Abstract: Submarine fans are formed from sediment-gravity flows in deep-sea environment and can be defined as channel-fill and lobe (or sheet sand body) complexes. According to plate tectonic settings, submarine fans can be classified into four types which have different sedimentary characteristics respectively: immature passive-margin fan, mature passive-margin fan，active-margin fan and mixed setting fan. Submarine fans develop primarily during periods of iow sea level, and hydrocarbon-bearing fan sequences are associated generally with global of low sea level. Channel-fill and lobe sandstones are two kinds of major reservoir units in submarine fans，the reservoir potentials of which are not only controlled by their primary depositional features, but also related with later diagensis.