Microfacies Analysis and Depositional Environment of Sarki Formation (Early Jurassic), Rawanduz Area, Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq

Abstract

A detail sedimentological analysis of the Sarki Formation (Early Jurassic) in Warte and Zarwan sections in the Imbricated Zone, northern Iraq has been conducted for the first time. The Sarki Formation in both studied sections are consisting of dolomite, dolomitic limestone and recrystallized breccia. The petrographic study of the 80 thin sections analyzed in both outcrops showed the skeletal and non-skeletal components. The skeletal components are including ostracods, bivalves and echinoderms. While the main non skeletal grains are peloids, ooids, extraclasts and intraclasts. The diagenetic processes which affected the carbonate rocks of the Sarki Formation was dolomitization, compaction, cementation, micritization, solution and slicification. The result of XRD and SEM of eight samples of dolomite and dolomitic limestone show that the main minerals are dolomite and calcite. In the carbonate rocks nine main microfacies have been identified, which are classified into three facies groupings that correspond to three depositional environments; peritidal, lagoon and high energy shoal within ramp settings.

Petroleum potentiality of the Balambo Formation in Bekhme and Razan sections, Kurdistan region, northeastern Iraq

“…This anticline exposes the Jurassic rocks in the core such as Sarki and Sehkaniyan formations. While Cretaceous rocks cropped out on the limbs of the anticline, Balambo and Qamchuqa formations [9]. On the other hand, Bekhme section is exposing at the northeastern limb of Berat Anticline in the High Folded Zone, it is asymmetrical and double plunging anticline has a fold axis of NW-SE direction and changed to E-W trend toward the western part [10].…”