Based
    on the recent-years attempts at quantitatively analyzing migration paths, the
    authors examined the study scale of hydrocarbon migration in actual basins and
    its maneuverability, used ideas and methods engaged in characterizing
    reservoirs in oilfield development as reference and proposed a concept on the
    carrier formation in order to achieve a quantitative characterization of
    hydrocarbon migration carriers. Based on actual situations of terrestrial
    basins in China, the authors summarized all the analytical methods for the
    connectivity of sandstone carriers and proposed a basic working procedure to
    set up models for sandstone carriers. Finally, the authors established a
    methodology to characterize them quantitatively with conventional property
    parameters.