Dissertation (MSc Petroleum Geoscience)This work presents the first detailed, structural framework, characteristics and types of traps which are found in the South-Eastern part Rukwa basin, located in the Western Branch of the East African Rift System, South-Western Tanzania. The goal of this work is to examine the structural framework which controls trapping characteristic of the Rukwa basin within the Karoo and Lower Lake Beds reservoir. 2D seismic datasets that were collected in 1983 by Amocco obtained from TPDC were analyzed by using Petrel software and the major structures and stratigraphic sequence were traced and interpreted to characterize the shape and the extent of the structures such as faults and folds which forms traps. These structures which form traps found within the Karoo formation and in Lower Lake bed formation. Three traps fields have been identified as potential traps in the Rukwa basin which are controlled by faults whereby, fold traps have been identified as minor traps. Rukwa basin has been found to have source rock, reservoir rock, seal rock, maturation of hydrocarbon, high geothermal gradient and identified trap field from this study favour the accumulation of Hydrocarbons within the Basin. The study of migration path of Hydrocarbons in Rukwa basin will guarantee the accumulation of Hydrocarbon in the identified Trap field.