Abstract: Bonaparte basin underwent the stages of pre-rifting or craton, northwest trending rifting, northeast trending rifting and passive continental margin development, forming the major tectonic units such as the Paleozoic northwest trending Petrel sub-basin and the Mesozoic northeast trending Vulcan sub-basin, Malita graben, Sahul platform, Ashmore platform and Londonderry uplift. Four chief source rocks in this basin are developed, namely Lower Carboniferous Milligans formation, Permian Keyling-Hylandbay formation, Lower-Middle Jurassic Plover formation and Upper Jurassic Lower Vulcan formation, dominated by Plover reservoir, which is of favorable sourcereservoir- cap rocks assemblage. In the plane, petroleum has the feature of wreath-sag distribution. Crude oil is mostly distributed in Vulcan sub-basin, Petrel sub-basin and Laminaria uplift, whereas Sahul platform and Malita graben contain bulk of the natural gas. By the end of 2008, 1.53×10⁸m³ oil (including condensate) and 6 790×10⁸m³ gas had been proved in this basin. The analysis of petroleum geology shows that Vulcan sub-basin and Malita graben are the favorable tectonic units and the regional unconformity and stratigraphic and lithologic traps are the most promising play.

Key words: Australia, Bonaparte basin, favorable zone, oil-gas distribution