Based on the latest geological, seismic, drilling and outcrop data, we studied the geological structure, tectonic evolution history and deformation process of the southwestern Sichuan fold-thrust belt to find out the potential hydrocarbon exploration areas in deep layers. During key tectonic periods, the southwestern Sichuan fold-thrust belt developed some characteristic strata and structural deformation features, including the Pre-Sinian multi-row N-S strike rifts, step-shaped platform-margin structures of Sinian Dengying Formation, the western paleo-uplift in the early stage of Late Paleozoic, the Late Paleozoic–Middle Triassic carbonate platform, foreland slope and forebulge during Late Triassic to Cretaceous, and Cenozoic multi-strike rejuvenated fold-thrusting structures. The fold-thrust belt vertically shows a double-layer structural deformation controlled by the salt layer in the Middle Triassic Leikoupo Formation and the base detachment layer at present. The upper deformation layer develops the NE-SW strike thrusts propagating toward basin in long distance, while the deeper deformation layer had near north-south strike basement-involved folds, which deformed the detachment and thrusting structures formed earlier in the upper layer, with the deformation strength high in south part and weak in north part. The southern part of the fold-thrust belt is characterized by basement-involved fold-thrusts formed late, while the central-northern part is dominated by thin-skin thrusts in the shallow layer. The Wuzhongshan anticlinal belt near piedmont is characterized by over-thrust structure above the salt detachment, where the upper over-thrusting nappe consists of a complicated fold core and front limb of a fault-bend fold, while the deep layer has stable subtle in-situ structures. Favorable exploration strata and areas have been identified both in the upper and deeper deformation layers separated by regional salt detachment, wherein multiple anticlinal structures are targets for exploration. Other potential exploration strata and areas in southwestern Sichuan fold-thrust belt include the deep Sinian and Permian in the Wuzhongshan structure, pre-Sinian rifting sequences and related structures, platform-margin belt of Sinian Dengying Formation, and Indosinian paleo-uplift in the east of the Longquanshan structure.