How continental rifting initiates and evolves, ultimately leading to continental breakup and development of rifted margins, are major unanswered Solid Earth-Plate Tectonic questions. Traditional models for rift evolution and oceanic basin formation suggest that rifts evolve in four key stages: i) rift initiation, ii) fault interaction and linkage; iii) rift climax; iv) continental breakup and formation of divergent margins by mantle exhumation and/or by initiation of spreading centers in the oceanic crust. These models have proved useful in predicting rift basin physiography and the distribution of syn-rift, transitional and post-rift sedimentary facies. However, factors such as the presence of inherited crustal weaknesses, presence of mobile substrate in a basin (e.g. salt, or uncompacted shale), the intrusion of igneous bodies or an abnormal (e.g. depleted) mantle and the occurrence of multiple overprinting extensional and compressional tectonic events can lead to unexpected fault patterns, rift geometries and propagation that deviate from these models and an inability to accurately predict sedimentary facies distribution – with strong implications for the hydrocarbon exploration. This session will present regional and detailed basin analyses studies from SE Asia, Africa, Greece and the Atlantic Ocean, focusing on the geological history and characteristics of basin formation and development of continental margins, and the related evolution of sedimentary and paleogeographic environments using a wide range of techniques. These include geological and geophysical studies, plate reconstructions, seismic interpretation, structural geology and sedimentological and stratigraphic analysis of reservoirs, source rocks and seals in syn-rift and post-rift petroleum systems.