Abstract: Structural geology of deep sedimentary basins can reveal the basins' early stage material records as well as their geological structures, structural styles and changing characteristics, and restore the basins' tectono-paleogeography. The Tabei paleo-uplift is one of the most petroleum rich tectonic elements in the Tarim Basin, making it an ideal place to explore the deformation behaviors in the interior of the tectonic plates. Through detailed geological structural studies, we can enhance our understanding of the paleo-uplift control theory for guiding deep marine petroleum exploration. In this paper, based on seismic and drilling data covering most northern Tarim Basin, we developed a 3-D geological model of the Tabei paleo-uplift and performed the Petrel 3-D visualization. The Tabei paleo-uplift has twelve unconformities and can be divided into five structural layers: basement (AnZ), Sinian - Lower Paleozoic (ZS), Upper Paleozoic (D3dP), Mesozoic (TK1) and Cenozoic (EQ) structural layers. The structural framework of the Tabei paleo-uplift is controlled by its major fault system and can be divided into four segments according to developmental variations of the major fault: (Ⅰ) the Wensu uplift; (Ⅱ) the Yingmaili lower uplift; (Ⅲ) the Halahatang sag and Lunnan lower uplift; and (Ⅳ) the Caohu sag and Korla nose-shaped uplift. The Halahatang Sag - Korla nose-shaped uplift (may even include the Kongquehe slope) retains the Paleozoic structural features of NE-SW trending, and makes an oblique crossing with the NEE-SWW trending major fault system. We hypothesize that dextral transpression might have been the main tectonic setting during the Paleozoic until the Jurassic - Early Cretaceous.

Key words: Tabei paleo-uplift, major fault system, 3-D geological structure, fault related folding theory, structural segmentation, tectonic setting