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.
As this study was not a consideration in the past, so decided to visit and
identify all exposure areas of the Upper Cretaceous period rocks are visited.
This study involved two fields touring reconnaissance extended from
Darbandikhan city in the east south to Shiranish Village in the west north.
Six lithological sections covering the studied area, four sections represent
Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds (CORBs) and two sections without (CORBs)
for the purpose of comparison between them. The sections are described in
detail and 250 samples were collected from all studied sections.
For the petrography and microfacies analysis 149 thin sections were
studied. The microfacies analysis showing two major successions with Red
Bed and Non-Red Bed marl and marly limestone, occasionally interbedded
with thinly beds of shale, sandstone and siltstone. These comprised of five
microfacies are Oligostegina Marly Limestone, Globotruncana Marly
Limestone, Marlstone with Microfossils, Red Marlstone, and Red to
Variegated Calcareous Sandstone with Radiolarian (Debrise Flow) Making
20 thin sections from Gendilly section(GS) (the typical section of this study)
for microscopic study of minute fossils (nannofossils) examination, for this
study proved that the Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds (CORBs) dating is
Mastrichtian age. The Microfossils and nannofossils tests proved the
presence of Danian Age in studied area.
This study has proved that the carbonate content in red limestone beds
ranged between 53.5-100.0 %, while this percentage ranged in red marly
rocks between 20.5-50.0 %, But in the rocks that do not contain red beds,
Carbonate content in limestone rocks ranged between 52.0-100.0 %, and in
marl rocks this ratio ranged between 27.5-49.5 %.
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 current study summarized the construction of a three-dimensional geological model of the Aquitanian sediments age, which represented by the Euphrates and Serikagni formation in Ajeel Oil Field, where Ajeel Oil Field has structural closure towards northwest - southeast. Sedimentary of the current study consist of limestone, dolomitic limestone, dolomite (compose of skeletal grains, non-skeletal grains and cement) and the appearance of some anhydrite rocks.
The petrographic study of the Euphrates Formation were prepared using a thin section of wells (Aj-1, Aj-4, Aj-5, Aj-6 and Aj-7), Previous studies and geological reports, as well as use well logs data in the statistical analysis by Petrel softwa
... Show MoreThe Shiranish Formation is cropped out in several areas in northern Iraq. A stratigraphic and facies study was conducted within the Duhok region to determine the sedimentary environment. Three microfacies, reflecting the various subenvironments within different shelf parts of the deep sea, have been identified within the Shiranish Formation. Four depositional environments are identified: slope, the toe of slope, deep shelf, and deep-sea or cratonic deep basin. The Shiranish Formation in the Duhok region, Northern Iraq, was deposited in an open shelf carbonate platform. The Shiranish Formation sequence is divided into six third-order cycles in the study area. These asymmetrical cycles reflect an imbalance between the relative level of the
... Show MoreThe lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic studies of the Shiranish Formation in the Diana area, Erbil, Northern Iraq, were conducted to distinguish the main lithostratigraphic units, depositional environment and the formation age. The Shiranish Formation in the study area can be divided into three rock units. The lower and upper units consist of marly limestone, marl and limestone deposited in the outer shelf environment, while the middle unit is dominated by laminated calcareous shale and marl deposited in the upper bathyal environment. Calcareous nannofossils showed the presence of about 20 species/genera in the studied Shiranish Formation. Three biozones are identified; Misceomarginatus pleniporus biozone;
... Show MoreThe 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
... Show MoreThe Barremain-Aptian succession represented by two types of deposits, Clasits deposits of Zubair Formation. This formation is the most significant sandstone reservoir in Iraq, Deposited in fluvio- deltaic, deltaic and marine environments during the Barremain to Early Aptian age.
The area of study is located in the Mesopotamian Zone at S
The Barremain-Aptian succession represented by the Clasits deposits of Zubair Formation. This formation is the most significant sandstone reservoir in Iraq which deposited in fluvio- deltaic, deltaic and marine environments during the Barremain to Early Aptian age. The area of study is located in the Mesopotamian Zone at Southern part of Iraq which represented by five oil fields (Nasira, L
... Show MoreGlobal 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 MoreThe Zubair Formation is the most significant sandstone reservoir in Iraq which deposited during the Barremian. The study area is located in the central part of Iraq at the Kifl oil field, in the northern part of the Mesopotamian Zone.
The petrographic study showed that quartz mineral is the main component of the sandstone in Zubair Formation with very low percentage of feldspar and rare rock fragments to classified as quartz arenite sandtone. There are five lithologic changes (lithofacies) that have characterized the studied succession: - well sorted quartz arenite, poorly sorted quartz arenite, poorly sorted graywacke, sandy shale, and shale. These lithofacieses were deposited in the deltaic environments as three associate
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