Abstract: The difficulty of oil and gas exploration has gradually increased, and new areas, new types and new strata have become the focus of current exploration. How to achieve rapid breakthrough in exploration is an important issue facing oil and gas exploration workers. Based on the statistical analysis of exploration breakthrough wells in different types of petroliferous basins, this paper analyzes the main controlling factors that restrict the rate of exploration breakthrough. The exploration breakthrough rate is expressed as the ratio of the number of wells in the basin （or zone） at the time of the breakthrough to the cumulative number of wells completed in the basin （or zone） at the moment. The process of oil and gas exploration is constrained by the theory of oil and gas geology and the law of exploration and discovery. The geological characteristics are different in different basins, and the speed of oil and gas exploration breakthrough is different. Exploration and discovery procedures include exploration breakthrough, reserve growth, exploration field conversion, among which exploration breakthrough is the most important part, is the premise and guarantee of reserves growth and field conversion. Exploration breakthrough rate is controlled by basin type, resource abundance, understanding degree, engineering technology and other factors. Only by adhering to the basic geological research in new fields, the research of key reservoir-forming factors, and the research of engineering technology, can the breakthrough speed of exploration be effectively improved.