Research and development activities at SOCAR are primarily carried out at the Oil and Gas Scientific Research and Design Institute. The Institute was established through the merger of two of the company’s institutes, the Scientific Research Institute and the Oil and Gas Design Institute, in accordance with the implementation of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated July 20, 2009, on the “Improvement of SOCAR’s Organizational Structure.”
The Institute carries out a wide range of design and engineering activities related to the geological and geophysical study, exploration, appraisal, development, field development, and operation of discovered structures and oil and gas fields, as well as the processing of oil and gas. It also provides scientific solutions and support in areas including the economics and management of the oil industry; development of concepts for the advancement of oil and gas production; environmental protection and preservation of ecological balance; and the improvement of processes related to the preparation, storage, and transportation of hydrocarbon products. The Institute conducts extensive research in the development, production, and infrastructure improvement of oil and gas fields; well drilling and operations; and the design of petrochemical and oil and gas processing facilities. The Institute comprises 19 laboratories, 50 departments, one geological archive, and one centralized printing facility, which carry out research, design, and engineering activities.
The Institute has significant scientific expertise. As of September 1, 2026, it employs 6 Doctors of Science and 76 PhDs. The majority of the Institute’s research projects have resulted in invention patents. Throughout its history, the Institute has developed and implemented more than 1,200 inventions. Its strong scientific and technical capabilities, combined with decades of accumulated experience, enable the Institute to address complex scientific, engineering, and design challenges associated with the integrated development of oil fields under diverse geological and mountainous conditions, using modern approaches and technologies.
In addition to serving SOCAR’s various divisions and enterprises, the Institute also carries out projects commissioned by external organizations. One example of its recent work is the project “Reconstruction of the Gas Transmission and Distribution System for the Gas Supply of the Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur Economic Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” which has been underway since 2021 and is still ongoing.