Great Campos Basin in offshore eastern Brazil has been one of the major investment attractions for Chinese oil companies.Based on previous studies and the latest exploration achievements in the basin

the article identified its evolution stages

analyzed its structural features

and discussed the controlling effect of structural differences upon the formation of pre-salt accumulations.The basin had experienced five stages of tectonic evolution:intracratonic depression during the Late Triassic-Jurassic

intracontinental rifting in Neocomain-Barremian

rift-depression transition in the Aptian

initial opening in the Albian-Santonian and large-scale rifting in the Campanian-Pliocene.The overall tectonic system during the rifting stage can be likened to a “chessboard” featuring dipping direction(EW)zonation and strike(SN)segmentation.Along the dipping direction

the tectonic system consists of four belts in terms of depth of bedrock:nearshore concave belt

central low-convex belt

offshore concave belt and external high belt.Along the strike

the tectonic system is divided into 3 segments by the accommodating fault belt:Santos

Campos and Espírito Santos.They differ in tectonic line

rift shape and sedimentary thickness.The controlling effect of rift system upon the pre-salt accumulations in the basin is mainly expressed through source rock maturity;trap types and distribution of good reservoir rocks.The external high belt and central low-convex belt in the basin is considered as the most promising targets for pre-salt exploration.