The current study deals with microfacies and the depositional environment of the Lower Cretaceous Sarmord Formation at selected sections in Sulaimani and Erbil Governorates, northern Iraq. The Sarmord Formation alternates rhythmically between yellowish grey marly limestones and grey black marls. These lithologies are observed in all studied sections of Sarmord Formation in northern Iraq. Petrographic investigation of this study based on 240 thin sections demonstrated that the carbonate constituents are mainly composed of skeletal and non-skeletal grains. The skeletal grains include a variety of foraminiferas (planktonic and benthonic), bioclasts, calcispheres, ostracods, radiolaria, echinoderms, sponge spicules, ammonoids and be

The Yamama Formation is a significant reservoir in the southern part of Iraq. This formation consists of limestone deposited throughout the Lower Cretaceous period within main retrogressive depositional series. This study aims to identify the impact of the diagenesis processes on the reservoir’s characteristics (porosity and permeability). Diagenesis processes’ analysis and the identification of Yamama Formation depended on the examination of more than 250 thin sections of the core samples from two wells that were used to determine different diagenetic environments and processes. The three identified diagenetic environments that affected Yamama reservoir were the marine, meteoric and burial environments. Eight diagenetic pr

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

      Zubair Formation is the most productive reservoir in southern Iraq, which is comprised of sandstones, interbedded with shale sequences and sometimes carbonate rock. It is an important formation in the lower Cretaceous cycle in Iraq. Rumaila oil field is the largest oil field in Iraq and the 6th in the world. Two wells were studied for three depths, one in the southern Rumaila and the other in the north. The study focused on light and heavy minerals in sand fractions and their relationship with hydrocarbon assemblages. For the survey to be complete, the sedimentological study of the cores was also conducted. This research aims to determine the effect of the amount of heavy and light minerals on the generation and production of

     Bai Hassan Oil field is considered one of the important north Iraq oil fields. The giant oil field of Bai-Hassan is located near Kirkuk City in North Iraq. The field consists of two domes (in SE – NW direction) Kithka Dome and Dauod Dome separated by a narrow saddle called Shashal saddle.

The current study is focused on microfacies analysis to interpret the stratigraphic sequence of the Palani Formation (early – lower Oligocene age), Baba, Bajawan and Tarjil Formations (middle Oligocene age).

The Bajawan Formation consists basically of five microfacies easily recognizable throughout the thin section. These microfacies are Lime Mudstone Microfacies, Miliolid Packestone Microfacies, Miliolid Grainstone Microfacie

In 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

Carbonate-clastic succession which includes the Shu'aiba, Nahr Umr and Mauddud formations are representing a part of the Barremian-Aptian Sequence (Wasi'a Group). The present study includes three boreholes (Ba-1, 4 and 8) within the Balad Oil Field. The study area is located in central Iraq. This field represents a subsurface anticline with a northwest to southeast direction axis within the Mesopotamian Zone. Eight types of microfacies were recognized in the succession of the Mauddud and Shu’aiba formations. These microfacies represent shallow open marine, restricted and semi-restricted, reef - back reef, deep open marine and basinal depositional environments. While Nahr Umr Formation includes two successions, the first is the upp

     The Nahr Umr Formation is considered one of the main reservoirs produced in southern Iraq. It is one of the important siliciclastic deposits of the Cretaceous sequence of Iraq oilfields. Zubair oil fields ZB-190 and ZB-047 were chosen to study areas. This study depends on the available core and cutting samples to determine the facies analysis, depositional environments, petrographic characteristics and diagenesis processes. Based on the description of the core and the borehole, six types of facies were distinguished in the Nahr Umr Formation, resulting in an intercalated sandstone and shale with a thin layer of siltstone. The petrographic study of the clastic part of the Nahr Umr Formation showed that the sandstone is composed m