Petroleum play

In geology, a petroleum play, or simply a play, is a group of oil fields or prospects in the same region that are controlled by the same set of geological circumstances. The term is widely and heavily used in the entire realm of exploitation of hydrocarbon-based resources.

The normal steps in the play cycle are:

A particular stratigraphic or structural geologic setting is also often known as a play. For example, in a relatively unexplored area such as the Falkland Islands, one might speak of the "Paleozoic play" to refer to the potential oil reserves that might be found within Paleozoic strata. In a well-explored basin such as the Gulf of Mexico, explorationists refer to the "Wilcox play" or the "Norphlet play" to collectively designate the production and possible production from those particular geological formations, of Paleocene and Jurassic age, respectively.