During this time sand shed off the rising Balkanide, Pontide and Caucasus mountains trapped organic material in the Maykop Suite of rocks through the Oligocene and early Miocene. Natural gas appears in rocks deposited in the Miocene and Pliocene by the paleo-Dnieper and paleo-Dniester rivers, or in deep-water Oligocene-age rocks. Serious exploration began in 1999 with two deep-water wells, Limanköy-1 and Limanköy-2, drilled in Turkish waters.
During this period, sand from the rising Balkanide, Pontide, and Caucasus mountains accumulated organic material within the Maykop Suite of rocks through the Oligocene and early Miocene. Natural gas was found in rocks deposited during the Miocene and Pliocene by the paleo-Dnieper and paleo-Dniester rivers or in deep-water Oligocene-age rocks. Serious exploration began in 1999 with two deep-water wells, Limanköy-1 and Limanköy-2, drilled in Turkish waters.