Fault Controlling Hydrocarbon Theory and Petroleum Exploration Practice

It is believed by the fault controlling hydrocarbon theory that fault is the basic reason controlling hydrocarbon generation, migration, accumulation, scattering and distribution and that relationship between faults and hydrocarbon accumulations is the relationship between branches and fruits or cane and melon, and scientific exploration train of thought must "fetch fruits (hydrocarbon accumulations) along branches (faults) " or "probe into melons (hydrocarbon accumulations) according to canes (faults) ". Researches indicate that according to "fault controlling hydrocarbon theory", there are better petroleum accumulation conditions in buried hills because of existing transporting hydrocarbon faults in Tanggu buried hill of Beitang depression. While there are very obvious features of fault controlling hydrocarbon in Qaidam basin and also evident laws of fault controlling hydrocarbon generating, migrating, accumulating, scattering and distributing, the controlling hydrocarbon faults are very active and there is huge petroleum resource potential in the middle region of the basin. It is discovered that the geological conditions are advantageous for the huge hydrocarbon accumulations there. Therefore, the middle region of the basin is the most important exploration belts where the petroleum exploration will possibly make a great breakthrough. In HNFS depression, the "fault controlling hydrocarbon theory" helps us to find the main generating hydrocarbon sag, thus opening up a new petroleum exploration district.