Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the component elements of a potential petroleum system in the largely unexplored and frontier Vung May Basin of the Southwest China Sea. Potential structural and stratigraphic traps, including a variety of potential carbonate drilling targets, are visible on seismic data or have already been described in work published by Petrovietnam. Charge and timing concerns and the potential degree of development of clastic reservoirs in the pre-Pliocene structural traps of the region are the outstanding issues that need to be addressed. The work described in this paper indicates that in contrast to the situation in parts of the eastern Nam Con Son Basin, a relatively low risk should be assigned to the timing of expulsion of potential hydrocarbons from Oligocene and Early Miocene sources for traps developed during or before the main 10.5 Ma structuring event. Finally, eight possible play types, six structural and two stratigraphic, are recognised and assessed in the context of the hypothetical petroleum system.