抄録
A recent trend in exploration is the tendency toward objectives in remote areas, such as the deeper water environment and in deeper depths given the current conditions of vibrant oil and gas demand. The terms "Deeper" and "Ultra-deep" wells are generally defined as those wells drilled deeper than about 4, 500m and 6, 000m in depth respectively. There are some new exploration opportunities to be reviewed in the US Gulf of Mexico and the Rocky Mountains region as examples of these changing trends. In the US Gulf of Mexico a deep gas exploration in shallow water areas attracts a great deal of players including the "majors". In the intra-mountain basins of the Rocky Mountain region, there are aggressive exploration and development activities underway in the basin-centered gas and other objectives regarded as unconventional resources. A technological break-through is a key issue to enable deeper drilling in all cases. We hope the new waves of technology from North America, mainly the USA, will extend all over the world in the near future. As it is vitally important for us to preserve the earth's resources, it is necessary for us to observe and review the new trends and opportunities for exploration in mature oil and gas producing areas and for development of unconventional gas resources.
