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

This study involves microfacies analysis of the Kometan Formation from northeastern Iraq supported by detailed petrographic investigation for the main components and diagenetic processes using a petrographic microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The techniques have revealed that the formation includes two microfacies; lime wackestone and lime packstone microfacies which in turn are subdivided into seven sub-microfacies, that were deposited in the quiet and deep marine environment. Planktonic foraminifera (keeled and globular chamber types) are dominant, along with oligostegina in addition to subordinate benthonic foraminifera and fine-grained bioclasts. Calcite forms the main mineralogical compositi

Upper Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds (CORBs) are pelagic sediment deposits that deposited in the Upper Cretaceous basin, with widespread in part of the world as well as in Iraq. This research investigates the deposition of cyclic marl and marly limestone CORBs of six selected sections at the active southern margin of the Tethys during the Late Campanian - Maastrichtian with petrography, microfacies, and depositional environment.
The measurement of carbonate content (CaCO3 %) in the rocks, 180 samples of all the geological sections were studied twice for each sample and the average readings were taken.
This examination proved the following major oxides wt. % concentrations domination SiO2, CaO, Al2 O3 and Fe2O3 with average values of 3

     The seismic reflection method has a primary role in petroleum exploration. This research is a structural interpretation study of the 2D seismic reflection survey carried out in the Upper West Euphrates (Khan Al-Baghdadi area), which is located in the western part of Iraq, Al-Anbar governorate. The two objectives of this research are to interpret Base Akkas/Top Khabour reflector and to define potential hydrocarbon traps in the surveyed area. Based on the synthetic seismogram of Akk_3 well near the study area, the Akkas/Top Khabour reflector was identified on the seismic section. Also, the Silurian Akkas Hot_shale reflector was identified and followed up, which represents the source and seal rocks of the Paleozoic

Records of two regionalized variables were processed for each of porosity and permeability of reservoir rocks in Zubair Formation (Zb-109) south Iraq as an indication of the most important reservoir property which is the homogeneity , considering their important results in criterion most needed for primary and enhanced oil reservoir .Z and F tests that were calculated for the two above mentioned properties of pair units of Zubair Formation have shown the difference in depositional energy and different diagenesis between units IL and AB , DJ and AB , and the similarity in grains size , sorting degree , depositional environment and pressure gradients between IL and AB units , LS and IL units ; also the difference in the properties above betw

     The behavior of rare earth elements (REE) in phosphate coprolites; deposited in marine upwelling shelf system (Iraq) and a condensed section of the intracontinental basin (Czech Republic) is compared and discussed in the present study. The eight coprolite samples show that the REE incorporated in the apatite of these phosphatized faecal trace fossils have significantly different behavior in the two sedimentary regimes and hold the REE source’s signature in the local sedimentary conditions. The behavior of heavy REE, light REE, Ce-anomaly and shale-normalized ratios of Ce/La, Sm/Yb and Pr/Ce can be mainly attributed to REE fractionation at the source. In contrast, middle REE enrichment may be attributed to local fractionation b

The Early Jurassic (Liassic) sequence crops out in numerous anticlines of the high folded zone of north and north-east Iraq and in the Rutba subzone (including Ubaid Formation) in west Iraq. The present study deals with siliciclastic / carbonate rocks of the 58 m-thick Ubaid Formation at Zor Hauran valley in south western Iraq. The formation consists of two parts; the lower part is composed of pebbly coarse sandstone and greenish to yellowish soft marl alternated with marly dolostone, while the upper part is characterized by light brown, well bedded dolostone, with stromatolite structure in some locations. Oval, light to dark brown nodules of chert are also present.

     A detailed field lithological desc

The current study was conducted to find out the effect of the sediment source (sedimentary of Iraqi-Iranian borderline and Tigris River) on the content and distribution of feldspar minerals and their effect on the optical properties of these minerals in some soils of Wasit and Maysan province. Eight pedons were chosen to represent the study area, five of them represented sediments coming from the borderline, which included pedons of (Badra, Taj Al-Din, Al-Shihabi, Jassan, and Galat), while two of them represent the sediments of the Tigris River (Essaouira, Al-Dabouni). Finally, the pedon of Ali Al-Gharbi represented the mixing area of sediments of all the torrents coming from borderline and the sediments of the Tigris River. The diagnostic

The Cretaceous Balambo Formation from three sections in Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq was studied. The selected sections are located in the Zagros Fold -Thrust Belt. Eleven rock samples were analyzed by means of the organic geochemical method, Bitumen extraction method, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine the bitumen and hydrocarbon content, kerogen types, origin of organic matter, thermal maturity level, and depositional environment. The analyzed samples are considered to have an excellent potential in Baranan-1.G1 and Sazan sections, with poor to fair potential in Baraw section. The Baranan-1.G1 source rocks are of type II kerogen (oil prone), whereas Sazan and Baraw samples are of type II/III (oil/ gas prone). De