The present work is conducted on the Paleozoic (Ordovician) Khabour and the (Silurian) Akkas shales in the Akkas-1 well of western Iraq. The study is aiming to determine the implications of clay mineral transformation, organic mineral distribution and maturity of hydrocarbon generation, using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in addition to organic matter concentrations. In the shale of the Khabour Formation, amorphous organic matter is common and includes various Tasmanite-type organic matter, vitrinite, inertinite, and bituminite. The main clay minerals observed include illite, chlorite, kaolinite, in addition to mixed-layer illite-smectite and rare smectite. In Silurian shale, high content of organic matter is recorded in addition to abundant vitrinite and low content of grainy organic matter (Tasmanites) and pyrite. Illite and kaolinite are commonly found in addition to chlorite and illite-smectite clay minerals. Conversion of smectite to mixed-layer illite-smectite (I-S) and an increase in vitrinite reflectance are commonly observed below 2500 m depth in the studied formations, which coincides with oil and gas generation. These results could be used as an indication of higher maturity and hydrocarbon generation in the deeply buried shale of the Khabour and Akkas formations in western Iraq.
Global oceanic anoxic events (OAEs) are events of immense importance for a variety of reasons. For instance, they are not only behind most if not all of the mass extinctions which took place during the Cenozoic era, but they are the harbinger for the world's best oil source beds, which humanity depends on to satisfy its energy need. In spite of this, there was little effort to document their presence in Iraq, to fill in for the void here, and as a first step, this paper will attempt to establish a cause and effect relationship between OAE 2 and the Gulneri Formation timing of deposition and organic matter richness. This was done by showing the prevalent occurrence of the globally known OAE 2 positive ∂13Corg excursion and the unique ro
... Show MoreWettability of CO2-brine-mineral systems plays a vital role during geological CO2-storage. Residual trapping is lower in deep saline aquifers where the CO2 is migrating through quartz rich reservoirs but CO2 accumulation within a three-way structural closure would have a high storage volume due to higher CO2 saturation in hydrophobic quartz rich reservoir rock. However, such wettability is only poorly understood at realistic subsurface conditions, which are anoxic or reducing. As a consequence of the reducing environment, the geological formations (i.e. deep saline aquifers) contain appreciable concentrations of various organic acids. We thus demonstrate here what impact traces of organic acids exposed to storage rock have on their wettabil
... Show MoreThe geochemical study of the Oligocene-Miocene succession Anah, Euphrates, and Fatha formations, western Iraq, was carried out to discriminate their depositional environments. Different major and trace patterns were observed between these formations. The major elements (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, K, and Na) and trace elements (Li, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Zr, Cs, Ba, Hf, W, Pb, Th, and U) are a function of the setting of the depositional environments. The reefal facies have lower concentrations of MgO, Li, Cr, Co, Ni, Ga, Rb, Zr, and Ba than marine and lagoonal facies but have higher concentrations of CaO, V, and Sr than it. Whereas dolomitic limestone facies are enriched V, and U while depletion in Li, Cr, Ni, Ga, Rb, Sr, Zr, Ba, an
... Show MoreA mineralogical study using X-ray diffraction supported by scanning electron microscopic examination on the Paleocene- Eocene Kolosh and Gercus formations from northern Iraq is conducted to show the distribution of clay minerals and their paleoenvironmental implications. Smectite palygorskite, kaolinite, illite, and chlorite are commonly present in varying proportions within the Kolosh and Gercus formations. Association of smectite and chlorite in the claystone of the Paleocene Kolosh Formation refers to marine environment of this formation, whereas development of palygorskite fibers from smectite precursor may relate to post-depositional diagenesis. In addition, the abundance of illite and kaolinite in the Eocen
... Show MoreA field experiment was conducted at Abu-Ghrib during 2013- 2014 season to study the effect of harrowing systems on the decomposition and fermentation on organic matter(OM) when added and mixed with the soil under special technology, as well as its effect on the growth parameters and productivity of (Zea mays L. 5018). The experiment was laid out using factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) in split-split design with three replications in SCL bare soil with a percent of moisture ranged from 16 – 18 %. The main plots were designated to the two systems of harrowing (Rotary Harrowand Disc Harrow ). The sub main plots were specified for two organic matters ( Sheep manure ,cow manure ) . Data were statistically analyzed, and
... Show MoreAlice Walker's novel The Color Purple1983, whose events take place in the rural Georgia and addresses the most important issues in the early 20thcentury; like male dominant society and women submission to men, weaves a mosaic picture of male-female relationships. Black men like Alphonso, Albert and Harpo are portrayed as oppressors, cruel and they exercise power and violence over their wives and daughters. Through the negative portrayal of black male characters, Walker is accused to be a men hating writer because she ''Views oppression as an essentially masculine activity which springs from the male's aggressive need to dominate. In the novel, man is the premium mobile, the one by whom and t
... Show MoreOstracode assemblages have been utilized for the study of the paleoecology of
the Maastrichtian – Upper Eocene succession (Hartha, Shiranish, Aaliji, Kolosh,
Jaddala and Avanah formations) in North and Iraq, represented by five sections,
including four boreholes, Anah well-2, Mityaha well-1, Makhul well-2,
Chemchemal well-2 and Jabel Sinjar outcrop section. According to the different
environmental factors affecting on the ostracode ecology, such as salinity, depth,
temperature, oxygenation, substrate and food supply; and depending on the
distribution of ostracode assemblages within the studied sections, nine ecofacies
have been recognized indicating shallow brackish or brackish- marine water, neritic
marine,
Warm dark matter (WDM) models offer an attractive alternative to the current cold dark matter (CDM) cosmological model. We present a novel method to differentiate between WDM and CDM cosmologies, namely, using weak lensing; this provides a unique probe as it is sensitive to all of the “matter in the beam,” not just dark matter haloes and the galaxies that reside in them, but also the diffuse material between haloes. We compare the weak lensing maps of CDM clusters to those in a WDM model corresponding to a thermally produced 0.5 keV dark matter particle. Our analysis clearly shows that the weak lensing magnification, convergence, and shear distributions can be used to distinguish