Geological features, major discoveries and unconventional petroleum geology in the global petroleum exploration

Large and extra-large oil/gas fields are mainly distributed in Tethys areas, passive margins, foreland thrust belts, and craton basins in the world. Unconventional oil/gas fields are mainly distributed in foreland slopes, basin (depression) centers, craton synclines, and tundra. Since the 21st century, the major exploration discoveries across the globe have been mainly concentrated in the deep water area of passive margins, carbonate rock, lithologic-stratigraphic zone, foreland thrust belt, mature exploration area, new basin and unconventional oil/gas reservoir (field). These major discoveries involve conventional and unconventional oil/gas resources. The conventional oil geology stresses the oil/gas migration and reservoir-forming rules in individual traps; the unconventional oil geology focuses on unconventional resources, reservoir, reservoir-formation and technologies. The geological features, classification program, research content, evaluation method and exploration phase of unconventional oil/gas reservoirs (fields) are different from those of conventional ones. Research should be strengthened on unconventional oil geology to develop unconventional oil geological theories.

摘要全球常规类大型、特大型油气田主要分布在特提斯域、被动陆缘、前陆冲断带和克拉通等盆地中。非常规类油气田主要分布于前渊斜坡、盆地（坳陷）中心、克拉通向斜区和冻土带等。21世纪以来全球油气勘探重大发现主要集中在被动陆缘深水区、碳酸盐岩、岩性-地层、前陆冲断带、成熟探区、新地区新盆地及非常规油气藏（场）等7大领域。这些重大发现涉及油气勘探中的常规与非常规2类油气资源。常规石油地质强调在单一明确圈闭中的油气运聚和成藏规律；非常规石油地质重点研究非常规资源、非常规储集层、非常规成藏与非常规技术等。非常规油气藏（场）在地质特征、分类方案、研究内容、评价方法和勘探阶段等方面与常规油气藏有明显不同，需要加强非常规石油地质研究，发展非常规石油地质理论。