This article describes a case-based reasoning (CBR) method as a decision-making tool in modeling oil and gas fields, its existing and potential application in the industry. The main direction for the application of the CBR method is the search for analogous objects for the design of oil and gas field development. The current engineering practice involves a vaguely formalized method of analogies, which does not allow defining the object as much as possible authentically the analogue that does not cause errors. The analogue object serves not only as a source of ready-made near optimal design solutions, but also as additional information about the object of development and key decisions in modeling hydrocarbon fields.<br>
This paper considers the CBR method as the main tool for finding analogue objects, the main methods of extracting precedents from the database, and gives an idea of the object of development as a precedent. Proceeding from the peculiarities of presenting the object of development as a precedent and the peculiarities of applying the methods of extracting precedents, the authors have developed the concept of searching for analogue objects. In its implementation, it will allow for a different degree of information content of precedents stored in the database and will accelerate the procedure of extracting precedents from the database. The principal novelty is that the presented conceptual scheme allows using the methods of extracting precedents in the conditions of insufficient input data, which is important for the design of oil and gas fields.