Abstract Hydrocarbon exploration in rift basins increased during the 1980s mainly because of (1) the recognition of lacustrine shales as good source rocks and (2) notable exploration successes (Begawan and Lambiase, 1995).Petroleum production from rift basins is particularly important for Brazil (Bruhn et a1., 1988), Indonesia(Williams and Eubank, 1995), and China (Desheng,1995) and for African margins. In addition to good source rocks, rift basins commonly contain sandy reservoirs including turbidites, deltaic, and fluvial types. A typical vertical succession for nonmarine rift basins includes basal syn-rift lacustrine strata overlain by deltaic deposits, then fluvial sediments. Basin fill follows from the interplay between tectonics and short-term climatic fluctuations (Cohen, 1990; da Silva,1993; Lambiase and Bosworth, 1995; and others).These two mechanisms control important parameter sregulating basin evolution like basin-floor subsiden cerates, main sediment entry points, and lake level fluctuations. Cohen (1990) recognized three typical associations of margins and drainage zones for rift basins: (1) flexural or shoaling margin, related to more stable, low subsiden ceareas, (2) axial margin, running parallel to the main elongation of the rift basin (usually) draining axial depocenters ,and (3)escarpment margin, related to the a symmetry of the main fault system. Generally, shoaling and axial margins deliver a higher sediment load. During early rifting, subsidence rates may overcome sediment input and starve the rift basin of coarse-grainedsediments. If climate is adequately wet, a perennial lake209may develop. During early phases, main rivers may be impounded behind structural barriers with coarsegrained sediments derived from the uplifted foot wall region and/or from elevated