Exploration of Complicated Oil and Gas Fields1

Abstract Complicated oil and gas fields occupy an important position in oil and gas exploration. In this paper, complicated oil and gas fields are grouped into four types: fault‐block, lithologic, stratigraphic and fissure types. On the basis of the new theory of petroleum geological exploration in composite oil and gas accumulation areas within continental basins, a new exploration sequence suitable for complicated oil and gas fields has been established, which comprises four stages: (1) initial exploration; (2) preliminary exploration; (3) early step‐by‐step exploration and development; and (4) late step‐by‐step exploration and development. The idea of cybernetics has been taken to control various links of a systematic exploration project so as to fully, effectively and comprehensively utilize the new exploration techniques, eventually realizing the optimization of exploration with the aim of raising the efficiency of exploration of complicated oil and gas fields.