Oil/gas distribution patterns in Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin

The Dongying Depression is one of the typical Paleogene half graben faulted sub-basins in China. It is characterized by its unique petroleum geology. During Mesozoic and Cenozoic times, differential block faulting created a complex structural framework, which in turn led to the formation of different trap types and oil/gas distributions in different structural trends. Excellent source rocks occur in several source kitchens. In addition, favorable reservoirs, seals and traps are widely distributed in different stratigraphic horizons and various localities of the depression. These factors determine that exploration is a long lasting process with a steady exploration success rate. Our exploration practice has shown that new reserves are continuously found each year in spite of the fact that the depression has already been explored for 40 years.