Geological characteristics of the hydrocarbon accumulation in the Tethyan tectonic domain

It has long been known for the oil reservoir potential in the Asian Tethyan tectonic domain. The present paper deals in detail, on the basis of geological evolution and division of tectonic units, with the geographical distribution of oil and gas, basin types, sedimentary environments, and hydrocarbon accumulation and preservation in the petroleum basins in the Asian Tethys.These petroleum basins are the tectonic-sedimentary products generated during the initiation, culmination and termination of the Tethyan Ocean. Geographically, the majority of the petroleum reserves in the Asian Tethys reside in the southern zone of West Asia, followed by the northern zone of West Asia, the central zone of Southeast Asia and Central Asia, or in foreland basins and pericratonic basins in the areas between the palaeoequator and 45° of the palaeolatitude.The basin morphology tends to be associated with the sedimentary-tectonic environments such as platforms, ring and linear depressions.The preservation of the above-mentioned basins may be considered as a prerequisite to basinwide petroleum assessment. The controlling factors for hydrocarbon accumulation include the broad and gentle continental marginal sedimentary-tectonic settings, and long-tern burial and preservation of the basin sediments.