>The oil and natural gas basins of Australia were created approximately 800 to 540 million years ago (Neoproterozoic) when most of the world's land masses were merged as one super continent known as "Rodinia." As a result of the rifting of the super continent, as illustrated below, the Australian basins share analogous geological features with the Siberian and Arabian (Oman) basins. These analogous features include the existence of Cambrian/Neoproterozoic reservoirs with massive basil sands and similar source beds where tectonic subsidence resulted in the first geologic organic marine life, similar salt structures created by the evaporation of sea water and the subsequent creation of salts seals which are ideal for hydrocarbon trapping. With proven reserves in the Ghaba and Fahud salt Basins in Oman exceeding 6 billion boe, and proven reserves in the Irkutsk and Sakha basins of Siberia of 26.5 billion boe in addition to 165 tcf of natural gas, the Australian basins have potential for significant oil and natural gas reserves on the basis of these analogous geological features which have been identified through existing geological knowledge of the Australian basins.

This animation will take you back about 500 million years :)

http://www.scotese.com/pcanima.htm

Rodinia

SWEAT hypothesis (Moores, 1991; Hoffman, 1991) - South West US and East Antarctica connection, as early start on this reconstruction. Note that North American craton is the center of this land mass.

Break up of Rodinia occurred some 700-500 Ma. Pieces reshuffled as broke up and formed Gondwana in the Pan African event (one interpretation), with the expulsion of Laurentia from the middle.