Abstract: The South America continent is of multiple structures and complex evolution. The numerous sedimentary basins in it appear obvious zonation nature in direction of east to west and segmentation in south to north. The formation and evolution of these basins follow certain regular patterns on the time: the intracratonic basins are found in Paleozoic; the forearc and retroarc (foreland) basins in the early Mesozoic; the Atlantic passive margin basins and the compresso?shear basins in the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The analyses and comparisons of them in terms of structural, sedimentary and hydrocarbon geological features indicate that the hydrocarbon accumulation in South America plate was mainly in the retroarc (foreland) basins and the Atlantic passive margin basins, which accounts for over 95% of the total hydrocarbon resource amount of South America. The Cretaceous source rocks act as A?level control factor for the hydrocarbon accumulations of South America. In addition, the intracratonic basins of it are of not ignorable hydrocarbon resource potentials