Six features of the reservoirs in Qaidam Basin is summarized through a detailed analysis of its 19 oil/gas pools: ① oil layers are thin and oil/gas-bearing area is relatively small;② reservoir petrophysical properties are rather poor;③ Tertiary oil maturity is relatively low as a whole;④ pool types can involve structural

stratigraphic or lithological ones or a combination of them;⑤ the distribution of oil and gas pools is controlled by faults and fault reservoirs are dominant;and ⑥ late destruction of oil/gas pools is more severe.By systematic study of all these characteristics

the writers further point out that ① small and middle-sized oil fields is scattered in the basin

but larger ones are rarely found;② hydrocarbon accumulations are mainly distributed in the palaeo-structural traps near oil-generating center(source rocks);③ while continuously strengthening the exploration of structural oil and gas pools

the searching for stratigraphic and lithological oil and gas pools should also be stressed

and ④ the role of faults in the formation and distribution of oil and gas pools should be further stu-died.