Slope zone of the high salient in Jiyang depression occurs structurally as a monocline uplifting toward the high salient

and is often neglected because it is usually treated as a pathway for hydrocarbon migration toward the main body of the high salient. Being influenced by the basement palaeotopography with alternation of gullies and ridges and changes of Neogene sedimentary facies

five types of small but prolific secondary reservoirs tend to occur in the slope zone of the high salient

i. e. stratigraphic overlapped oil reservoir

reversed roof fault-block oil reservoir

small and low-amplitude secondary oil reservoir

small and low-amplitude buried hill drape oil reservoir and lithologic oil reservoir. Hydrocarbon migration pathways have relatively large influences on these reservoirs. Most of the reservoirs with unconformities as migration pathways are of relatively large

layered

stratigraphic overlapped oil reservoirs

characterized by zonal distribution with narrow oil-bearing zone. While reservoirs with inherited active boundary faults as migration pathways are characterized by long oil-bearing intervals

multiple oil-bearing series and complicated oil-water relationship. Suitable exploration methods and strategies should be taken for different types of reservoirs in the slope zone.