Paleobasins of the East European paleocontinent:geodynamic settings of sedimentary cover formation

Main paleobasins of the East European paleocontinent are delineated on the basis of plate paleogeodynamic reconstructions and facies-paleogeographic imaging, and settings of their formation in different Riphean-Cenozoic intervals are described. The following factors determine the key stages of sedimentary cover formation in paleobasins of the East European paleocontinent: rifting (RF); formation of the above-rift depressions, passive continental paleomargins (V); formation of plate collision orogens, inversion in paleobasins (Є); repeated rifting and passive continental paleomargins (O-S); passive paleomargins (D12-С1); plate collision orogens, inversion (С2-T1); isostasy, partitioning of paleobasins (Т3-KZ). Sedimentary cover of paleobasins was the framework for the current oil and gas bearing, potentially oil and gas bearing, and possible oil and gas bearing basins within the East European Platform. Oil and gas expulsion is calculated taking into account the geodynamic criteria. Comparison of the results obtained with the forecast of initial in-place hydrocarbon resources (as on 01.01.2009) obtained using the conventional principle of geological and petroleum zonation showed that amount of hydrocarbons accumulated in the Volga-Urals Petroleum Basin exceeds the estimated in-place oil resources by 6,5 %, and gas by 14 %. The future exploration and prospecting activities in the thrust zone may further increase the initial in-place resources of this basin