由于楚雄盆地构造圈闭形成期与源岩主要生排烃期不匹配,导致了长期以来按构造圈闭部署的油气勘探工作屡遭失败。深盆气理论与勘探实践表明,在盆地坳陷中心或上倾斜坡地带可以形成非构造型的深盆气藏。认为楚雄盆地具备深盆气形成的基本地质条件:上三叠统煤系厚度大,热演化程度高,生气强度可达(40～60)×10⁸m3/km²;广泛发育致密砂岩储集层,坳陷主体部位上三叠统连片分布,天然气保存条件较好;盆地西部坳陷和北部坳陷及其斜坡区是深盆气勘探的有利地区。还认为:该盆地上三叠统煤系生、储、盖层相互叠置,可构成下生上储、上生下储和自生自储等多种成藏组合;在有断层沟通条件下,也可以于煤系之上的侏罗系地层中形成次生的常规成藏组合;若运用深盆气勘探理论,并从动态演化的观点重新评价,可望在该盆地天然气勘探上获得重大突破。

As the formation of structural traps postdated the m ain period of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion, the exploration targeting st ructural traps has been unsuccessful for a considerable time. The deep basin gas  theory and exploration outcomes indicate that deep basin gas accumulations can form and occur in the depressionional centers or the updip slope zones in th e basin. The basic geological conditions, which are required for deep basin gas  to accumulate, have been found to be present in the basin. The upper Triassic co al measures are thick and highly matured. Their hydrocarbon generation intensity  falls in the range of (40~60)×10⁸ m³/km². Tight sandstone re servoirs are widely developed and these reservoirs are continuous over most of t he depressional areas. In addition to the favorable source rocks and reservoirs,  seal rocks are adequate. Overstacking of the source, reservoir and seal rocks i n the upper Triassic led to the formation of several source-reservoir-seal ass emblages: older source rocks overlain by younger reservoirs, older reservoirs ov erlain by younger source rocks and locally generated hydrocarbons reservoired in  the same stratigraphic interval. Additionally, hydrocarbons could migrate upwar ds through faults to form secondary conventional oil/gas pools in the Jurassic s trata. The western and northern depressions and their slopes are the favorable e xploration areas for deep basin gases. It is believed that significant breakthro ugh can be achieved in the natural gas exploration in the Chuxiong basin if the  deep basin gas theory and a dynamic evolution philosophy are applied in our expl oration approach.