Regional stratigraphy, facies distribution, and hydrocarbons potential of the Oligocene strata across the Arabian Plate and Western Iran

Major global events during the Oligocene epoch included a climatic change from warm “greenhouse” to a cooler “icehouse” that was accompanied by the onset of Antarctic glaciation. These events led to decline in water temperature, salinity, nutrient supply and oxygen levels, and the extinction of some major fauna and flora. Within the study area, during this epoch, the shrinkage of the Neotethys and the development of the Paratethys, the collision of Arabia with Eurasia and the development of the Zagros mountains and opening of the Red Sea which led eventually to the separation of Arabia from Africa were witnessed. Oligocene sediments are absent from most parts of the Arabian Plate but are well-preserved in western and southwestern Iran. The most well-developed strata are the coral reefs of the Kirkuk Group in northern Iraq and the shallow water carbonates of the Asmari Formation in southwestern Iran. The study area also represents the birthplace of commercial hydrocarbons production in the Middle East from these sediments in Masjid-i-Sulaiman Field in Iran and Kirkuk Field in Iraq at the first decade of the last century. Future exploration for hydrocarbons potential should focus on identifying subsurface coral buildups or clastic strata that are equivalent to the Asmari Formation in Iran.Scopu

High resolution seismic stratigraphic analysis: An integrated approach to the subsurface geology of the SE Persian Gulf

Papers included in this dissertation: Paper 1: Farzadi, P. 2006a. The development of Middle Cretaceous carbonate platforms, Persian Gulf, Iran: Constraints from seismic stratigraphy, well and biostratigraphy. Petroleum Geoscience, 12, 59-68. Paper 2: Farzadi, P. 2006b. Seismic facies analysis based on 3D multi-attribute volume classification, Dariyan Formation, SE Persian Gulf. Journal of Petroleum Geology,29/2, 159-174. Paper 3: Farzadi, P. & Hesthammer, J. (Submitted 2006). Diagnosis of the Upper Cretaceous paleokarst and turbidite systems from the Iranian Persian Gulf using volume-based multiple seismic attribute analysis and pattern recognition. N.B.: Originally accepted for publication in the AAPG Bulletin, later rejected because the US government prohibits the publication of papers using Iranian government datasets. The manuscript has been re-submitted to Petroleum Geoscience. Paper 4: Farzadi, P. & Alaei, B. (Submitted 2006). Stratigraphic architecture of the Zagros Basin: towards an objective comparison of the Fold-Thrust Belt and Foreland provinces. Submitted to the Journal of Petroleum Geology; under consideration for a thematic issue. Presentation (at international meeting and on web): Farzadi, P. 2005. Stratal geometries of the Cretaceous carbonate systems: application of multiple volumes attributes analysis to 3-D seismic data from the Persian Gulf. At: Middle to Far East Carbonate Reservoirs: Exploration, Development and Exploitation. PESGB Carbonate conference, 15th & 16th Nov. 2005 London