The global trends in deepwater oil and gas exploration, characteristics of deepwater oil and gas discovery, and layout of deepwater oil and gas exploration business by seven major international oil companies are systematically analyzed using commercial databases (e.g. S&P Global and Rystad) and public information of oil companies. The deepwater area is currently the most important domain for global oil and gas exploration and discovery, with the most discoveries and reserves in passive continental margin basins. The deepwater discoveries have the greatest contribution to the total newly discovered oil and gas reserves in the sea areas, with an increasing number of lithological reservoirs discovered, and oil and gas discoveries mainly distributed in the Mesozoic–Cenozoic. The seven major international oil companies are widely active in various aspects of deepwater oil and gas exploration and development, and play a leading role. Based on years of theoretical understanding of global oil and gas geology and resource evaluation, it is proposed that favorable deepwater exploration areas in the future will mainly focus on three major areas: the Atlantic coast, the Indian Ocean periphery, and the Arctic Ocean periphery. Six suggestions are put forward for expanding overseas deepwater oil and gas exploration business: first, expand the sources for obtaining multi-user seismic data and improve the scientific selection of deepwater exploration areas; second, increase efforts to obtain deepwater exploration projects in key areas; third, adopt various methods to access into/exit from resource licenses flexibly; fourth, acquire licenses with large equity and operate in “dual-exploration” model; fifth, strengthen cooperation with leading international oil companies in deepwater technology; and sixth, improve business operation capabilities and gradually transform from “non-operators” to “operators”.

利用商业数据库（如S&P Global、Rystad）和国际公开信息，系统分析了全球深水油气勘探趋势、深水油气发现特点以及国际七大石油公司深水油气勘探业务布局。石油公司。深水区是目前全球油气勘探发现最重要的领域，其中发现量和储量最多的是被动大陆边缘盆地。深水发现对海域新发现油气储量贡献最大，岩性油气藏发现数量不断增加，油气发现主要分布在中新生界。国际七大石油公司广泛活跃于深水油气勘探开发的各个方面，并发挥主导作用。基于多年对全球油气地质和资源评价的理论认识，提出未来深水有利勘探区将主要集中在大西洋沿岸、印度洋周缘、北冰洋周缘三大区域。对拓展海外深水油气勘探业务提出六点建议：一是扩大多用户地震资料获取来源，提高深水勘探区的科学选择；二是加大重点领域深水勘探项目获取力度。三是采取多种方式灵活接入、退出资源许可。四是大额股权牌照，“双探”模式运营。五是加强与国际领先石油公司在深水技术方面的合作；六是提升业务运营能力，逐步从“非经营者”向“经营者”转变。