A definition of "relatively unexplored" is considered to apply where definitely closed traps have not been tested adequately to evaluate the potential of a geologic province. This covers a wide range of situations.

Most areas onshore have at least some geologic information available. Recent interest in offshore-shelf regions opens a new dimension of competitive exploration where commonly nothing is known about the geology.

There are three exploration approaches that apply to any program: (1) application of all scientific knowledge to what details are already known; to determine where prospects should be; (2) analogy; finding geological conditions that resemble known productive situations, and (3) "bird-dogging"; searching for prospects without pre-existing knowledge or reason to favor one area over another.

Parentis, New Guinea, Dineh bi Keyah, and other areas provide examples of these approaches.

Geologic interest is led to a particular area in several ways: (1) situations favorable for oil generation (i.e., oil seepages, source bed criteria), (2) available geologic information, (3) trend projection, (4) application of reasonable hypothesis where no other information is available, (5) technological change, (6) economic change, and (7) political change.

Examples of these exploration leads are drawn from Nigeria, Libya, Egypt, Indonesia, Australia, South America, and the North Sea.

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