新たな「探鉱革命」の予感

―R & Dを巻き込む石油探鉱の内的動機づけ―

抄録

The characteristics of petroleum exploration are discussed here with historical sense and schematic view, in order to understand scientific and technological nature of exploration. On the basis of such understandings, this paper discusses how modern explorationists can seek a clue of new technological development, when they intend to know what to do promptly for the future successful and expandable exploration.

First of all, they had better review remaining questionable points and re-examine unsolved problems in the past “normal exploration,” with having doubts about previous interpretations, and with their close and careful attention. Such actions should be just the studies called “extraordinary exploration,” and those may be a trigger to lead important logic creation to be called “exploration revolution.”

As the second action, unconventional exploration must be conducted with wide variety. The exploration of so-called unconventional type of resources such as natural gas hydrates or hydrocarbon from tight reservoirs and so on may not be based yet upon a completed scientific theory. Process to construct new theory replacing or standing in a line to the ongoing paradigm of petroleum exploration, however, may be the action that is appropriate to be described an “exploration revolution.”

The third of what the explorationists should do is to conduct “normal exploration” itself continuously. The expansion of the objectives of conventional exploration is a driving force to pull innovation in the technology of drilling and production, and leading factor of maturity of exploration. Maturation of normal exploration with a recent paradigm will encourage an outbreak of following exploration revolutions through the occurrence of extraordinary explorations.