Fine Exploration of South Turgay Rift Basin, Kazakhstan

South Turgay basin is one of the main oil supply areas of China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline, so the exploration of South Turgay basin is of great strategic significance. Since PetroChina took over the South Turgay Basin in 2005, many exploration challenges have gradually emerged. PetroChina’s exploration ideas and key practices are to perform comprehensive anatomy and three-dimensional evaluation on structural evolution, sequence stratigraphy, sedimentary system, seismic techniques, source rocks and logging. Four exploration areas have been identified: buried hills, new shallow stratum area above regional cap rock, complex fault-block traps and lithologic-stratigraphic traps. PetroChina has carried out corresponding research in different exploration fields and achieved very good exploration results. Three geological-geophysical techniques were integrated for buried hill, complex fault-block and lithologic-stratigraphic trap. Breakthroughs have been made in the exploration of the South Turgay Basin over the past 16 years. Since 2006, additional about 200 million tons of petroleum geological reserves have been discovered in new shallow strata, buried hills, complex fault blocks, lithology and other areas, coming to the second peak of reserves increasing.