There is no shortcut to find oil: some thoughts on oil and gas exploration

Explorers are the organizers, managers and practitioners of oil and gas exploration activities. They are also professionals who master petroleum geology and related disciplines, are familiar with exploration techniques, apply exploration methods flexibly, and are proficient in exploration management. So, they are both business and management experts. Successful explorers must first have a firm confidence in finding oil and gas, have a scientific spirit that does not blindly follow or agree, and always maintain a sensitivity of thinking. There are no shortcuts to exploration. First, we should solve the basic problems of exploration; second, we should adhere to scientific exploration procedures; third, we should have the awareness of development, efficiency, and dynamic optimization. We should highlight key points, and continue to optimize exploration deployment so as to ensure the completion of the exploration mission. To achieve high-quality exploration, the way of thinking should be changed from the traditional thinking of "heroes based on output" to that of "heroes based on benefits". The top-level design should be done to achieve the integration of investment, benefits and responsibilities, and further improve and establish the exploration deployment comparison and selection mechanisms and a new two-level decision-making management so as to achieve the "five major changes". With the rapid development of geophysical exploration technology and drilling and completion technology, current global oil and gas exploration is undergoing profound changes, and it is constantly developing into more detailed, deeper, broader, more difficult and more challenging fields. The faulted basins in East China, marine carbonate rocks, clastic rocks in Central and West China and shale gas will be the main areas for increasing oil and gas reserves and production. With advances in theory and technology, coalbed methane, shale oil, and oil shale are also important areas that need to be tackled and cultivated. In the future, with the rapid development of unconventional oil and gas theories, the basic system of oil and gas geology will continue to expand and improve. With the support of a new generation of intelligent technology systems for exploration and development, a conventional-unconventional overall evaluation and multi-layer exploration system of petroliferous basins will be formed, which will bring a new round of growth in oil and gas reserves and production.