Responsibilities of petroleum prospectors: Discussions on dual logic and development trend of hydrocarbon exploration

Abstract

Some unusual events happened in petroleum industry in 2020, such as the negative WTI oil price, price soaring of melt-blown nonwoven fabric, Exxon Mobil Corp.(NYSE:XOM) removed from Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the oil demand peak theory proposed by BP Energy Outlook 2020 Edition. These events have made profound impact on petroleum exploration. Prospecting is at the forefront of petroleum industry chain, and prospectors have great influence on petroleum industry. The responsibility of petroleum prospectors is to find oil, which calls for the correct way of thinking as well as scientific and technical means, both of which are indispensable. When it comes to the cognition of petroleum exploration, we should draw lessons from predecessors' philosophy of finding oil from a development perspective. It is necessary to define the relationship between subject activity and objective structure, as there is an inherent tension between the two and a dialectical relationship that complements each other. It is also essential to illustrate the logic of initiative and decisiveness, as between the two is the dual logic of active logic that changes the world and deterministic logic based on science and technology. The strategic breakthrough in the Gulong shale oil exploration in Daqing is a typical example. Our knowledge and practice of oil exploration has overthrown the Hubbert Curve. The new curve may have more than one peak, which means hopes are always there for finding oil. Climbing to the top of a mountain must start from the foot. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Looking forward to the future, prospectors have the wisdom, ability, and methods to find more, cleaner, and more affordable oil to drive the progress of human civilization. This is the duty of petroleum prospectors.