The Pila Spi formation composed of seven lithotypes; carbonates (dolomite and
dolomitic limestone), marl, shale/claystone, red argillaceous mudstone, sandstone,
carbonate breccias and debris flow, which are arranged in repeated cycles of mixed
siliciclastic-calciturbidites in a range of gravity-flow regime in the Koi Sanjaq area.
Sedimentologic and facies evidences suggest developed marine environment for the
Pila Spi Formation. Facies analysis and associated sedimentary structures including
graded beddings decide turbidity and gravity flow regime origin of the rocks.
Marine environment is supported by the identifying glauconite and fossils types,
which is reported here for the first time rather than lagoon environment.
The Pila Spi sequences are grouped into four facies associations confirming
developed marine depositional systems, these are (from bottom to top) channeledslumped
fine and mega carbonate breccias, calciturbidites, faulted and slump
carbonate mega-breccias, slump/slide carbonate mega-breccias facies associations
respectively.
Petrographic analysis of carbonate units of the Pila Spi rocks in Koi Sanjaq area
indicated that they are composed of skeletal grains with subordinate non-skeletal
grains of tuffaceous fragments, chert, chalcedony, volcanic ash, metamorphic and
detrital iron oxides grains, with noticeable grains of glauconite. Varieties of marine
fossils are identified includes planktonic bivalves and benthic forams of cool water,
which support the deeper marine environment.
Microfacies analysis reveals (15) types, these are; green algal boundstone, algal
wackestone dolomudstone, algal dolostone/mudstone, framestone-mudstone, small
benthic foraminiferal wackestone, algal packstone-mudstone, foraminiferal
packstone-mudstone, algal dolostone, fossiliferous grainstone, foraminiferal
packstone, stromatolite framestone, algal boundstone, calci-microbial grainstonepackstone,
and large benthic Foraminiferal bioclasts floatstone. These microfacies
types are grouped in four facies associations representing the depositional
environments of the formation, these are; outer shelf, reef, forereef, reef, backreef.
Shiranish Formation (Late Campanian- Maastrichtian) that cropping out north east Iraq, is studied by microfacies analysis of 52 thin section collected from Hijran Section, about 10 km west Shaqlawa Town, Governorate of Erbil. According to petrography, mineralogy and organic contents, rocks are subdivided to crystalline carbonate and microfacies units (biowackstone, packstone, and mudstone facies). Biowackstone facies have high ratio of the rock components, while the other facies have low ratio. Microfacies analysis led to relatively quiet deep marine environment.
The 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 MoreThree formations to be studied along Surdash, Qallat, Khalakan, Hezob, Sektan, Degala
and Shaqlawa areas in the Sulaimaniya and Erbil governorates, NE Iraq. These are: Dokan,
Gulneri and Kometan formations. The paleoecology and depositional environment of these
formations are determined by studying the ecology of the planktonic and benthic
foraminifera.
The depositional environment of are ranged from the continental shelf to the abyssal,
and the paleotemperature, salinity and paleoclimate were discriminated in each section
along the study area.
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
... Show MoreThe current study a accounts for the climate of the Diyala River Basin in Iraq where the climate is assessed depending on the most wellknown climatic classification. According to these classifications, it has been discovered that the area is located under Three climatic zones. The first zone is the semi humid or moderate, which covers the northern parts of the area. The second zone is the semi –dry climate which spreads over the middle part of the region. The third one, it extends over the southern parts and it is described as being dry .some maps were drawn to show the depth of rain fall for two successive periods. These maps indicate increase in the area of lands affected by the dry climate on account of the lands that used to lie
... Show MoreTo investigate and assess the effects of land use and land cover (LULC) on concentrations of heavy metals in the surface soils of Lesser Zab River Basin (LZRB), 25 surface soil samples were taken from different LULC classes. Heavy metals concentrations were measured and their enrichment factors were calculated. Most of the LZRB soil samples are moderately alkaline with pH>8 and characterized by low organic content. The average abundance of the major oxides follow the decreasing order of SiO2 % > CaO % > Al2O3 % > Fe2O3 %> MgO > K2O % > TiO2 % > Na2O % > SO3 % > P2O5 %. A correlation matrix revealed that clay and feldspar minerals, Fe and Mn oxides / hydroxides are the most important carrier phase for several
... Show MoreAn interpretive (structural and stratigraphic) study of the two,-dimensional seismic, data of East Nasiriya area (30 km to the south east of Nasiriya oil field within Thi-Qar province, southeastern Iraq) was carried out using Petrel 2017 program. The study area has an importance due to its location between many oil fields, but still without exploration of oil wells. Twenty five seismic lines were used, date back to different types of seismic surveys conducted in the region at different time periods. Also, the seismic velocity surveys of the nearest wells to oil fields, such as Nasiriya-1 and Subba-8, in addition to their sonic and density logs were used. A synthetic seismogram with a good matching with the seismic section was achie
... Show MoreA surface section of the Gercus Formation (Middle-Late Eocene) was studied in Berafat area, Dohuk Governorate, Northern Iraq. The Gercus Formation consists of a mixed siliciclastic sediments, evaporates and carbonate sequences in the studied region, predominantly in the upper and middle parts. Nevertheless, it usually consists of upward-fining carbonate-rich sandstone cyclothems, marl, conglomerate and siltstone along with a gypsum lens and thin micrite carbonate beds. The Gercus Formation was deposited in delta and delta front of occasionally depositional environment which is represented by red-brown claystone and reddish-brown mudstone lithofacies. Cross bedded pebbly sandstone, trough cross-bedded sandstone and lamin
... Show MoreThe middle Cenomanian – early Turonian Mishrif Formation, a major carbonate reservoir unit in southern Iraq, was studied using cuttings and core samples and wireline logs (gamma‐ray, density and sonic) from 66 wells at 15 oilfields. Depositional facies ranging from deep marine to tidal flat were recorded. Microfacies interpretations together with wireline log interpretations show that the formation is composed of transgressive and regressive hemicycles. The regressive hemicycles are interpreted to indicate the progradation of rudist lithosomes (highstand systems tract deposits) towards distal basinal locations such as the Kumait, Luhais and Abu Amood oilfield areas. Transgressive hemicycles (transgressive systems tract deposits)
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