The Karatau fault is one of the important strike-slip faults in central Asia, and the South
Turgay Basin is located towards its northern end. Detailed seismic interpretation indicated that the strikeslip
tectonism of the Karatau fault weakened gradually from west to east in the South Turgay Basin.
Typical flower structures developed on the section, and strike-slip faults showed an echelon pattern on
planar view. The Karatau strike-slip fault affected the South Turgay Basin in two periods: (1) The South
Turgay strike-slip pull-apart rift basin formed as a result of regional extensive stress in the Early-Middle
Jurassic, characterized by the juxtaposition of horsts and grabens. The formation of horsts provided
favorable reservoir spaces for later hydrocarbon accumulation, and different filling stages of grabens
controlled different reservoir-forming factors in grabens. (2) Two stages of tectonic inversion occurred in
the Late Jurassic and Late Cretaceous and played a crucial role in the final shape of the structure in the
South Turgay Basin. The oil and gas migrated to form reservoirs and mainly concentrated in the horsts,
graben slopes and in both sides of the strike-slip fault zone. In the case of the degree of accumulation
of petroleum, the factor explaining why horsts are better than grabens is the strike-slip pull-apart of
the South Turgay Basin, and the structure inversion of the South Turgay Basin explains why the west
graben is better than the east one. Overall, the Karatau strike-slip fault played a very important role in the
formation of the South Turgay Basin and its hydrocarbon accumulations.