Abstract: The northern Minhe basin (e.g. Zhoujiatai low uplift and Yongdeng depression) is previously considered to be of bright prospects for petroleum exploration. However, in view of the principal petroleum geologic factors' comparisons such as structural evolution, preservation, source rock, the match timing between important hydrocarbon generation and trap formation as well as reservoir quality, the situation is not so. The reasons are as follows: 1) the preservation condition in the northem Minhe basin is not so good as that of Bazhou depression in the southern Minhe basin due to different post-phase structural reversal intensity; 2) the northern Minhe basin may be poorer source rocks than the southern area; 3) the match timing between hydrocarbon generation and trap formation in the northern area is not so good as that of Bazhou depression in the southern area; 4) having influenced by early deep burial process, the reservoir quality in the northern area could be poorer than in the southern area. Hence, it is believed that the northern Minhe basin may be not so good as Bazhou depression in exploration potentials.

Key words: Minhe basin, source rock, reservoir, petrophysical parameter, petroleum prospect