6

Classification of Petroleum Plays and Their

Mechanism

Petroleum reservoirs and traps were carriers and storage for oil and gas migration
and accumulation. However, it depended on the passage that linked the source
rock and the trap as to whether hydrocarbons would accumulate. Different
combinations of “source rock and trap” not only influenced the difficulty and the
probability of petroleum accumulation, but also revealed clear distinctions in the
petroleum injective mechanism, accumulative features and major controlling
factors. Considering that the hydrocarbon source rock was the material foundation
for petroleum accumulation, the traps (which were located either above source
rock or beneath source rock) exhibited various dynamic features distinctively.
Thus, according to the vertical relationship between source rocks and traps, this
section will classify different types of petroleum play and will further discuss their
mechanism and major controlling factors.

6.1 Definition of “Above-Source, In-Source and Beneath-Source”

Plays

The play is a group of exploration targets that are not only connected geologically,
but also have similar source rocks, reservoir sequences and trapping conditions. The
play is a geological entity that consists of a migrating system, traps or petroleum
reservoir, and related accumulative elements. The core of play theory is based on the
theory of the petroleum system. According to the source of the oil and gas, the
petroleum reservoir and process of migration, from the angle of space–time
configuration of petroleum accumulative elements and geological processing, we
analyze the characteristics of oil and gas accumulation and distribution in a basin so as
to direct the oil and gas exploration. The play is the third level evaluation in the
petroleum units estimation of “Basin–Petroleum System–Play–Prospect” that is
internationally a commonly used estimation process.
Compared with a structural petroleum reservoir, the conditions for developing
a trap and accumulative mechanism in a lithostratigraphic reservoir are very

C. Jia, Characteristics of Chinese Petroleum Geology

© Zhejiang University Press, Hangzhou and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
214 6 Classification of Petroleum Plays and Their Mechanism

different. For the convenience of analysis and for describing the configuration of a
source rock–reservoir sequence, control factors for accumulation, and distribution
of oil and gas in a lithostratigraphic petroleum reservoir, and for better directing
the petroleum exploration project, according to the vertical position of the
hydrocarbon source rock and reservoir body, the play of a lithostratigraphic
reservoir can be divided into three types that are above-source play, in-source play
and beneath-source play (Fig. 6.1).

Fig. 6.1. Classification of plays for the lithostratigraphic reservoir (using the Songliao basin as
an example)

6.1.1 Beneath-Source Play

The beneath-source play indicates that reservoir sequences are under the hydrocarbon
source rock. This type of play contains a lithologic reservoir, faulted–lithologic
reservoir and stratigraphic reservoir in a depressed basin, such as in the Songliao
basin, the pericline belt on the Fuxin uplift and the western slope zone. In addition,
this type of play also appears in buried hill reservoirs in a rifted basin, such as all
kinds of buried hill oil and gas reservoirs in the Bohai bay basin.

6.1.2 In-Source Play

The in-source play indicates that either the reservoir body is located inside of the
hydrocarbon source rock, or the reservoir body and hydrocarbon source rock are