Abstract: The three old plates that constituted the stable core of the Chinese continent since pre-Cambrian were the Tarim plate,the North China plate and the Yangze plate.They were surrounded by the Siberian plate,the Indian plate and the Pacific plate.Later development of the Chinese continent brought into being the following five plates,the Dzungaria-Sungliao contraorion sea plate,the Tarim plate,the North China plate,the Kansu-Chinghai-Tibet plate and the South China plate.Petroliferous basins were formed between the Chinese plates and their sorrounding plates.According to the mechanism of plate tectonics and conditions favourable for the occurrence of oil,we may classify the principal basins into ten types in five categories as follows:Ⅰ.Cratonic Basins Type Ⅰ₁ Intracratonic single cycle basins Type Ⅰ₂ Intracratonic polycyclic basins Type Ⅰ₃ Intracratonic rift basins Ⅱ.Suture Belt Basins Type Ⅱ₁ Contraction sea basins Type Ⅱ₂ Intermontane basins or piedmont basins between suture belts Ⅲ.Arc-trench System Basins Type Ⅲ₁ Fore-arc basins Type Ⅲ₂ Back-arc basins Type Ⅲ₃ Intra-arc basins Ⅳ.Deltaic Basins Ⅴ.Revived Fault Basins Of all these basins,the intracratonic polycyclic basins should be given priority to exploration;the contraction sea basins and back arc basins should come next.However,new areas for exploration in the deltaic basins along the continental margin and the intracratonic single cycle basins should not be overlooked.

摘要： 在我国960万平方公里的土地上,沉积岩总面积400多万平方公里.星罗棋布地分布在数百个盆地中,发育着从古生代到新生代的沉积岩,从最老的震旦亚界到最新的第四系都有油气资源分布.我国的海域辽阔,有十多个大中型沉积盆地,初步勘探证实,有形成大油气田的基本地质条件,已先后在渤海、北部湾和南海等海域发现油气田.