Abstract: Northwest Africa lies in the western part of the Tethyan tectonic domain,where there occur abundant petroleum resources and petroliferous basins such as Triassic,Illizi and Sirte giant petroliferous basins.Two types of plays are recognized,including the Palaeozoic plays on the Sahara platform and Mesozoic plays on the northern continental margins.The controls of the Tethyan tectonic evolution on the hydrocarbon accumulation in Northwest Africa are manifested in the development of the source rocks and seal rocks during the opening stages of the Tethyan Sea and subsequent transgressions,and the development of oil traps,oil migration and distribution due to active tectonic movements during the closure stages of the Tethyan Sea.