Petroleum exploration in the Tuha oil and gas province started in the 1950s, but large-scale oil and gas exploration began in 1980s. Abundant exploration results have been successively achieved in Tuha basin, Santanghu basin, Yin’e basin, etc., and major breakthroughs have been made in the exploration for Jurassic coal-measure oil and gas, Permian-Triassic ultra-deep heavy oil, Paleozoic volcanic oil and gas, and tight oil and gas in Santanghu basin. Some oil-rich sags such as the Taibei sag of Tuha basin and the Malang sag of Santanghu basin have been identified with proved oil and gas reserves (equivalent) of 8.20×108 tons, indicating good economic and social benefits. Over more than 30 years of exploration, the geological understandings of coal-derived hydrocarbons, ultra-deep heavy oil reservoirs, volcanic oil reservoirs, low-pressure oil reservoirs, and tight oil and gas reservoirs have been continuously deepened, the geological theory of oil and gas accumulation and the controlling factors of oil and gas reservoirs have been clarified, and key technologies have been formed for different types of oil and gas reservoirs. The study shows that all the basins in the Tuha oil and gas province are in the stage of medium-low exploration degree, and the remaining exploration potential is large. To keep stable production, next measures should focus on: 1)fine oil and gas exploration in coal-measures, expanding exploration to the Permian and Triassic series, and deepening the exploration in the northern piedmont areas; 2)evaluating the sweet spot intervals and zones in unconventional oil reservoirs, and exploring the Paleozoic oil and gas reservoirs while finely exploring clastic oil reservoirs around Santanghu basin; and 3)taking the Tiancao sag, Chagan sag and other sags in Yin’e basin as the key exploration targets, and confirming favorable exploration blocks.
