An integrated lithofacies and mineralogical assemblage was used to describe a depositional model and sequence stratigraphic framework of the Maastrichtian–Danian succession in the Western Desert of Iraq and eastern Jordan. Fifteen lithofacies types were grouped into three associations recognized in a distally steepened ramp characterized by an apparent, distinct increase in a gradient paleobathymetric deepening westward. The clay and nonclay minerals are dominated by smectite and palygorskite, with trace amounts of kaolinite, sepiolite, illite and chlorite. Meanwhile, quartz, calcite, dolomite, opal CT (Cristobalite - Tridymite), and apatite are the main nonclay minerals. The widely dominated smectite in the Western Phosphatic Basin of Iraq (WPB) refers to warm, subhumid climates and low topographic relief in the source area, which increased significantly with transgressive cycles. In contrast, the palygorskite was generated under seasonal semiarid/arid climates associated dominantly with regressive cycles. Five sequence boundaries are documented in the present study according to hiatus, erosional surfaces, Thalassinioides burrows, reworked fauna, and extensively bored hardground. These sequence boundaries separate the studied sequences into four third-order depositional sequences correlated to their regional and global counterparts. The combined effects of the local tectonic activity of the Rutbah High and sea- level drops are amalgamated inside the Western Desert of Iraq and eastern Jordan because of a long-time gap, particularly across the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) and Danian/Selandian (Da/Se) transitions
Ajloun Governorate is considered the smallest governorate in Jordan in terms of area, and its population density rises to 472.2 people/ km2 and is distributed among five municipalities. The Al-Shafa municipality is one of these municipalities. Al-Shafa is rich in its natural and human resources, and the first municipal council was established in it in 2001.
This study seeks to achieve the following general objective: inventory the natural and human resources that Al-Shafa enjoys, and highlight the role of Al-Shafa municipality in achieving and settling sustainable development for the local community. Certain content, which are: the comprehensive approach to geographical reality, the descriptive
... Show MoreThe sequence in the upper part of the Balambo Formation is composed mainly of limestone alternating with marly limestones and dark grey shale in the Bosheen section (eastern Sulaymaniyah, northeastern Iraq) and has been studied in terms of its rare earth element (REE) content. The REEs are very low compared to modern marine sediments. They are depletion in LREEs, and enrichment in HREEs and (La/Yb)N in the studied rocks, indicating that these sediments retained the REEs pattern of marine waters. The negative Ce anomaly reflects direct sedimentation from marine waters under anoxic conditions with the contribution of terrigenous clays. The positive correlation of ∑REEs with Al, Ti, and Y, and the negative correlation of ∑REE
... Show MoreInvestigating the heavy metals in soil is important to the life of humans and living organisms. Diyala River Lower Reaches was chosen due to the changes in environmental characteristics that took place in recent years. Twelve sediment samples were collected from four different sites. The physical, and chemical properties and the concentrations of nine heavy metals were indicated. The results showed that the average concentrations of arsenic, copper, chromium, cobalt, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc are 8.5, 45.7, 538.5, 12.2, 5.07, 991.7, 183.5, 16.07, 136.5 ppm, respectively. They reflect contamination with arsenic, chromium, and nickel, while they are free of lead, and zinc contamination, according to the Environmental Pro
... Show MoreIn this paper, we attempt to predict the depositional environments with associated lithofacies of the main reservoir of the late Cretaceous Mishrif carbonate Formation, depending on the analysis of the created seismic isopach map by integrating seismic and well data. The isopach map was created from a 3D-seismic reflection survey carried out at the Dujaila oil field in southeastern Iraq, which is of an area of 602.26 Km2, and integrated with the data of the two explored wells. Based on the interpretation of the seismic isopach map, the diagram of the 3D-depositional environment model of Mishrif Formation was constructed. It showed three distinguished depositional environments, which were graduated from a back reef lithofacies of a shallo
... Show MoreThis research aims to study the suitability of the Fatha Formation clay deposits for the brick industry in the Zurbatiya area, Wasit Government. Two sites (Al-Salam police station and Al-Taff station) were selected. The clay deposits were subjected to particle size analysis, atterberg limits, chemical and mineralogical analyses. The samples have 31.45% clay, 52.91% silt, and 15.64% sand. Chemical analyses revealed that SiO2 and CaO are the clay deposits' main components, indicating the high content of quartz and calcium carbonate. The mineralogical analysis by XRD techniques indicated that quartz, calcite, feldspar, gypsum, and dolomite are the non-clay minerals; Kaolinite, illite, palygorskite and chlorite are the mo
... Show MoreThe Upper Campanian-Maastrichtian succession in Buzurgan oil field of Southeastern Iraq consists of Hartha and Shiranish formations. Three facies associations were distinguished in the studied succession. These include shallow open marine environment within the inner ramp, deep outer ramp and basinal environments. The Hartha Formation in the study area was deposited on a shallow carbonate platform with distally steepened ramp setting. The studied succession represents two 3rd order cycles. These cycles are asymmetrical and start with cycle A which is incomplete where the lower part of the Hartha Formation represents the deep outer ramp facies of the transgressive system tract.and the upper part of the Hartha Formation reflects deposition
... Show MoreThe Nahr Umr Formation, one of the most important Cretaceous formations and one of the main generating reservoirs in southern Iraq and neighboring regions, was chosen to study and estimate its petrophysical properties using core plugs, lithofacies, and well logs from five wells in the Noor oilfield. Reservoir properties and facies analyses are used to divide the Nahr Umr formation into two-member (limestone in the upper part and main sandstone in the lower). Limestone members are characterized by low reservoir properties related to low effective porosity and permeability while the main sandstone member is considered as a reservoir. Four lithofacies were recognized in the main sandstone member of the Nahr Umr Formation according to petrog
... Show MoreThis study deals with microfacies analysis, diagenetic facies, environmental interpretations related to sequence stratigraphy for Early – Middle Miocene in selected wells within Balad (Ba-X) and East Baghdad (EB-Z) oil fields.
Seven major microfacies were recognized in the successions of the study wells, these facies were used to recognize six facies association (depositional environments) within the study oil fields: deep marine, toe of slope, open marine, restricted interior platform, evaporitic interior platform and brackish interior platform. The facies associations interpreted were based on texture and obtainable fauna.
The Early - Middle Miocene succession was deposited during two depositional cycles as a t
... Show MoreAn interpretive study of two-dimension seismic data of the Huwaiza oilfield was carried out using Petrel 2015 program. Twenty seismic section were used, these seismic sections were carried out at three-time stages: HH survey in 1976, 2HH survey in 1978 and AM in 1980. Mishrif and Nahr Umr reservoirs were selected to study because they are the most important reservoirs in the neighbor fields. The study showed that the structure is an anticline trending North-South, so that the field may belong to Zubair tectonic subzone rather than Tigris subzone, which is northwest-southeast trending. A hypothetical model was drawn up showing the extension of the field in the Iraqi and Iranian territories based on information from both sides, it showed t
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