Geological evolution and aspects of the petroleum potential of the underexplored parts of the Vietnamese margin

The Vietnamese margin includes a series of underexplored basins with a significant hydrocarbon potential. The origin and the petroleum potential of the Song Hong, Phu Khanh, Malay - Tho Chu and the Phu Quoc basins have been assessed by the ENRECA-group and new models are proposed.

Jurassic to Cretaceous Palaeo-Pacific subduction resulted in the creation of a magmatic arc that now underlies part of the Vietnamese margin. The Phu Quoc basin formed in response to the build-up of the magmatic arc. During the Paleocene - Early Eocene, plate collision terminated the subduction process
and resulted in inversion of the Phu Quoc basin.

Eocene - Oligocene left-lateral strike-slip faulting along the margin resulted in rifting and source-rock deposition. Neogene thermal subsidence dominated in all but the Southern Phu Khanh basin and marine deposition prevailed due to opening of the East sea. This resulted in widespread Miocene carbonate dep-
osition along the East Vietnamese margin, whereas clastic deposition ruled in basins farther from open seaways. Magmatism affected the margin from the Early Neogene and the associated Late Neogene onshore uplift and denudation promoted offshore sedimentation rates.