Khoshbakht Yusifzada passes away

The first vice-president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), Khoshbakht Yusifzada, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93, Report informs.

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

He started his career in the 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 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.

He was twice awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and the Order of Labour Glory as well as the State Prize (1982 and 1991), Sharaf Order (Order of Honor), Istiglal Order (Order of Sovereignty; January 13, 2000) and numerous medals and honorary decrees.

He was the honorary geologist of the former USSR and the honored engineer of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He was awarded with the Honorary Explorationist of the Earth Crust. He was the member and the First Vice-President of the International Eastern Petroleum Academy, also the corresponding member of the Russian International Academy of Engineers. In January 2010, by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan, the 80th anniversary of Yusifzada was held at a state level. He was the author of several books on geology and safety in petroleum industry. Yusifzada was awarded the title of Scientist of the Year in Türkiye in 2009.

He was married and had two children.

On the occasion of his 90th anniversary, he was awarded the supreme state order of Azerbaijan – Heydar Aliyev Order by President Ilham Aliyev on January 13, 2020, for his exceptional contribution to and long-term effective activity in the development of the oil industry of Azerbaijan.