Fabaceae Family are Flowers with a typical Structure, that resembles a Boat.
The are classified as Sail (the prominent,bottom petal),Oars (the two petals on the right
and left sides) and the Boat (the hermetic , bottom part of the plant). this structure of flowers exists only in this Family and not in any other.

The Fabaceae Family belongs to the Legumes Series,that is known by every man. The Legumes are an essential part of human nutrition. The Legumes constitute proteinaceous,nutrient completion for the starch containing cereals.

In Ancient Culture there was a lack of meat in the menu and the legumes and cereal duo
enabled full nutrition in many areas throughout the globe. in east asia it was rice and soy;
in north america it was corn and beans. in south america it was corn and peanuts (which are legumes too); in africa - sorghum is the traditional cereal and lubia beans are the traditional legumes that completes it.

In West Asia, in europe and our area, the middle east area, people got their nutrition from
wheat and barley for generations accompanied ofcourse with legumes like peas,humus and lentil. all of which were cultivated ten years ago in our areas. the broad beans , which constitutes an important ingridient of the middle eastern menu , was cultivated some time after that.

The Fabaceae Family is relativley a Large Family, it consists of 500 types and over 10,000 Species. This Family is Common in Temprate Areas,Tropical and Subtropical terrains in all continents. The Caesalpiniaceae and Mimosaceae families which are somewhat similiar and precede the fabaceae family, were made more than a hundred million years ago. back when south america,africa and australia were connected as One Continent – Gondwana. This explains the distribution of legumes to all parts of the world.

In this family, there are leafy plants , many of which color the fields in springtime like lupine
for example. also common in this family are bushes,trees and climbers.

the increase in shapes and forms is associated with the vast distribution in diffrent climate areas. however,the identifiers of the family species repeat themselves, the shape of the flower and petals are quite cohesive in all family types and enable quick indentification.

Leaves – mostly divided in diffrent shapes. the fruit is a jacket , but in many types and species
there are shapes of fruit that are a product of the jacket’s shape. these variations in leaf shape
and fruit are mostly the identifiers that enable distinguishing amongst species and types.

why is this family so important for agriculture the roots of plants from this family maintain symbiosis (sharing life) with nitrogen binding germs, known as rizovium. the germs create glomerule in diffrent shapes on the root (the shapes are typical for the diffrent types of plants).

the glomerule may be seen in every tiny plant you pull whole from the ground. the glomerule are the small lumps on the root. the germs penetrate the shell which is rich with food accumulating cells, they receive food surplus from photosynthesis and the plant gets nitrogen that rizovium binds on top of it from the air. this fact is what brought the family’s distribution to many nurseries in nature.

the surplus nitrogen which comes from the rizovium enables growth in none fertile soils, however, the high rate of nitrogen attracts plant eaters, this fact has brought to the creation of diffrent counter materials in plants, that use partially as healing plants for man (“fenugreek”, for example, contains counter materials which man uses for his benefit).

the high protein percentage in the diffrent parts of the plant has brought swift cultivation of
these plants to use as green garbage, which enriches the agricultural soil in the seed cycle method. after the cultivation season, the plants are trimmed and mixed with local soil. the seeds and jackets have high quantities of protein, and thus they are a highly valuable basic food.

Germination and how to get the maximum from your seeds the seeds of the fabaceae family in nature have a thick shell, this enables distrbuting germination throughout diffrent years, this serves for preventing the species extinction. the thicker the shell is, the harder is it is for water to penetrate into the seed , and the germination is postponed.

In cultivation – enhancement has brought an increase in the thin shelled seeds, that germinate quickly. with time, man developed a system for cohesive germniation of legumes, the most important system in modern agriculture.

the thickness of the shells is the reason humus seeds and others from the wild germinate in small quantities. you can,with tools present in every home, increase germination by soaking the seeds for 24 hours and water that had been boiled and cooled back down a little.

Bolusanthus speciosus, an african tree from the fabaceae family, a plant with very impressive bloom. from nature studies we remember that classification of the diffrent parts of the flower as boat parts; the flower to a sail (the top and most prominent petal) , oars (the two side petals) and boat (the bottom , hermetical part of the flower which is composed of the conjoined petals.
this structure exists only in the fabaceae and in any other family.

