Abstract: Based on the oil and gas field data and basin geological and geophysical data from international commercial databanks, this paper analyzes the hydrocarbon accumulation conditions and exploration areas of deepwater post-salt clastic rock in offshore eastern Brazil. The basins in Brazil’s eastern offshore area experienced three development stages, namely the Early Cretaceous Valanginian – Early Aptian intracontinental rifting stage, the Middle Aptian – Early Albian inter-continental rifting stage, and the passive continental marginal stage after the Middle Albian. Horizontally, the area can be divided into extensional belt, diaper belt and compressional belt. Hydrocarbon of deepwater post-salt clastic rock comes from lacustrine shale from Barremian and marine shale from Cenomanian-Santonian. The source rock is large in thickness and good in quality and physical property, with good reservoir-cap conditions. The sedimentary model of post-salt clastic rock indicates such a dynamic process as the sediments, stayed in the broad continental shelf, is re-transported under triggering conditions and slumped at a number of points. Then turbidite is shaped and laterally and lenticularly distributed in a potato-shaped alignment on the periphery of the continental shelf. The deepwater sedimentary structures are mainly the rootless turbidite channels and lobes while sedimentation of reservoirs is confined and transformed by deformation of salt rock. Hydrocarbon accumulations of deepwater post-salt clastic rock are jointly controlled by source kitchen position, distribution of reservoir sedimentary facies, and deformation of salt rock. The next-stage exploration should be focused on intra-slope ponded-basins on the periphery of continental shelf. The strata of exploration should be expanded horizontally into Eocene and Oligocene – Miocene in Espirito Santo Basin and Oligocene-Miocene in Santos Basin.

Key words: Brazil, Campos Basin, Santos Basin, passive continental margin, deepwater, salt rock, post-salt