The renowned oil worker Qurban Abbasov (Neftchi Qurban)
Qurban Abasgulu oghlu Abbasov, a prominent oilman known among the people as “Neftchi Qurban”, was born on October 26, 1926, in the village of Payiz of the Babek district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Qurban Abbasov began his professional career in 1944 as a worker in the “Artyomneft” trust. He later worked as a driller and rig supervisor in the drilling department of the “Azerneft” Union, and in subsequent years, he held the position of head of the northern drilling division of the “Gurganneft” Oil and Gas Production Department. Continuing his professional career, he graduated from the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry, majoring in Drilling of Oil and Gas Wells.
In 1951, 25-year-old drilling foreman Qurban Abbasov was awarded the First Class Stalin Prize for the discovery of “Neft Dashlari” (“Oil Rocks”) together with scientists, geologists, and engineers, and was appointed head of a site with 9 rigs. Under his leadership, the drilling speed of each rig reached 1400 meters. In 1958, Qurban Abbasov was awarded the Hero of Socialist Labor Gold Star.
From 1967 to 1980, he served as the head of the “Khazardenizneft Exploration” trust, deputy general director of the “Khazardenizneft” Production Association, and head of the “Neft Dashlari” Oil and Gas Production Department. From 1980 to 1983, he was general director of the “Khazardenizneftgazsenaye” Production Union, and from 1988 to 1992, he was General Director of the ‘Khazardenizneft” Production Association. From 1992 until the end of his life, he worked as chief advisor to the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic.
Qurban Abbasov was one of the first organizers of offshore oil and gas extraction and rendered special services in the development of “Shelf-1” type semi-submersible drilling platforms in the Caspian Sea. These platforms were able to operate at sea depths of 200 meters, enabling the discovery of the Kaverochkin field (now known as “Chirag” field) and the conduct of exploration in new promising structures. Under his leadership, a production base was established for the construction of deepwater stationary platforms, and a fundamentally new method for installing fixed platforms in deep parts of the Caspian Sea was developed. Qurban Abbasov rendered invaluable services in the discovery of large fields such as “28 April”, “Kaverochkin”, “26 Baku Commissars”, and “October Revolution”, and the “28 April” field in particular was considered the success of the oil workers’ team trained by him. The “Titan-2” floating crane was also named in his honor.
In 1951, he was awarded the USSR State Prize for the discovery and development of the “Neft Dashlari” offshore field, and in 1972, he was awarded the State Prize of Azerbaijan for the drilling of inclined wells. For his great achievements in the oil and gas industry, he was awarded the titles of Hero of Socialist Labor, “Master of Oil of Azerbaijan”, “Honored Oilman of the USSR”, and “Honored Engineer of Azerbaijan”. For his services to the country, he was honored with the title of Honorary Oilman of the USSR, twice awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Badge of Honor, the Order of the October Revolution, and other medals. Upon celebrating the 50th anniversary of his offshore work, Qurban Abbasov became the first oilman to be awarded Azerbaijan’s highest order — the Order of Glory.
He was a delegate to the 22nd, 24th, 25th, and 27th congresses of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, a member of the Presidium of the Committee of Solidarity with the Countries of Asia and Africa, and was elected four times as a deputy to both the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR.
Qurban Abbasov passed away on September 14, 1994. His memory has been eternally preserved in the Azerbaijani oil industry. In his honor, a floating crane was named “Neftchi Qurban”, and his name was given to a Cultural Center, a school, a bridge, and a street, thus immortalizing his legacy.
Recommended literature:
- Həsənov, Vüqar. Neft daşları: gerçəkləşən əfsanə /[V. Həsənov, X. Ağayev (ön söz) ; red. B. Məmmədov] ; SOCAR. - Bakı: Qızıl kitab, 2021. - 196 s.
- Yusifzadə, Xoşbəxt Bağı oğlu. Ömrümün illəri və izləri / X. B. Yusifzadə ; red. Ə. Abbasov. - Bakı : OSKAR NPM, 2004. - 284 s.