By Dabo , A UK Flowers Maniac.

Ram Sethu: Proof of Great Science of Ancient Past

Zoon — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:15:49 +0000

1. Indian Historians: Notorious or Ignorant

More than a hundred years ago, when History of India was written under British influence, there was no room for Ramayan and Mahabharat as historical events. They were epics and of no importance for students. It is surprising that India is one country whose history has been written by its enemies and the whole nation yet follows it. No doubt the history was a strategic attack on Indian civilization and culture that paved way for western culture into the nation. With time, truth is evolving back. Science of India that was denied is now accepted through western influence. The myths are suddenly appearing to be history. And one such history is Ram Sethu. Since, it is a history of Hindus, politics and literates are not ready to accept it as truth.

If they are so intelligent, let them go through this article. I challenge them through few questions mentioned in bold in this article.

Let us have a background of what politicians and historians (British written history literates) say about Ram Sethu.

Historian B.D. Chattopadhyay of Jawaharlal Nehru University says the archaeological record says nothing of the sort. There is no evidence of a human presence in the subcontinent, he says, before roughly 250,000 to 300,000 years ago. It is generally believed man’s hominid ancestors did not leave their African home until about two million years ago.

Very important point here is that Mr. Chattopadhyay has forgot to note that what is said of hominid ancestors is also a belief – a belief generated by Western people and followed by Mr. Chattopadhyay – not Truth, not Science. Surely Ramayan, if a belief is a belief of eastern people – Indian People. Mr. Chattopadhyay is trying to introduce a belief clash.

Why Mr. Chattopadhyay wants to defy a true instance with a false belief? Does Mr. Chattopadhyay want to say that Lord Rama is deep in the heart of billions of Indians to this date without any truth? Can false beliefs find so deep root in society and for so long time?

I read a similar comment from N Ramanujam. Head, Post Graduate Department of Geology and Research Centre, V.O. Chidambaram College, Tuticorin.

He said that Adam’s Bridge is only a chain of shoals between the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar, created by sedimentation owing to long shore currents.

Explaining the bridge’s geological history, he said both the Palk Strait and the GoM were once part of the Cauvery basin, which was formed during the separation of India and Antarctica about 70 million years ago during the `Gondwana period.’

They were combined till a ridge was formed in the region owing to thinning of earth’s crust. The development of this ridge augmented the coral growth in the region.

“The coral cover acted as a `sand trapper’ leading to the formation of Rameswaram Island,” Dr. Ramanujam said.

The long shore currents on the southern side of island created a discontinuous shoreline eastward from Dhanuskodi to Talaimannar, which’s the Adam’s Bridge.

Let us see what Mr. Ramanujam has said:

How many such Chain of Shoals bridging two nations is known to Dr. Ramanujam? Is there any other Geographical construct anywhere in the world – deposits of shoals along the coast doesn’t say that it bridges two land pieces?

Again Mr. Ramanujam is taking support of another belief to beat the truth. He is talking of Gondwana theory, a theory that has no concrete proof – an imaginary thesis with some scientific logic behind it. Hundreds of such theory can be generated based on Geographical principles, but that do not defy a concrete reason of existence.

Why did Gondwana theory leave a trace of only One Bridge on the Globe?

Very important – Ramanujam is unable to change the names of two places as Dhanuskodi and Talaimannar which are not English names as they already exist, and hence successfully accepts a controversial English name of Adam’s Bridge instead of Ram Setu. Mr. Ramanujam could very easily put his theory with the name of the Bridge still as Ram Setu. But he ends up in saying that is Adam’s Bridge – WHY?

Why did Mr. Ramanujam accept Adam’s theory to be correct? Does Mr. Ramanujam want to support that Adam and Eve existed and Lord Rama didn’t exist?

