Relict back‐arc basins of Eurasia and their hydrocarbon potentials

Abstract Large petroliferous basins in the continental interior are characterized by very thick sedimentary sequences. It is suggested that these are not intracratonic basins, but areas underlain by oceanic crust. These include the Western Siberian, Pre‐Caspian, South Caspian, North and South Kara Basins of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Tarim, junggar and Qaidam Basins of China. The relict ocean basins are distinguished by their basement topography, by their magnetic signatures and by their elevated Moho. Their sedimentary history is distinguished by an abrupt subsidence, followed by isostastic subsidence under sedimentary load. Two circumstances have contributed to the genesis of giant hydrocarbon deposits in these basins: (1) the geochemical environment in those basins was at one time oxygen‐deficient as they evolved from the open marine, through restricted marine to become inland alluvial basins; and (2) the sedimentary in‐fill provide thick reservoir beds. Oil has accumulated in older structures, folds, faults, unconformities etc. on the margin of the basins, trapping early migrated hydrocarbons.