Fracture patterns and petrophysical properties of carbonates undergoing regional folding: A case study from Kurdistan,N Iraq

The Zagros-Taurus fold and thrust belt hosts a prolific hydrocarbon system. Most hydrocarbon reserves are stored in naturally fractured reservoirs and such fracture systems can therefore have a significant impact on reservoir performance. Fractures are one of the most important paths for fluid flow in carbonate reservoirs, and industrial geoscientists and engineers therefore need to understand and study fracture patterns in order to optimise hydrocarbon production. The observed fracture patterns in outcrops may have implications on fluid flow and reservoir modelling in subsurface reservoirs, and we have therefore undertaken a case study of fracturing associated with regional folding in Iraqi Kurdistan. In this area, some exploration wells currently target Upper Triassic dolostones (Kurra Chine Formation) and/or Lower Jurassic limestones and dolomitised limestones (Sehkaniyan Formation). In both units hydrocarbon production comes mainly from secondary porosity created by dolomitisation, dissolution and fracturing. Both formations have undergone multiple phases of deformation associated with burial, uplift, folding and thrusting. We investigate some fracture pattern characteristics and some petrophysical properties of these units using selected outcrops around the Gara, Ora and Ranya anticlines that form folds directly traceable for 25–70 km. Our outcrop data is compared with subsurface fracture and petrophysical datasets reported from wells in the nearby Shaikhan and Swara Tika Fields. The 1-2-3D fracture attributes collected from outcrops are fracture orientation, type, spacing, intensity, length and cross-cutting and abutting relationships. Fracture orientations show a clear relationship to the local fold axis in both the outcrop and subsurface, although in some cases they appear to relate more to the present day in-situ maximum horizontal stress direction or local strike-slip faulting. Three stages of fracturing are proposed: pre-folding, early-folding and post-folding fractures. In addition, we report petrophysical properties - porosity, permeability and acoustic velocity of both the Kurra Chine and Sehkaniyan formations in relation to their structural position within folds and faults and stratigraphic level. The highest porosities and permeabilities are recorded in the hinges and backlimbs of the Gara Anticline. The best reservoir quality (highest porosity and permeability) is often found in areas associated with replacement dolomite i.e. solution vugs and intercrystalline porosity. The Kurra Chine Formation displays similar trends in velocity-porosity data at both outcrop and the subsurface. However, the Sehkaniyan Formation displays lower acoustic velocity for a given porosity at outcrop compared to the subsurface.     

Petroleum generation characteristics of heterogeneous source rock from Chia Gara formation in the Kurdistan region,northern Iraq as inferred by bulk and quantitative pyrolysis techniques

This study is the first attempt which provides information regarding the bulk and quantitative pyrolysis results of the Chia Gara Formation from the Kurdistan region, northern Iraq. Ten representative early-mature to mature samples from the Chia Gara Formation were investigated for TOC contents, Rock Eval pyrolysis, pyrolysis-GC and bulk kinetic parameters. These analyses were used to characterize the petroleum generated during thermal maturation of the Chia Gara source rock and to clarify the quantity of the organic matter and its effect on the timing of petroleum generation.Pyrolysis HI data identified two organic facies with different petroleum generation characteristics; Type II–III kerogen with HI values of >250 mg HC/g TOC, and Type III kerogen with HI values < 100 mg HC/g TOC. These types of kerogen can generate liquid HCs and gas. This is supported by the products of pyrolysis–gas chromatography (Py–GC) analysis of the extracted rock samples. Pyrolysis products show a dominance of a marine organic matter with variable contributions from terrestrial organic matter (Types II–III and III kerogen), and produces mainly paraffinic-naphthenic-aromatic low wax oils with condensate and gas.Bulk kinetic analysis of the Chia Gara source rock indicates a heterogeneous organic matter assemblage, typical of restricted marine environments in general. The activation energy distributions reveal relatively broad and high values, ranging from 40 to 64 kcal/mol with pre-exponential factors varying from 2.2835 E+12/sec to 4.0920 E+13/sec. The predicted petroleum formation temperature of onset (TR 10%) temperatures ranges from 110 to 135 °C, and peak generation temperatures (geological T_max) between 137 °C and 152 °C. The peak generation temperatures reach a transformation ratio in the range of 42–50% TR, thus the Chia Gara source rock could have generated and expelled significant quantities of petroleum hydrocarbons in the Kurdistan of Iraq.     

Effects of Recent Instability on Cultivated Area Along the Euphrates River in Iraq

We used MODIS NDVI data to determine whether there was a significant change in cultivated area along the Euphrates River in Iraq after the Iraq War compared to before and during the war. Results revealed that mean cultivated area was largest during the pre–Iraq War period (2000–2003) with 99,115 Mha, reduced some during the early Iraq War period (2003–2006) to 83,480 Mha, reduced even further during the late Iraq War period (2007–2011) to 53,813 Mha due to drought, and increased slightly during the post–Iraq War period (2012–2015) to 69,161 Mha, although not returning to previous highs of the pre–Iraq War or early Iraq War periods. Statistical analysis with the Kruskal–Wallis test revealed that the small cultivated area during the post–Iraq War period was more closely related to the late Iraq War and drought period than previous periods, indicating that recent instability, such as political turmoil following the departure of U.S. troops, violent militant extremism, lack of economic investment, and environmental degradation, has had a similar effect on cultivated area as a devastating drought.     