If yes, then Adam and Eve existed in India alone as the bridge is in India – Again controversy – as Manu Shatrupa would be more known names in this region and analogy to Adam and Eve. Moreover, acceptance of Adam’s Bridge is acceptance that it was build by Adam. Actually, the logic fits opposite to them – how can the first man on earth build a bridge of that volume? He would be immature at first place, he is alone at second place and why will he ever endeavor to bridge the sea? Though the only evidence is with India, no logic fits to the name as ‘Adam’s Bridge’. This clearly reflects the Christian mentality trying to impose and kill Hindu greatness. And poor Historians of India, brought up in the education system of English, unable to break the boundary of false arrogance of being high literary, seems to be helplessly saying that Ram Setu Bandh is not historical. They cannot even hold a petty vision that humans have build wall of length of Great wall of China that is visible from even Satellite; what would stop humans to build Ram Setu Bandh and what is surprising or opposing to the fact that it was built as a part of Ramayan as a history.

Does Mr. Ramanujam want to say that if Adam built it, it is history, but if Lord Rama built it it is a Myth and a natural construct?

Professor Dupey says that as per Archeological survey, remains from Ayodhya controversial site has found temple remains whose age do not go beyond 600 B.C.

Mr. Dubey: Do you want to say that if I build a temple today, you will conclude that Lord Rama existed since today and not before?

Temples are build and rebuild and their age can only say about the age of the temple and the age of the personality whose worship is done in the temple.

We need to understand certain points here, modern Archeology and Science is far different than what used to exist in ancient India. For instance, old temples of India, yet existing, were built on a different technology than what we find in modern civil engineering. This doesn’t mean that ancient archeology was not having mathematics maturity – in fact, if we look at Temples of India, Jagannath Puri temple for instance, we do not find any iron or pillars used to build the temple – yet it stands from hundreds of years to a height of around 200 ft.

Assume that Puri temple would have been razed some 10000 years ago, what technology or archeological proofs would be derived to conclude that the temple was 200 ft high?

Similarly, the Ram Setu bandh has seen ages, and that too not on land, but in sea – a turbulent sea. The major of the mass is already washed off – a question to be pondered is that what remains is just a trace of the actual bridge – not the whole bridge as it was.

Ramayan mentions that the bridge was built over the sea water, with support of Sea – this implies that there was no supporting archeology involved in constructing the bridge – this is easily supported by the failure of Archeology ground to trace such constructs under ground. Yet the presence of shoals below the bridge and their type indicate that they cannot be found in sea in the manner it exists at Ram Sethu.

Now, Mr. Dubey accepts that the age of Shoals found at Ram Sethu goes around 1 million years. He misguides people, as he is a literate of History written by British, that Ramayan was first written around 10000 years ago and not 1 million years ago. Mr. Dubey, here is a simple calculation for you to further investigate:

The age of the bridge as per scientific dating comes to around 1 million years. As per Hindu scriptures, Ramayan took place in ‘Treta Yug’. Calculating by Hindu scriptures (Treta Yug with a tenure of 12,96,000 years, Dwapar Yug with a tenure of 8, 64,000 years, Kali Yug has just seen 5,000 years): We know that Treta Yug was before Dwapar Yug. So, one thing is quite evident. The Bridge was constructed at least 8,64,000 years ago, i.e., 0.86 million years ago, which is pretty close to 1 million years. Treta Yuga itself is 1.3 million years of age.

How is that scientific age of the shoals and the Hindu calendar age of Lord Rama matches exactly? Will Mr. Dubey and other historians dare to come out of the falsehood of our enemy teachings and try to explore some mathematics of Hindus before they say make such stupid comparison of scientific ages?

2. Analysis of Valmiki Ramayan over RAM SETHU

Now, let us go into the Valmiki Ramayan and dig out more history out of it. Let us be sure that if we want to dig history, we have to touch Valmiki Ramayan alone and not any other Ramayan, because all other Ramayan are written with purpose of promoting Ramayan and recording the event.

Here are certain points from Valmiki Ramayan to be considered:

1. There is no other book than Ramayan that has put into scriptures describing such geographical constructs.

2. Ramayan says that it was build under the supervision of an Architect Nala – son of the greatest Architect of all times ‘Vishwakarma’ (Note: ‘Vishwakarma’ is a designation given to the greatest archeologist and builder of the era in ancient Hindu society, a similar practice as we have in modern world of ‘Nobel Prize’). Thus, the book makes sure that such a bridge can be constructed by only architect of highest skill.

Why do the politicians mislead the nation by saying that Lord Rama was a Superman who build the bridge, when Ramayan clearly says that it is not Lord Rama but the Architect Nala and Neela who build the bridge?

