Features of hydrocarbon accumulation in three types of foreland basins in China

Three types of foreland basins, overlapped foreland basin (thrust belt), presenile foreland basin and reformed foreland basin (thrust belt), are developed in west China, with different source-reservoir-cap combination, hydrocarbon accumulation time, and reservoir reformation. The overlapped foreland basin is characterized by two source rocks developed in the fault-trough lake basin between the early foreland basin and two-stage foreland basin. And the hydrocarbon was accumulated in multi-stages concentrating in late stage. The source rock in presenile foreland basin is deposited during the basin development and the hydrocarbon is accumulated in early stage. The exploration potential could be controlled by the correlation between thrust belt and hydrocarbon sources and the conservation of the overlying caprock.