TITLE
An open letter to the Geological Society of China
AUTHOR(S)
Lisheng Zhang
ABSTRACT
In a letter to Guofeng Hua, Xiaoping Deng and Yi Fang, dated January 11, 1978, T. K. Huang claimed to have proposed focusing on the North China Plain, Songliao Plain, Ordos Basin (namely, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Basin), and Sichuan Basin as key areas for petroleum exploration based on his continental origin of petroleum theory. He asserted that his proposal led to the discovery of the Songliao and North China Oilfields. However, evidences from various sources, including resolutions from the first and second working conferences of petroleum reconnaissance, C. Y. Hsieh’s 1955 report, and T. K. Huang’s 1957 report, contradict these claims, indicating that they are unfounded. Furthermore, T. K. Huang did not identify the range of petroleum reconnaissance nor provide strategic selection for petroleum reconnaissance areas, nor did he offer an optimistic assessment of China’s petroleum prospects. Although T. K. Huang contributed significantly to the discovery of the Daqing Oilfield, it is untrue that his work was free from theoretical constraints or single-handedly altered the perception of China’s petroleum potential. Despite T. K. Huang’s passing, his fraudulent behavior should be exposed, condemned, and not praised. Efforts by entities such as the Geological Review, Geological Society of China, and Professional Committee for the History of Geological Sciences to conceal the controversy surrounding the theory of continental origin of petroleum guiding petroleum exploration must be addressed by the Society’s leadership.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.62252/NSS.2025.1027
PAGES: 394-406
How to cite this article:
Zhang, LS. 2025. An open letter to the Geological Society of China. Naturalis Scientias, 2 (1): 394-406. DOI: https://doi.org/10.62252/NSS.2025.1027. www.naturalisscientias.com.