3. The bridge was (Ramayan mentions the bridge constructed in 5 days: 14 + 20 + 21 + 22 + 23 = 100 yojans) 100 Yojans long and 10 Yojans wide. Data to be considered here:

4. The data starts from 14 yojans as first day, which is less than other day’s data, confirming a logic that first day as a beginning had taken time to gear up all Vanars. Second day it took momentum and rest of the days the distance of the bridge constructed is found to be nearly same. A logical conclusion of this sort is made only when the event have occurred in reality.

Why did Valmiki thrust his imagination to get the bridge completed only in 5 days? He could have well increased the number of days to help people of today understand it more logically. Or he could have even reduced the number of days to highlight the power of Lord Rama.

5. The data that more than a crore (10 million) Vanaras were involved in building it, seems to be logical to fit to support the volume of the bridge constructed. Now, the count may not be exact, but surely Valmiki wants to say that there was a huge task force working for the bridge.

Valmiki could have easily shown Lord Rama winning the battle with few hundred Vanars as his soldiers – why 10 million?

6. The width vs. length ratio also looks scientific and supportive to help carry such a huge mass across the bridge. The bridge is wide enough so as to withstand the weight of crores of Vanaras and allow passage to all of them.

7. The bridge is said to be built in 5 days, giving an idea that bridge had to be built in a very short period of time, failing which the Opponent King Ravana would have come to know about it and would have attacked never allowing the bridge to be constructed. Thus, the period fits the war logic.

8. The bridge is said to be constructed by around a crore Vanaras, the count fits the possibility of getting the bridge constructed in such a small time – a huge task force doing it. Though, the methodology of construction is not elaborated and shortened by mentioning that various ‘Yantras’ or Machinery were used to build the bridge, but it gives an indication that machinery were applied to do the task. It should be a subject to study about our past. Valmiki Ramayan: Yuddha Kanda, 22.60:

‘Hastimatran Mahakayah Pashananshch Mahabalah

Parvatanshch Samutpatya Yantraiyah Parivahanti Cha’

What was the need to mention that certain Machineries were used for constructing the bridge? How did an ancient man imagine of machineries?

9. Very interestingly, Rama is not said to have built the bridge and the point clarifies that building it was the skill of an architect – Nala and not Rama or Hanuman, the hero of the book. Had Ramayan been a fantasy of Maharishi Valmiki, he would easily fantasized and written something like Rama built a bridge of Arrows as Rama was the hero in fantasy. But it is not so, making one think that it is not fantasy writing.

Why didn’t he tell the world that it was Lord Rama who builds it and give the credit to someone else of this great happening? After all, Lord Rama was the hero of his imagination.

10. Ramayan also depicts the materials used in making the bridge clarifying that it was a possibility, but not under imagination of human capacity under technology support of today.

11. Seeing the time constraint, it looks logical to have Vanars who are brisk in their movement collecting materials and fitting it in place as directed.

12. The places mentioned in Ramayan exactly matches to the current location of the bridge, thus confirming that the book is not a story.

13. The length of the bridge matches to what is mentioned in Ramayan.

So, looking at Ramayan alone one can conclude that the Bridge is not a natural construct. Having proven on the point of Bridge alone that Ramayan is not a book of myth, but a book of History, it straight away brings the truth that Maharishi Valmiki was the first Historian known to man kind

3. Current Findings on RAM SETHU and their analysis

However, we need to further analyze current findings as well.

The first thing to consider is that under the current scientific evaluation, the bridge is proved to have a chain of shoals is 30 to 35 km long in Palk Street, and its unique curvature confirms that it is man made, and is not a Geographical Construct at all.

Archeological findings have proven that first signs of human inhabitants in Sri Lanka date back to primitive age of about 1,750,000 years of the same era as Ramayan (‘Treta Yug’, which lies exactly mid way to above number).

