Baluti Formation of the Rhaetian (Late Triassic) age is composed mainly of dolomite, the unit formed with dolomitic limestone, dolomitic breccias and limestone begins with gray or dark gray colored and sugar textured dolomitic limestones including micrite with shale horizons. Baluti Formation was deposited in carbonate platform, and slumped to deeper margins forming carbonate debrites and breccias of various types.
Petrographic examination of the dolomites reveals various crystal habits and textures of the dolomites. Planktonic bivalve, calcisphere and echinoid spicules were found in the Baluti Formation settled in deep-margin carbonate environment. Nine dolomite-rock textures were identified and classified according to the crystal-size distribution and crystal-boundary shape. These are made of unimodal, 1) very fine to fine-crystalline planar-s (subhedral) mosaic dolomite; 2) unimodal, medium to coarse-crystalline planar-s (subhedral) mosaic dolomite; 3) coarse to very coarse crystalline planar-s (subhedral) dolomite; 4) medium to coarse-crystalline planar-e (euhedral) mosaic dolomite; 5) medium to coarse-crystalline planar-e (euhedral) dolomite; 6) coarse to very coarse-crystalline non-planar-a (anhedral) dolomite; 7) coarse to very coarse-crystalline non-planar-c (cement) dolomite; 8) polymodal, planar-s (subhedral) to planar-e (euhedral) mosaic dolomite. Dolomitization is closely associated with the development of secondary porosity; dolomitization pre and post diagenetic dissolution and corrosion and no secondary porosity generation is present in the associated limestones. The most common porosity types are non-fabric selective moldic and vugy porosity and intercrystalline porosity. These porous zones are characterized by late-diagenetic coarse-crystalline dolomite, whereas the non-porous intervals are composed of dense mosaics of early-diagenetic dolomites. The distribution of dolomite rock textures indicates that porous zones were preserved as limestone until late in the diagenetic history, and were then subjected to late-stage dolomitization in a medium burial environment, resulting in coarse-crystalline porous dolomites. Baluti dolomites have been formed as early diagenetic at the tidal-subtidal environment and as a late diagenetic at the shallow-deep burial depths.
Volcaniclastic rocks of Al Muqdadiya Formation (Pliocene) in Injana area, southern Hemrin anticline, NE of Iraq, were studied ( petrographically, physically, mineralogically and geochemically , as well as the engineering properties) to assess the suitability of volcaniclastic rocks to use them in industry as refractories. The results show that the physical and engineering properties change with the temperature change. The bulk density and the specific gravity increase by increasing temperature while the apparent porosity, water sorption and the linear shrinkage decrease. On the other hand the compressive strength increase by increasing temperature. The volcaniclastics have very low thermal conductivity.
The petrography, mineralogy and
Diagenetic processes and types of pores that control the reservoir properties are studied for Mauddud Formation in selected wells of Badra oil field, central Iraq. The microscopic study of the thin sections shows the effects of micritization, cementation, neomorphism, dissolution, dolomitization, compaction, and fracturing on Mauddud Formation carbonate microfacies. The decrease of porosity is resulted from cementation, compaction, and neomorphism. Different types of calcite cement occlude pore spaces such as drusy cement, syntaxial rim cement, and granular (blocky) cement. The neomorphism of micritic matrix and skeletal grains reduces porosity as indicated by development of microspar or pseudospar. Evidence of decreasing porosity by com
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The Hartha Formation (age Late Campanian – Early Maastrichtian) is considered an important oil reservoir in Iraq. The petrography and the diagenetic features were determined based on the analyses of 430 thin sections from selected wells within Balad and East Baghdad oil fields, Ba-2, Ba-3, EB-53, Eb-56 and EB-102.
The most important and common diagenesis processes that affect Hartha Formation include Cementation, Neomorphsim, Micrtitization, Dolomitization, Compaction, Dissolution, and Authigenic minerals. This diagenesis deformation on Hartha Formation has overall accentuated the reservoir quality heterogeneity.
The reservoir quality evolution is affected by destruction by grain compaction mechanical and chemica
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The content of redox sensitive trace element (V, Co, Ni, and Mo) in the bituminous limestone of the Euphrates Formation (E. Miocene) and bituminous gypsum of the Fatha Formation (M. Miocene) in the Hit Abu-Jir village area, Anbar governorate were determined using Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS), in order to infer the origin of the hydrocarbon and the depositional conditions of the organic matter. Hydrocarbons species by using FTIR technique was identified as aliphatic, aromatic compound, hydroxyl acids, hydroxyl group, sulfoxide and sulfur. Bitumen occurrences in these formations is a result of the hydrocarbon seepages that moved up under high pressure along the Abu-Jir fault Zone, and then were intruded in the lime
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Iron ore deposits have been identified from Nawgwezany Mishao in the Shalair Valley area within the Iraqi Zagros Suture Zone (IZSZ) at NE-Iraq. The iron ore is mainly hosted by the Shalair Metamorphic Rock Group calcschist. The transmitted and reflected light microscope study and X-ray diffraction of the calcschist revealed that the predominance minerals are calcite, and sillimanite, while muscovite, graphite, k-feldspar, and opaque mineral represent minor constituents. Meanwhile, skarn host rock as a second host rock shows the mineral assemblages of clinopyroxene, quartz, hornblende, epidote, plagioclase, sericite, garnet, and opaque minerals. The field and petrographical data indicated that the iron ore includes magnetite, hem
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The outcrop sections of Ora Formation (late Devonian-Early Carboniferous) in the Nazdor and Ora localities at the Northern Thrust Zone of Iraq were selected for this study. Lithologically the Ora Formation composed of clastic and carbonate rocks. The lower part in the Nazdor section cosists of crossbedded quartz arenite sandstone interbedded with successive laminated siltstone and shale. The lithology of the upper part in the Nazdor section and the upper part in Ora section, are composed of mixed silicalcastic (shale, siltstone and sandstone) and carbonate interbedded lithology. The petrographic study shows that the carbonate rocks consist of micrite and sparite groundmass. The skeletal grains include shallow water brachiopods, bryozoans
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A 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
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