This paper systematically investigates and compares the petroleum geology elements and oil and gas exploration potential in the deep-water basins along the conjugate passive margins between Morocco in NW Africa and Nova Scotia in Canada. Both the deep-water basins along the passive margin in Morocco and its conjugate passive margin deep-water basin in Nova Scotia have undergone similar multiple stages of tectonic evolution. These conjugate basins both have Jurassic and Cretaceous source rocks; Triassic sandstone, Jurassic-Cretaceous carbonate and sandstone, and Miocene-Pliocene sandstone reservoirs; multiple sets of mudstones and regional Triassic salt as caprocks. These characteristics indicate good hydrocarbon accumulation conditions and exploration prospects. The comparison also reveals that the key exploration targets in the deep-water basins of Morocco should be Tertiary turbidite sandstone reservoirs and Jurassic-Cretaceous sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. Compared with the Scotian Basin, the Morocco deep-water basins may have Paleozoic play potential sourced from the mature Silurian hot shale source rock that extends from the onshore NW African Plate. The prospective exploration targets in the deep-water Scotian Basin should be focused on the Jurassic and Cretaceous deep-water turbidite sandstone reservoirs formed by widely-developed large river systems.

本文系统地研究和比较了非洲西北部摩洛哥与加拿大新斯科舍省之间共轭被动边缘沿深水盆地的石油地质元素和油气勘探潜力。摩洛哥沿被动边缘的深水盆地和新斯科舍省共轭被动边缘的深水盆地都经历了相似的构造演化的多个阶段。这些共轭盆地都有侏罗纪和白垩纪烃源岩。三叠系砂岩，侏罗系-白垩纪碳酸盐和砂岩和中新世-上新世砂岩储层；多套泥岩和区域三叠纪盐作为盖层。这些特征表明良好的油气成藏条件和勘探前景。比较还表明，摩洛哥深水盆地的主要勘探目标应该是三次浊积砂岩储层和侏罗纪-白垩纪砂岩和碳酸盐岩储层。与斯科提盆地相比，摩洛哥深水盆地可能具有从陆生西北非洲板块延伸出来的成熟志留系热页岩烃源岩产生的古生界潜力。深水斯科特盆地的预期勘探目标应集中在由广泛发展的大型河流系统形成的侏罗纪和白垩纪深水浊积砂岩储层中。摩洛哥深水盆地可能具有古生界的潜力，其源于陆生西北非洲板块延伸的成熟志留系热页岩烃源岩。深水斯科特盆地的预期勘探目标应集中在由广泛发展的大型河流系统形成的侏罗纪和白垩纪深水浊积砂岩储层中。摩洛哥深水盆地可能具有古生界的活动潜力，其源于陆生西北非洲板块延伸的成熟志留系热页岩烃源岩。深水斯科特盆地的预期勘探目标应集中在由广泛发展的大型河流系统形成的侏罗纪和白垩纪深水浊积砂岩储层中。