Oil and gas prospects in the continental slope area of ​​the northern South China Sea

Abstract

The sedimentary depressions in the continental slope area of ​​the northern South China Sea are thick and large in area, but the exploration degree is low, which is a new area for oil and gas exploration. Based on the analysis of limited geological and geophysical data, this paper believes that there are three sets of hydrocarbon-generating layers in the Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene in this area, and there are large reservoirs such as deltas, reefs, low-water fans, basin-bottom fans, and submarine channel sands. There are also large-scale draped anticlines, compression anticlines, buried hills, and stratigraphic overlaps, which have the basic petroleum geological conditions for the formation of large and medium-sized oil and gas fields. Starting with the analysis of the petroleum system, the author discusses the reservoir-forming conditions of the study area to show good oil and gas prospects.