Domain Specialization as the Key to Make Large Language Models Disruptive: A Comprehensive Survey

Large language models (LLMs) have significantly advanced the field of natural language processing (NLP), providing a highly useful, task-agnostic foundation for a wide range of applications. However, directly applying LLMs to solve sophisticated problems in specific domains meets many hurdles, caused by the heterogeneity of domain data, the sophistication of domain knowledge, the uniqueness of domain objectives, and the diversity of the constraints (e.g., various social norms, cultural conformity, religious beliefs, and ethical standards in the domain applications). Domain specification techniques are key to make large language models disruptive in many applications. Specifically, to solve these hurdles, there has been a notable increase in research and practices conducted in recent years on the domain specialization of LLMs. This emerging field of study, with its substantial potential for impact, necessitates a comprehensive and systematic review to better summarize and guide ongoing work in this area. In this article, we present a comprehensive survey on domain specification techniques for large language models, an emerging direction critical for large language model applications. First, we propose a systematic taxonomy that categorizes the LLM domain-specialization techniques based on the accessibility to LLMs and summarizes the framework for all the subcategories as well as their relations and differences to each other. Second, we present an extensive taxonomy of critical application domains that can benefit dramatically from specialized LLMs, discussing their practical significance and open challenges. Last, we offer our insights into the current research status and future trends in this area

Geological exploration theory for large oil and gas provinces and its significance

In the period of “11th Five-year Plan” (2006-2010), PetroChina proposed and developed a geological exploration theory for large oil and gas provinces, under which a group of major discoveries have been achieved. Large oil and gas provinces are large oil/gas-bearing areas consisting of several groups or belts of reservoirs (oil/gas fields) under the same large structural setting. These are determined by similar accumulation conditions, dominated by a certain type of hydrocarbon reservoir and overlaid vertically and connected horizontally. The combination of the large structural setting, favorable source rock and widely distributed heterogeneous reservoir is essential for development of large oil and gas provinces. Large oil and gas provinces are mainly developed in large structures such as continental depressions, foreland and marine craton basins, with large oil/gas-bearing areas and considerable reserves. Reservoirs are widely distributed, with low porosity and low permeability and high heterogeneity. Hydrocarbon distribution is not controlled by local structures and there is no uniform oil/gas/water contact but varying proportions of oil, gas and water. Based on the reservoir lithology, large oil and gas provinces are divided into clastics, carbonates and volcanic, which are subdivided into five sub-large oil and gas provinces, i.e. low porosity and permeability clastic; complex, steep and deep foreland structural; carbonate karst stratigraphic; carbonate platform margin reefal; and volcanic stratigraphic. Moreover, key technologies integrating seismic surveys, drilling, logging and formation tests have been developed. The exploration in large oil and gas provinces stresses the concept of “overall study, overall exploration and overall control”, and the evaluation method of “integrating exploration and development, and integrating production expansion and reserve growth”, to maximize the benefits of both exploration and development. Key words: litho-stratigraphic hydrocarbon reservoir, large oil and gas province, accumulation mechanism, geological characteristics, exploration concept, exploration metho