Sri Lankan Government has done Archeological Survey and found some very interesting data:
1. A mountain covered completely with herbal plants of same type that is found in Himalayas. There is no other mountain in whole Sri Lanka of that kind. This stands as an evidence that the mountain was brought by Lord Hanuman to Sri Lanka – How was this done is subject to study? To my knowledge, Sri Yantra of Hindu myth (or may be similar constructs) is actually a anti-gravitation theory which was know to our Rishis in those days and these things were possible only by such means. Someday, science will surely understand this.
2. Ashok Vatika is traced with complete Greenery and while soil. With a gap of hardly 10-20 meters, soil suddenly turns to be black and burnt and it stretches to miles. This highly unnatural and it stands to prove that Lord Hanuman had burnt Lanka.

There are many other proofs that have come up, but I consider these two points as strong as the Bridge itself.

Can our Historians consult the British again and create more theory around these evidences, so that they can be included in History books against Ramayan?

From Ayodhya to Sri Lanka, most of the places still hold the names as it was around a million years ago. Even the devastating Muslim invasion could not eliminate the names. Ayodhya, Chitrakut, Panchvati, Rameswaram, Lanka – all the names are as mentioned in the book. Rameswaram is the place where Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva and established the idol ‘Shiv Lingam’, exist to date as a place of worship. Ramayan talks about Mahendragiri Mountain as the highest point and best point to watch across the sea. Geographically, it is proven that Mahendragiri is the highest mountain in that area and gives a visibility of around 60 km range.

Why don’t these politicians and historians say how are these mentioned in Ramayan? Did these places pre-existed and Valmiki traveled a lot to create this story? Or these places were named after people read Valmiki Ramayan?

The more logical answer is, these places pre-existed and the event took place which Valimiki wrote as poetic history.

Another important fictitious topic of Ramayan is ‘Pushpak Viman’ – a vehicle that could take aerial route to travel. No doubt the Pusphak Viman no more exists, but it cannot be fantasy as we have similar air planes telling about it. What challenges the concept of Viman is the understanding that technology has developed in current era and people were devoid of such high-tech products in ancient India. But then Ramayan gives a background of Pushpak Viman in terms of how it was acquired, thereby making one think that it was not a mere fantasy. It should not be expected from the book Ramayan to describe the details of Pushpak Viman creation. The question that should be asked is where the actual scientific data of Hindu researches about building the Pushpak Viman got lost – and true history of India and world will evolve.

Do our Historians want to say that if Pushpak Viman existed then Valmiki would have mentioned how it was built? How many history book of today contains the scientific methodology of building machinery – why don’t our historians first do this?

What seems to be mythical to the Historians and Science is the concept of Monkey building the Bridge. But they forget to expand the vision on this, purely because of their biased attitude to defeating Hindu faith. We all know now that there are many species that do not exist now and the largest known to human is Dinosaur. Why can’t different specie exist around 1 million years ago with the capacity of human intelligence and monkey like physical structure – something that was called as Vanars in those days? Science do not forget to mention that man evolved out of monkeys – but defeats Hindus to consider that Vanars were the in between form of the evolution the evidence present in those days. But no view would consider this, simply because then the religion of peace would win then. Yet, there is no doubt that evolution theory is again a controversial theory existing and taught to people, without any scientific evidence around it.

No historian can deny the fact that there is a coincidence and only one coincidence between a reality and its occurrence in a book called Ramayan. Instead, of now having set a direction to find out how such thing took place, these catholic followers are simply applying all forces and theories to falsify a fact.

Science is now saying that the age of earth is around 4 billion years – can science produce a history of 4 billion years with concrete proof – no one asks this question and believes science. No one knows how many generation of humanity evolved and got destroyed since the earth was formed. No one knows when the earth was exactly formed. Actual fictions and stories lie on this side as well – but our dear Historians do not have the courage to flatter about it.

I do not understand, if such an amazing construct is not within the reach of modern science, why can’t this bridge be put as one of the Wonders? Why can’t it be listed under World Heritages (yet maintain it as Hindu sacred place)? Instead, the anti-Hindu moves are motivating Congress to destroy the bridge.

If the destruction of a 500 year old Babri Masjid is not tolerable and it created havoc in the world, why is million year old constructs not protected? Thousands of Hindu temples have been destroyed and are being destroyed to date in Kashmir, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and so many other countries. Neither media nor politics talks about it. Why shouldn’t Hindus stand now to protect Ram Sethu, which is a direct proof of One million old history of India?