Permo-Triassic Evaporites of the Polish Basin and Their Bearing on the Tectonic Evolution and Hydrocarbon System, an Overview

The Permian-Cretaceous Polish Basin belonged to the system of epicontinental depositional basins of Western and central Europe and was filled with several kilometers of siliciclastics, carbonates, and also thick Zechstein (Upper Permian) evaporites. The Polish Basin was inverted in Late Cretaceous-Paleocene times. Presence of the Zechstein evaporites gave rise to formation of various salt and salt-related structures. These are either peripheral structures such as salt rollers, thin-skinned half grabens, and low-relief salt pillows located within flanks of the Polish Basin, or complex salt diapirs and high-relief salt pillows located within its axial part. Late Cretaceous inversion caused significant compressional reactivation of salt diapirs. Their inversion-related growth strongly influenced Late Cretaceous depositional systems characterized by localized unconformities and thickness reductions. The main petroleum system is related to hydrocarbon accumulations within the Carboniferous and Rotliegend reservoirs sourced by the Carboniferous shales. The secondary Zechstein Main Dolomite petroleum system contains source and reservoir rocks, and the regional seal.