Abstract:

To study the tectonics of the Yellow Sea is the common concern project. Although the oil-gas exploration has undergone more than 30 years in South Yellow Sea, the exploration progress of that is not successful. There are two nearly NS trending shortening and compression epochs (135-52 Ma and 23-0.78 Ma) and two nearly E-W trending shortening and compression stages (52-23 Ma and 0.78 Ma-) at the Yellow Sea and its adjacent areas during Cenozoic. Four tectonic epochs during Cenozoic have important influences on forming, migrating and preserving oil-gas reservoirs. An embryonic form of the basinrange framework occured in Cretaceous and Paleocene (135-52 Ma), and Eocene-Oligocene (52-23 Ma) is the main forming epoch for oilgas source. During Miocen-Early Pleistocene (23-0.78 Ma), tectonism caused favorable passage for oil-gas migration along NNE trending faults. Since Middle Pleistocene (0.78 Ma-) the NNE trending faults are closed and make a good condition for reservation of oil-gas, controlled by E-W trending shortening. The authors suggest to pay more attentions to the oil-gas exploration at the intersections between NNE trending existing faults and Eocene-Oligocene systems, and also pay attentions to the upper parts in South Yellow Sea area.

Key words: Yellow Sea, tectonics, Cenozoic, stress field, oil-gas exploration