SOCAR's first vice-president, world-renowned Azerbaijani geologist dies

The first vice-president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), Khoshbakht Yusifzadeh, died on October 3, Caliber.Az reports.

Yusifzadeh was born in the Pirshagi settlement of Baku on January 14, 1930, during the birthday party of his mother, for which his father named him Khoshbakht which means Happy in Azerbaijani. According to his father Baghir Yusifzadeh, Khoshbakht was the "first child in Pirshagi to have been born when the music played on".

Khoshbakht Yusifzadeh graduated from the Azerbaijani Institute of Industry (present-day Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University) in 1952. He started his career as a geologist and later worked as a senior geologist in Neft Dashlary, an offshore city in the Caspian Sea. In 1970, he was appointed Assistant Manager as well as Senior Geologist at the offshore oil and gas production department. Since 1987, Yusifzadeh has been a Doctor of Science in Geology and Mineralogy, and in 1994, he was appointed Vice-president of SOCAR for Geology, Geophysics and Field Development. Yusifzadeh was known for having discovered numerous oil and gas fields such as Bahar, Gunashli, Azeri, Chirag, Kapaz, etc. He was also a member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

Yusifzadeh was the author of more than 127 scientific works, as well as 8 monographs and 4 inventions. 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 Honour), 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 honoured engineer of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He was awarded 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 Yusifzade was held at a state level. He was the author of several books on geology and safety in the petroleum industry. Yusifzade was awarded the title of Scientist of the Year in Turkey 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.