The early Carboniferous Harur Formation from the Ora outcrop section of northern Iraq consists of black shale, calcareous shale and carbonate. The mineralogical and geochemical investigations (major and trace elements) of the black shale and calcareous shale units have been conducted to evaluate paleoenvironmental conditions including paleoclimate, paleoredox conditions, paleoproductivity, sedimentary rate, and to evaluate their effects on organic matter accumulation. The geochemical proxies such as the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), A-CN-K plot, Sr/Cu ratio, and the relation between the ratio of Ga/Rb and Sr/Cu suggest moderate to intense chemical weathering under humid conditions. The Rb/K and Sr/Ba ratios indicate a freshw

The aim of this study is to investigate the sedimentation environments and diagenetic processes of the Ibrahim Formation (Oligocene-early Miocene) in Zurbatiya, eastern Iraq. The Ibrahim Formation is comprised mostly of clayey micrite and skeletal grains composed of planktonic foraminifera, calcispheres, radiolaria, and benthic foraminifera. Glauconite and pyrite were documented in some restricted zones of this formation; they reflect quiet and reducing conditions. Radiolaria were identified in Late-Oligocene which was not known previously at this age regionally in carbonate formations of the Arabian Plate (AP). Mudstone, wackestone, and planktonic foraminiferal wackepackstone are the main microfacies that are affected by dissolutio

     This research studies the petrography, mineralogy and diagenetic history of the Sarmord Formation at Sulaimani and Erbil Governorates in Northeastern Iraq. The Sarmord Formation consists mainly of alternated yellowish to bluish gray bedded marly limestone with yellowish gray soft marl beds. Petrographic investigations of the marly limestones were based on 270 thin sections and show that the skeletal grains include bioclasts, foraminiferas, radiolarians, calcispheres, echinoderms, ostracods and cephalopods. The groundmass is composed of micrite with light brown to gray colors, rich in organic materials and iron oxides. The X-ray diffraction analysis of the marls revealed that the abundant clay minerals in the Sarmord Formation ar

The Sarmord Formation is one of the overlooked formations that require more investigations than that achieved before. There are many problems in its definition, age, stratigraphy and aerial distribution. Previously in most parts of the Sulaymaniyah, it is not mapped and its outcrops combined with Balambo Formation while in the present study it is differentiated, mapped in the field on the Qaywan anticline and its problems discussed in details with a suggestion of solutions. For laboratory studies, 31 samples are taken on the Qywan Mountain (anticline) at 23 km north of the Sulaimani city for nannofossils biozonation. This study identified 19 species of the recorded calcareous nannofossils, the studied section reveals three biozones

The 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

One of the costliest problems facing the production of hydrocarbons in unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs is the production of sand once hydrocarbon production starts. The sanding start prediction model is very important to decide on sand control in the future, including whether or when sand control should be used. This research developed an easy-to-use Computer program to determine the beginning of sanding sites in the driven area. The model is based on estimating the critical pressure drop that occurs when sand is onset to produced. The outcomes have been drawn as a function of the free sand production with the critical flow rates for reservoir pressure decline. The results show that the pressure drawdown required to

This work aims to investigate the inhibition of vitality of Streptococcus mutans, which is the causative agent of caries. A 632.8 nm He-Ne laser with the output power of 4.5mW was used in combination with toluidine blue O (TBO) at the concentration of 50μg/ml as a photosensitizer. Streptococcus mutans was isolated from 35 patients if carious teeth. Three isolates were chosen and exposed to different energy densities of He – Ne laser light 3.8, 11.7, 34.5 and 104.1 J/cm². After irradiation, substantial reduction was observed in the number of colony forming units (CFU)/ ml. The reduction in the number of CFU was increasing as the dose increased.

     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