Hypothesis of organic-inorganic coupling causes for petroleum generation and its significance

Abstract

It has important theoretical and practical significance to clarify the causes and distribution of oil and gas. This paper focused on the key scientific issues in the current petroleum genesis research, guided by the general principles of global tectonics and petroleum geology. Various petroleum genesis hypotheses have been sorted out, merged, integrated and innovated, thus a hypothesis framework of organic-inorganic coupling causes for petroleum was introduced. The main factors are that oil (including natural gas) is a renewable resource with multiple origins and has huge reserves. The formation and distribution of petroleum is the result of the coupling of four pairs of hydrocarbon-forming factors, including basin and mantle uplift, deep and shallow fluids, organic and inorganic hydrocarbon generation mechanisms, deep faults and sealing conditions. The higher degree of organic-inorganic cause coupling indicates the richer the oil and gas. The basin and the area below its basement are the locations with the best degree of coupling, followed by the deep and large fault development areas with good sealing conditions in the surrounding areas of the basin. The matching of deep and large faults with sealing conditions is an important factor constraining hydrocarbon accumulation. Large-scale traps with good sealing conditions in long-term, multi-period or recent active deep and large fault development areas are the most favorable targets for major exploration successes.

Keywords

• petroleum
• organic cause
• inorganic cause
• organic-inorganic coupling causes
• hypothesis
• exploration concept