Hydrocarbon accumulation and resources evaluation: Recent advances and current challenges

Conventional petroleum exploration targets have become increasingly complex recently. Although geological research of unconventional oil and gas resources has received much attention in recent years, such resources also face many complex geological and scientific problems. In this context, the 8th International Symposium on Hydrocarbon Accumulation Mechanisms and Petroleum Resources Evaluation was held in Beijing from 21 to 23 October, 2022. Experts presented and discussed their latest research findings on this topic relating to both conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources. They also discussed various development strategies for the petroleum industry taking into account the global objectives of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Six significant theoretical advances and some new technologies were introduced at this conference. These advances related to the “Whole Petroleum System” theory, shale oil and gas exploration, deep and ultra-deep petroleum exploitation, clean energy issues, and alternative types of unconventional oil and gas resources. In response to these technological advances, four major current challenges were identified. These challenges related to the petroleum industry’s ongoing growth and development in the context of carbon-neutrality goals, the evolution of hydrocarbon laws relating to petroleum accumulations and their exploitation, organic and inorganic effects on petroleum generation and accumulation mechanisms, and artificial intelligence applications related to hydrocarbon prediction. Cited as: Jin, Z. Hydrocarbon accumulation and resources evaluation: Recent advances and current challenges. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2023, 8(1): 1-4. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2023.04.01