Tectonic Evolution of Northeast Syria: Regional Implications and Hydrocarbon Prospects

Abstract

We present the Phanerozoic tectonic evolution of northeast Syria and incorporate the results into regional deformation models of the northern Arabian Platform and nearby Arabian Plate boundaries. Based on analysis of extensive seismic reflection profiles and well data, we interpret that the Sinjar-Abd el Aziz area in northeast Syria was subsiding under extension at various rates from the Carboniferous until the end of the Mesozoic, most markedly during the latest Cretaceous. The predominant basin through most of the Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic was southwest-northeast trending; this formed the northeast extension of the major Palmyride Basin to the southwest. During the Late Cretaceous, extension in eastern Syria initiated along southeast-northwest and then east-west trends - possibly as a result of changing subduction geometries and plate motions in the Neo-Tethys to the northeast. The east-west striking faulting resulted in syntectonic deposition of up to approximately 1,600 meters of Late Campanian-Maastrichtian marly limestones in the Sinjar-Abd el Aziz area. The area was subjected to horizontal shortening throughout the Cenozoic, primarily during Plio-Pleistocene time, resulting in structural inversion along some of the faults. Although crustal shortening through the Syrian Sinjar and Abd el Aziz structures is relatively minor (approximately 1%), this has been critical to hydrocarbon trap formation in Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata through the formation of fault-propagation folds. We present regional models that show the interrelated tectonic history of northeast Syria, the Palmyrides, and the Euphrates Fault System are all inseparably linked to the polyphase opening and closing of the nearby Neo-Tethys Ocean.

The Ordovician System in the Levant region (Middle East) and southern Turkey: review of depositional facies, fauna and stratigraphy

“…The thickness of the Ordovician strata is reported as possibly more than 2.3 km. The Lower Ordovician comprises the sandstone dominated Khanasser Formation, whereas the Middle Ordovician Swab Formation is of shale lithology, and the Upper Ordovician Afendi Formation is of sandstones again (Brew et al, 1999). The general lithological succession is roughly similar to that known from the southern Levant region (see above).…”

Structural Style and Timing of Nw‐se Trending Zagros Folds in Sw Iran: Interaction With North‐south Trending Arabian Folds and Implications for Petroleum Geology

“…Rezaie et al, 2016;Rahimpour-Bonab et al, 2014). Pre-folding normal faults have been recognized and described from a variety of locations across the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt (Brew et al, 1999;Ahmadhadi et al, 2007;Sharp et al, 2010;Snidero et al, 2011;Lapponi et al, 2011;Tavani et al, 2014;Pireh et al, 2015) (Fig. 34).…”