The global petroleum industry is currently exploring new frontiers including unconventional resources, deep water and deep to ultra-deep strata. These represent a strategic shift in hydrocarbon exploration in the 21^st century. In the past two decades, a significant breakthrough has been made in China and elsewhere in the area of exploring deeply buried reservoir plays. There are numerous giant discoveries in deep strata in excess of 6000 m in western China with commercial liquid hydrocarbons being found in depth of over 8200 m and hydrocarbon shows beyond 10,000 m in the Tarim Basin. Advancement has also been made in the hydrocarbon behaviors and accumulation mechanisms in micro-nano pores and multi-scale fracture systems, under the influence of organic-inorganic interaction under high pressure, temperature and stress conditions, and the distribution, assessment and prediction of hydrocarbon resources.

In collaboration with AAPG, the State Key Laboratory of Deep Oil and Gas at China University of Petroleum (UPC) proposes to organize an international research symposium on “Interaction between Earth’s Spheres and Deep Oil and Gas (IES-DOG): Petroleum Occurrence and Enrichment Mechanisms in Deep Strata”. The symposium is designed to gather collective wisdoms of petroleum geoscientists and engineers to probe the interaction of Earth’s various spheres and its impact on the formation and preservation of oil and gas in deep strata. Internationally renowned experts and academics working in the relevant fields will be invited to delivery key-note addresses on the recent development in IES-DOG and to hold a panel discussion on key issues, research directions and challenges facing the petroleum industry in exploring deep oil and gas.

This research symposium intends to cater for participants from a range of sectors including experts of resource exploration and exploitation from major oil companies, managers and researchers from R&D organizations, academics and students from universities. The workshop particularly encourages young professionals and students to attend. The symposium aims to provide a platform for scientific exchange and technical discussion on issues and challenges relating to deep petroleum systems.

Symposium Themes (but not limited to)

1. Plate tectonics, basin evolution and deep-time reservoir development and organic matter enrichment
2. Deep crustal and basinal processes on hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation and preservation
3. Organic-inorganic interaction in deep sedimentary basins
4. Deep and old carbonate petroleum plays
5. Deep shale gas plays
6. Natural hydrogen: origin, occurrence, evolution pathway and accumulation
7. Innovative workflows and methods for characterizing deep reservoirs
8. Innovative geophysical techniques for exploring deep oil and gas
9. Novel petroleum engineering workflows for developing deep oil and gas
10. Key geomechanical challenges in drilling and extracting deep oil and gas
11. Deep and ultra-deep petroleum discoveries (case studies)

Conference Date and Venue:

Date: Oct. 24-27, 2025

Venue: Campus of China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, China

Organizer: State Key Laboratory of Deep Oil and Gas, UPC; AAPG

Co-Organizer: State Key Laboratory of Shale Oil and Gas Enrichment Mechanisms and Efficient Development, SINOPEC; CNPC R&D Center for Ultra-Deep Complex Reservoir Exploration and Development Technology

Organizing Committee

Chair: Fang Hao (UPC), Susan Nash (AAPG)

Co-chair: Xusheng Guo (SINOPEC), Jinsheng Sun (UPC), Guoxin Li (PetroChina), Changgui Xu (CNOOC), Haijun Yang (Tarim Oilfield Company, PetroChina)

Secretary: Keyu Liu (UPC)

Important Dates

July 1, 2025: Symposium Announcement

August 31, 2025: Deadline for abstract submission

Oct. 1, 2025: Deadline for registration

Please contact:

Keyu Liu:  

Susan Nash: