Abstract
Worldwide petroleum exploration and development activities are moderatly active.Crude oil reserves in the Middle East occupy more than half of world reserves and its role for world petroleum supply is very important in short and middle terms. However, undiscovered petroleum potential in this area is limited, because so much exploration works had been done and many giant fields were already discovered there. Mexican petroleum potential is very big, however future petroleum supply from Mexico is not clear at the present exploration stage in this country. Russia has some shortages in the fields of technology and infra-stracture, therefore it will be not expected that production to raise considerably in future even though the petroleum potential in this country is very huge. Many international oil companies are participating into Chinese offshore petroleum exploration activity.It is general anxious that the petroleum supply worldwide would not be enough for increasing demand in near future. Therefore, the exploration activities in the frontier areas are essential for the human living. The frontier areas include remote areas on-shore, deep waters, arctics and antarctics. Amounts of petroleum distributing in these areas are expected to be immense even though the exploration cost is thought to be expensive.Recovery efficiency from oil reservoirs is generally low, therefore the techniques to increase the recovery are progressevely advancing. The enhanced oil recovery techniques include thermal flooding, carbon dioxide flooding and surfactant/polymer flooding. They are the promising future under the circumstances of raising oil prices worldwide.
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