Formation of Oil and Gas Fields in Deep Hydrocarbon Systems: Outline of a Universal Search Concept.

In the processes of oil-and-gas accumulation at the lower stages of salt basins, the authors of this paper substantiate the leading role of special, autoclave type of hydrocarbon systems (HCSs). According to the authors concept, autoclave hydrocarbon systems are multiscale, tectonically and lithologically screened fluid-saturated areas of the lithosphere, which are characterized by spatiotemporal conjugation of the processes of generation, primary migration, and accumulation of hydrocarbons (HC) in an environment of hydrodynamic stagnation, age identity of fluids and fluid host rocks. The paper discusses the place of autoclave hydrocarbon systems in the hierarchical series of oil and gas localizing objects of different ranks: uvosphere → oil-and-gas bearing level → hydrocarbon system → oil-and-gas complex → oil and gas bearing horizon. The main attention is paid to the kitchen (focal) autoclave hydrocarbon systems. The general conclusion of the authors is that under the conditions of autoclave kitchen hydrocarbon systems, the segregation of hydrocarbons (when the temperature-baric threshold of phase separation of oil, condensate, and gas is reached) from a single-phase fluid is confined to zones of low hydrodynamic potentials and the localization of free hydrocarbons mainly occurs in situ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]