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The objective of oil exploration is to find such reservoirs.
While visible surface features such as pock-marks or craters caused by escaping gas may provide evidence of very shallow reservoirs, most exploration depends on highly sophisticated technology to detect larger, deeper deposits. Areas thought to contain hydrocarbons are initially subjected to a [[gravity survey]] or [[magnetic survey]] to detect large scale features of the sub-surface geology. Features of interest (known as ''prospects'') are subjected to more detailed [[seismograph|seismic survey]]s and those unlikely to be mature traps discarded. Finally, an [[exploration well]] is drilled to conclusively determine the presence or absence of oil or gas.
Oil exploration is an expensive, high-risk operation. It is generally only undertaken by very large [[corporation]]s or national governments.
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