Oil and gas fields greater than 500 MMBO equivalent called giants form the world’s ultimate exploration prize. Giants drive worldwide economies and human prosperity. Michel T. Halbouty encouraged geoscientists to practice discovery thinking and study fields that matter most when he initiated the Giant Fields Memoir series more than 50 years ago. About 60% of the world’s giant fields occur in only 5% of the sedimentary basins that dominate global production known as Super Basins. This Memoir also records the rise of giant field discovery trends linked to Super Basins and emerging Super Basins.

The decade 2010-2020 marked a remarkable new wave of giant field stratigraphic trap discoveries. Enhanced seismic imaging enabled the giant field stratigraphic trap exploration success rate to rise to 60% versus a historical 10% success rate. Towering Sub-salt carbonate buildups and massive turbidite fans dominate the giant stratigraphic and combination trap discoveries. AVO and DHI analysis has also played a significant role in deep water successes in turbidite trends. Also, technology and discipline integration fuel the growth of big fields into giants.

The updated giant fields database (and references) included with this memoir contains information on 1163 known global giant fields available in both Excel and ArcGIS geodatabase format. The editors believe this digital archive will be a valuable resource to explorers. Insights gleaned from this database stimulate paradigm shifts that include 1) dramatic growth in unconventionals, 2) ultra-deep water and ultra-deep basin drilling with liquids at great depth, 3) dramatic success increases in finding stratigraphic traps, 4) discoveries over thinned continental or oceanic crust, 5) increasing recognition of deep, over-pressured basin hydrodynamic flow in both migration and hydrocarbon-water contact tilting.

The editors salute the elite explorers and their teams who have discovered giant fields and the select group among them who have generously shared their case studies in this useful reference publication. AAPG Memoir 125 proudly continues the sixth decade of the Giant Fields series.