ACTIVITY ON MANGYSHLAK PENINSULA, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05439A000200070050-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 12, 2004
• Sequence Number: 50
• Content Type: REPORT

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ACTIVITY ON MANGYSHLAK PENINSULA, USSR
INTRODUCTION
The Mangyshlak Poluostrov (peninsula) is located on the eastern
shores of the Caspian Sea, USSR (Figure 1). The three principal towns
located on the peninsula are Bautino.
Mys Melovoi
ered by
rhe area has been cov-
/ Ih::l
BAUTINOS_- SE, l
FT SHEVCHENKO
1 MYS M E L O V OY
MANGYSMLAK
1.- 200
ere is extensive expansion
and development of oil resources ,~, ~FIGURE 1. CASPIAN SEA AREA SHOWING MAN-
throughout the Mangyshlak Peninsu- GYSHLAK PENINSULA.
la. Ground scars forming geometric grid patterns extend 50 nm east and
80 nm south-southeast of Mys Melovoy. The possibility exists that these
scars could be the, result of. geophysical prospectin
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TOWNS ON MANGYSHLAK PENINSULA
The settlement and port at Mys Melovoy (43-37N 51-10E) was first
5X1 D noted on photography of although it was also covered in
5X1 D e settlement is spread over an-area roughly 2 square nm,
although only a small portion of this area is built up (Figure 2). Features
MYS.'
MELOVDY
- IY OUSING & ADMIN
102 BLDGS
ES CA R. ..E C
3 PIERS
ROAD OR TRACK
RAILROAD
PIPELINE
FENCE
BUILT-UP AREA
1000 0 1000 2000 3000
1. 1 1 1 1
FEET
OPEN
CRUDE OIL
RESERVOIRS
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POSS OIL
REFINERY U/C
POSS FORCED
LABOR CAMP
17 BLDGS
PROB REFINED
OIL STORAGE)
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present in the settlement are a partly fenced housing and administration
area, j;two separate port facilities, one of which is rail served and contains
a large warehouse and an open storage area, a possible oil refinery, and 2
possible forced labor camps. The existence of the forced labor camps
could explain the fencing at the housing and administration area.
The rail-served port facility located .2 nautical miles (nm) southeast
of- the housing and administration a!ea, has three distinct types of support
buildings in the storage areas, three piers, and a secured open storage
area for construction materials. A comparison of the photographic cover-
ages shows that several of the su ort buildings and one pier were built
25X1 D between Three unidentified ships were located
25X1 D. at this port in
Two possible forced labor camps are1ocated near Mys Melovoy. One
camp, on the northern edge of the area, contains 22 buildings of various
kinds, the second camp, on the eastern edge of the area, contains 17 build-
ings of various types.
The secured, built-up area of Mys Melovoy itself contains about 50
multistoried buildings, 12 of which are administrative-type buildings; 52
barracks, a possible power plant and two open oil storage reservoirs, one
25X1 D of which was built between The railroad under
construction extends northeast for approximately 30 nm from the piers at
Mys Melovoy. The possible oil refinery is under construction north of the
pier; a network of pipelines and tall objects, which may be cracking units,
can be seen. No definite road patterns are discernible in the area, probably
because the relatively flat terrain can be traveled easily in any direction.
Fort Shevchenko (44-31N_50-15E), located approximately 50mmnorth-
west of Mys Melovoy, is reported to have a population of 10,000 persons.
Fort Shevchenko is reported to contain a meterological station, an electric
power station, a tracking station, and hunting and fishing facilities. The
town is served by an airfield with a 10, 220 - by 325-foot, graded-earth run-
way oriented northwest/southeast. No aircraft were observed at this field
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.on anof the missions. The airfield contains three hangars, one adminis-
trative building, and eight support buildings.
A small, built-up area, 3 nm north of the airfield, contains 12 barracks-
type buildings and 9 smaller buildings. Another area, located one nm west
of the airfield, contains 16 unidentified structures.
The port of Bautino (44-35N 50-14E), 3 nm norttI of Fort Shevchenko,
contains at least nine piers, two possible drydocks, and a repair yard.
Four unidentified ships and a number of smaller vessels were visible in
25X1 D I I Smaller unidentified industries and residential housing can be
seen. There is extensive track activity east of Bautino.
