Tanlu strike-slip fault zone transverses the Huanghekou Sag and Laixi structural belt in the southern Bohai Bay Basin.We studied the characteristics and genetic mechanism of faults within the strike-slip zone

as well as its controlling effect on hydrocarbon accumulation

by using variance slicing

3D visualization and fine seismic interpretation technologies.The results show that there are two kinds of fault systems in the strike-slip fault zone in the southern Bohai Bay Basin:the "aerial ladder" type and the "palisade" type.The fault evolution has experienced three stages including sinistral strike-slip in the Mesozoic

extension-strike-slip in the Paleogene and intensive dextral strike-slip in the Neogene.The strike-slip belt not only controls the formation of traps

but also affects the distribution of sedimentary system in medium-to-deep layers as well as the horizons of hydrocarbon accumulation.According to the characteristics of hydrocarbon enrichment at different structural locations

four types of hydrocarbon accumulation patterns within the strike-slip belt were established

namely the transfer-station

meshwork-carpet

composite and ladder types

which have contributed to the successive discovery of large-or medium-sized oil and gas fields in recent years and will serve as a practical guidance for future hydrocarbon exploration.