Oil and Gas Play Maps in Exploration and Assessment: GEOLOGIC NOTE

Play summary maps show the superimposed boundaries of favorable areas for all key geologic controls of oil and gas occurrence—source, migration, reservoir, trap, timing, seal, preservation, and recovery—for a genetic group of prospects or fields. These maps are invaluable for high-grading the best areas, thereby reducing exploration risks, and for quantitatively estimating hydrocarbon volume and success factors in both prospect and play assessment. Play summary maps are based on standard exploration map suites but demand a systematic integration of all the essential geologic controls, none of which can safely be ignored.