GRID AREAS ON PENINSULA
Ground scars, centered at 43-30N 52-05E (Figure 3), form geometric
roadlike grid patterns which can be seen extending 50 nm east and 80 nm
25X1 D south southeast of Mys Melovoy. The ground scars are approximatelyI
25X1 D wide. The grid pattern is broken and scattered throughout this large
area. The lines extend in both north/south and east/west directions, with
-some criss-crossing to form rectangles and triangles. The rectangles
ovary irk size from approximately 8,000 to 16,800 feet in an east/west
direction and from approximately 16,220 to 36,000 feet in a north/south
tangent. Small camps or villages and two oilfields are located within
this grid pattern area. - -
In one location (43-15N 52-05E), near the center of the grid pattern,
the rectangles - are much smaller and more uniform, measuring approxi-
mately 1,200 to 4,500 feet long. Several possible camps or villages are
present in this area. Open sources state that in 1959 leading Soviet
geologists suggested that seismic and gravimeter prospecting campaigns
be carried out on the peninsula and in surrounding areas. 2/ These ground
$c4rs could be the results of this geophysical prospecting.
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YERALIYEVO
1?l
FIGURE 3. MANGYSHLAK PENINSULA SHOWING GRID PATTERNS AND PETROLEUM PRODUCING AREAS.
PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION
Recent collateral reports state that the USSR is energetically exploring
a vast region east of the Caspian Sea. Some Soviet geologists believe that
the region may have oil reserves. comparable to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The Mys Melovoy area of the Mangyshlak peninsula man be considered
within this potential oil-producing region. 3/
The geologic structure and nature of the rocks of the Mangyshlak
peninsula and surrounding area make it favorable for petroleum and
mineral exploration. Expansion and development of the oil resources
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OIL: WELL
IMPROVED ROAD
UN MPROVED ROAD
RA LROAD
RA LROAD U/C
GR UND SCAR
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seem to be evident throughout th r n n-ula. Some possible-mining
activity is visible in the area gat 44-=l 1-23E) but evidence of petro-
leum exploration and production are rz~u. t rnorL apparent.
There are five general areas of act: i Jrtilingactivity on the peninsula.
The first is located 6 nm of Fort Shevchenko, near the
airfield at 44-37N 50-28E. Eight a :-c located in this area. Five of
these wells are connected %y heavily .ra icd service roads, which form
a trapezoidal pattern similar to brat t rr ed by- roads linking oilfields at
Baku. The second area, with anoth..:r ? c a.?~ well is located 12 nm east of
the first area. A third site is Ioc,i-cv 10 nm east of Mys Melovoy. It
contains four wells. This may l parr!" of the,Zhetybaj oilfields, which
are reported .to be at 42-33N 52-00L. .S
A fourth site of drilling activity- i= i yc :t_:I 40 nm east of Mys Melovoy
at 43-34N 52-OOE in an area covering ap;,t-osimately 75 square miles. Ten
wells can be seen and there is evidence of others. A housing camp is
located. in the immediate vicinity. Extensive track activity is noted. This
is considered to be the Zhetybaj West oilfield.
A fifth site, probably the Uzen' oilfield, consisting of seven oil wells,
is located approximately 33 nm east of the third field at 43-25N 52-50E.
The petroleum stored at Mys Melovoy is probably trucked from these
five oilfields since no definite pipelines connecting the fields with the port
can be identified. Open Russian sources state that rare gases are found
in this.area, which raises the possibility that helium may be present. A.
helium plant may be located at Mys Melovoy, although none can be identi-
fied. 3/
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25X1 D
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ILLEGIB
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MAPS AND CHARTS
ACIC. WAC 326, 1st ed, scale
ACIC. ONC 248, 1st ed, scale
2. D'yakov, B. F. "Tectonic Se :.c
Geologiya Nefti i Gaza (Gc oln~ >
Nevolin, ~1. V. Structure of %ve-=
All-Union Scientific Research I
(UNCLASSIFIED)
Imashev, N. U., Kuprin, P. N.
Oil and Gas Possibilities of th
Steppe," Geolo i a Nefti i Gnz
FIED).
3. "Caspian Sea Area," Oil and
REQUIREMENT
CIA. OSI/R-171 /611
NPIC PROJECT
JN-288/61
} i I' Ia TIAL)
s'. I- IUI NTIAL)
ILLEGIB
?s of the Mangyshlak Peninsula,"
p 27-38, July 1957 (UNCLASSIFIED)
pccts for Its Oil and Gas Possibilities,
prospecting Methods, Moscow, 1961
gicalStructure and Perspectives of
djoining Regions of the Mangyshlak
as) as) No 3, p 7-13, Mar 1962 (UNCLASSI-
L p 112 (UNCLASSIFIED)
NP1C/R-97/62