Oligocene and Miocene Rock Beds in Mamlaha anticline, Chamchamal town, Sulaimani city- Kurdistan region/ Iraq

Volume 16 , Issue 2 , May 2014 , Pages 71-95

Authors

¹ School of Art- Ceramic Materials, University of Sulaimani

² School of Science- Geology, University of Sulaimani

Previously, the Oligocene rock beds in the Mamlaha anticline have neither mentioned nor

proved. There are some selected sections that detected during field surveys but did not verified

weather belong to Oligocene- Miocene ages or not. Through this research, it is proved that they are

composed of Oligocene and Miocene rock strata. They are well-known as excellent rock reservoirs

for hydrocarbon accumulation in Kurdistan region and Iraq as a whole.

Field survey and stratigraphic study with microfacies analysis showed that nearly 37 meter of the

rock units from Mamlaha anticline (Mamlaha, Khwelin and Pungala sections) are representing

these formations; Bajwan Formation (Middle Oligocene), Anah and Ibrahim formations (Late

Oligocene) ages, Serikagni, Euphrates and Dhiban formations (Early Miocene) and Jeribe

Formation (Middle Miocene) ages respectively.

The contact between Bajwan and Anah is unconformable; the Lower contact of Bajwan Formation

is not exposed in each of the section. Ibrahim Formation however not exposed as well beds of marly

limestone; it shows as pocket of marly limestone, but it sandwiched between Bajwan and Anah

formations and shows no clear boundary.

The upper contact of Anah Formation is separated from Euphrates Formation by 2 meters of green

marl which indicates abrupt change in the lithology. The upper contact of Euphrates shows

unconformity, while Dhiban Formation is unconformably underneath the marly sandy bituminous

limestone of Jeribe Formation; Jeribe Formation is also unconformably lies beneath the claystone of

Fatha Formation.

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