First Vice President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Khoshbakht Yusifzade has died at the age of 93, SOCAR told AZERTAC on Tuesday.

Khoshbakht Yusifzade was born in Pirshaghy village of Baku in 1930. In 1952, he graduated from the Geology and Exploration Faculty (Geology and Exploration of Oil and Gas Fields) of the Azerbaijan Institute of Industry (now Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University) majoring in Mining Engineering and Geology.

He started his career in Gosspetsnefteproyekt (State Special Oil Project) Department of the USSR Ministry of Oil Industry in Baku. Within a short time, however, he joined then newly-established Denizneft Union to work as Deputy Chief of Geology Department before continuing his career as a senior geologist in Azneft PU. In 1954, he was appointed Senior Geologist of the First Production Field at Gurganneft Trust (now Neft Dashlary OGPD) and ever since he has been contributing and leading the offshore oil exploration and development projects. In 1958-1959, he joined “Neft Dashlary (Oil Rocks)” Central Research and Production Plant (CRPP) to work as a senior geologist, where he was promoted to the head of Neft Dashlary CRPP in 1959-1960. In 1960 he was appointed Deputy Chief and Senior Geologist at the Oil Fields Department named after the 22nd Congress of the USSR Communist Party (former Gurganneft), where he worked until 1963. Between 1963 and 1970, he worked as Deputy Senior Geologist and Chief of Section at Bashdenizneft and as Deputy Senior Geologist and Chief of the Geological Exploration Section at Denizneft PU. In 1970-1992, he worked as Deputy General Director and Senior Geologist at Khazardenizneft PU that had different names at different times. In 1992-1994, he became First Vice President of State Concern Azerineft and Adviser to SOCAR President, before working as SOCAR Vice President on Geology, Geophysics and Field Development in 1994-2004 and SOCAR First Vice President on Geology, Geophysics and Field Development in 2004-2016. He was appointed First Vice President of SOCAR by the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2016.

In 1960, Khoshbakht Yusifzade received a PhD degree in Geology and Mineralogy defending his thesis on the “Exploration of Oil Wells and Horizons and Efficient Development and Operation of Oil Deposits in South-West Flank of Neft Dashlary (Oil Rocks)”. In 1987, he became Doctor of Sciences defending his thesis on the “Principles and Methods of Accelerated Exploration of Offshore Oil & Gas Fields” at Moscow Institute of Fossil Fuels Geology and Development of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union under the USSR Ministry of Oil Industry. In 2005, he subsequently was conferred the title of Professor. Khoshbakht Yusifzade was a member of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), an honorary member of Russian International Engineering Academy, a foreign member of Russian Natural Sciences Academy, a full member of the International Turkic Studies Academy, a foreign full member of Georgian National Academy of Sciences, and professor of Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University. He was the author of more than 200 academic publications, including 18 monographs, and 8 inventions. He both participated and led the exploration projects to discover more than 20 oil and gas fields in Azerbaijan, including famous ones such as Azeri, Chirag, Gunashli, Shah Deniz, Kepez, Bahar, Umid and Absheron.

For his irreplaceable services in the development of the oil and gas industry, particularly in the exploration and development of offshore oil, gas and condensate fields, Academician Yusifzade was awarded former USSR orders of the Red Banner of Labour (1963, 1976), the Badge of Honour (1971), the orders of the Republic of Azerbaijan Istiglal (Independence; 2000), Glory (2004), Honour (2010), Labour 1st degree (2017), the Heydar Aliyev Prize (2019), the Heydar Aliyev Order (2020), Honorary Diploma of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2015) and other medals and honorary decrees.

For his outstanding services in the development and application of nanotechnologies in the oil industry, Academician Yusifzade was also awarded the UNESCO Medal and his name was included in the UNESCO Encyclopaedia (2010). For services in the world of science and economy, he was awarded the European Supreme Service Medal by the Geneva-based United Nations Public Service Awards (2018). In 2018, Academician Yusifzade received the Certificate of Merit from Azerbaijani Elders Council of which he has been a member since 2009. Academician Khoshbakht Yusifzade Scholarship was established in 2016 for A-level students of the ASOIU Geological Exploration Faculty, and in 2020 for two students studying Oil & Gas Engineering at Baku Higher Oil School.