Five subsurface sections and a large number of thin sections of the Hartha Formation (age Late Campanian – Early Maastrichtian) were studied to unravel the depositional facies and environments. The Hartha Formation is important as an oil reservoir in Iraq.

Petrographic and microfacies analysis of selected wells from Balad and East Baghdad oil fields in Central Iraq, enable the recognition of three main Sedimentary paleoenvironments. These are restricted marine, the shallow open marine environment within the inner ramp, deep outer ramp.

The studied Formation represents by two asymmetrical cycles bounded below by sequence boundary (SB1) the contact between Hartha and Saadi Formations. The deep outer ramp facies of

During the Maastrichtian, the rudists and benthic foraminifera of Aqra Formation underwent two major radiations, the first beginning in early Early Maastrichtian and peaking in the late Early Maastrichtian, and sconed extending from the early Late Maastrichtian to a late Late Maastrichtian peak.The radiations were punctuated and separated by prominent extinction episodes, fit with global Maastrichtian mass extinction.The high level of rudist, endemism [90%] allows definition of true regional origination and extinction pattern; these may represent global pattern for rudists. Radiation and extinction patterns in the northern Iraq [Kurdistan Region] can be variously related to relative sea level fluctuation and the rate of food and clastic

The Dammam Formation in S and SW of Iraq is an Eocene carbonate succession consisting of limestone and dolostone. Two boreholes are selected in Al-Najaf and Al-Samawa area to investigate the biostratigraphy. The biostratigraphy of Dammam Formation consist of 22 species which belong to 13 genera of fossils foraminifera.
Two biozones were distinguished in Dammam Formation depending on benthonic foraminifera Nummulites. These biozones are; Nummulites gizehensis range zone and Alveolina sp. – Coskinolina sp. assemblage zone. According to thESE biozones the age of Dammam Formation represent Middle Eocene , whereas absent of these biozone represent Early and Late Eocene.

      The Yamama Formation represents a part of the Late Berriasian-Aptian sequence, deposited during the Early Cretaceous period within the main shallow marine depositional environment. The studied area covers three oil fields; Sindbad oil field, Halfaya and Ad'daimah oil field, located in southeastern Iraq. Six major microfacies were recognized in the succession of the studied area represented by the Yamama Formation to determine and recognize depositional paleoenvironments. These microfacies are; Peloidal  Packstone, Algal  Wackestone to Packstone, Bioclastic Wackestone – Packstone, Foraminiferal Bioclastic Wackstone, Packstone, Peloidal – Oolitic Grainstone and Mudstone Microfacies. These microfacies are classified int

The 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

The Paleocene benthic foraminiferal zonation of the Umm Er Rhadhuma Formation from the borehole (K.H 12/7), South Anah City (Western Iraq), has been re-studied and re-analyzed precisely based on the large benthic foraminifera (LBF). They are represented by two biozone Rotorbinella hensoni Partial Range Zone, recorded from the Lower and middle parts of the Umm Er Rhadhuma Formation and Lockhartia praehaimei Partial Range Zone determined Uppermost of this unit, and dated to be the Selandian – Thanetian stage. Almost all the biogenic (micro and macro) and non-biogenic constituents, including large benthic foraminifera, Algae, Echinoderm, Bryozoans, Oyster, Gastropod fragments, and peloids, in addition to lithofacies types, indicate t

The Tel Hajar formation in the studied area has been divided into five microfacics units:

1) Fine hiogenic dolomite facies.

2) Sandy rich dolomite facies.

3) Dolomite diagenetic facies.

4) Recrystal1ized wackestone in microfacies.

5) Mudsione facies.

Microfacics reflect shallow marine water with open Circulation in the lower part of the formation and the environment of the upper is enclosed between upper tide and tide. The most important diagenesis was recrystallization and spary calcite deposit inside fossils chambers and pores.

In petroleum industry, the early knowledge of “pore pressure gradient” is the basis in well design and the extraction of these information is more direct when the pore pressure gradient is equal to normal gradient; however, this matter will be more complex if it deviate from that limit which is called “abnormal pore pressure”, if this variable does not put in consideration, then many drilling problems will occur might lead to entire hole loss. To estimate the pore pressure gradient there are several methods, in this study; Eaton method’s is selected to extract the underground pressure program using drilling data (normalized rate of penetration) and logs data (sonic and density log). The results shows that an abnormal high press