Search and prospects of discovery of non-structural hydrocarbon traps in major petroleum provinces of Russia
Future considerations of hydrocarbon resource base growth in the current stage of subsurface development are largely associated with non-structural oil and gas traps. Non-structural traps prospecting (lithological, stratigraphic, or faulted) is one of the most difficult tasks in global practice, which can be solved only by application of innovative exploration methodologies. Various types of non-structural traps (combination and essentially non-structural) are observed in the plays within each of petroleum provinces. The paper discusses the state of the problem, methods of non-structural hydrocarbon traps identification, and also briefly reviews data on the major Russian petroleum provinces (West Siberian, Volga-Urals, Timan-Pechora, Lena-Tungussky, and Black Sea-North Caucasus- Mangyshlaksky). The question is posed on the need to separate the prospecting for and prediction of non-structural traps into independent branch with the target-oriented planning of the activities package. The matters of priority are: creation of a single base of non-structural objects; development of modern methodological approaches for their prediction and prospecting; assessment of reserves contained in them; improving of industry-specific regulatory documents related to submission and registering of non-anticlinal objects. Completing this task on a national scale is possible only within the framework of a unified national program the implementation of which will largely contribute to solving the problem of reserves addition and increasing oil and gas production in Russia.