Spatiotemporal variation in the terrestrial vegetation phenology of Iraq and its relation with elevation

Iraq contains the Great Mesopotamian alluvial plain of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Its regional vegetation phenological patterns are worthy of investigation because relatively little is known about the phenology of semi-arid environments, and because their inter-annual variation is expected to be driven by uncertain rainfall and varied topography. The aim of this research was to assess and map the spatial variation in key land surface phenology (LSP) parameters over the last decade and their relation with elevation. It is the first study mapping land surface phenology during last decade over the whole of Iraq, and one of only a few studies on vegetation phenology in a semi-arid environment. Time-series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) data at 250 m spatial resolution and 8 day temporal resolution, were employed to map the spatial variation in three LSP parameters for the major vegetation types in Iraq during 2001–2012. LSP parameters were defined by inflection points after smoothing the vegetation phenological signals using the Fourier technique. The estimated key LSP parameters indicated that the relatively shorter length of season (LOS) in the north of Iraq resulted from a delayed start of season (SOS). Greater spatial variation occurred in the SOS than end of season (EOS), which may be due to the spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature as a function of elevation. A positive correlation was observed for SOS and EOS with elevation for all major land cover types with EOS producing the largest positive correlation (R² = 0.685, R² = 0.638 and R² = 0.588, p < 0.05 in shrubland, cropland and grassland, respectively). The magnitude of delay in SOS and EOS increased in all land cover types along a rising elevation gradient where for each 500 m increase, SOS was delayed by around 25 or more days and EOS delayed by around 22 or more days, except for grassland. The SOS and EOS also varied temporally during the last decade, particularly the SOS in the lowland, north of the country where the standard deviation was around 80 to 120 days, due mainly to the practice of crop rotation and the traditional biennial cropping system. Thus, the results of this research emphasize the effect of elevation on key LSP parameters over Iraq, for all major vegetation types.     

Sand Dunes Fixation in Baiji District,Iraq

This study was carried out at Sand Dunes Stabilization Researches Station in Baiji district (230km north of Baghdad,Iraq) to evaluate the effects of local soil conditioners manufactured from oil derivatives and plant residuals on sand dunes fixation as the first step for sand dunes stabilization.The results indicate that the fuel oil has the first place in improving wind erosion parameters in the study area,such as increasing mean weight diameter,dry aggregates percentage,the needed time for complete disaggregation by dry sieving,and decreasing the disaggregation rates.Bitumen emulsion occupies the second place ,while the plant residuals occupies the third place and has slight effects on the studied pa-rameters.Effects of conditioners on natural vegetation cover are negative in oil derivatives treatments,while positive in plants residuals treatments.     

Petrology and depositional evolution of the Paleozoic rocks of Iraq

The study integrates petrographical and lithological data from deep exploration wells and outcrops in northern Iraq to better understand the sedimentary environments present in the basin and to evaluate the depositional evolution of the Paleozoic rocks in Iraq. The studied Paleozoic successions are represented by five sedimentary cycles of intracratonic sequences. These are dominated mainly by siliciclastic and mixed sedimentary packages, and are separated by major and minor unconformity surfaces. These cycles are as follow: the Ordovician cycle, represented by the Khabour Formation; the Silurian cycle, represented by the Akkas Formation; the Middle-Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous cycle, represented by the Chalki, Pirispiki, Kaista, Ora and Harur formations; the Permian–Carboniferous cycle, represented by the Ga’ara Formation and late Permian cycle, represented by the Chia Zairi Formation. Generally, the cycles are characterized by siliciclastic and mixed carbonate–clastic facies with abrupt changes during Late Paleozoic reflecting the environmental and tectonic events during this period. The Ordovician Khabour Formation is suggested to be of shallow marine environment of deposition with stacked transgressive and regressive cycles that are eustatically controlled. The shale of Silurian Akkas Formation was deposited in open-marine environment. Depositional regimes in the Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous are considered as a continuation of deposition in the subsiding basin with a wide geographic distribution that reflect the epicontinental or epeiric seas in a homoclinic ramp setting. The Permo-Carboniferous Ga’ara Formation was deposited in continental to paralic environment while the Late Permian Chia Zairi Formation represents the carbonate platform deposition. The study revealed that potential source rocks may include some shale beds of the Khabour Formation, hot shales of Akkas Formation and the shales of Ora Formation. The sandstones of the Khabour, Akkas and Kaista formations have good reservoir potential. The Late Permian carbonates of Chia Zairi Formation may be self-sourcing and contain multiple reservoirs. The occurrence of shale as source rocks and limestone as reservoir rocks and some evaporates as sealing horizons make the formation as a reservoir in its own right.     

遥感和GIS技术应用于伊拉克南部Basrah省土地利用/覆盖变化及城市扩张研究(英文)

In recent years, land use/cover dynamic change has become a key subject that needs to be dealt with in the study of global environmental change. In this paper, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are integrated to monitor, map, and quantify the land use/cover change in the southern part of Iraq (Basrah Province was taken as a case) by using a 1:250 000 mapping scale. Remote sensing and GIS software were used to classify Landsat TM in 1990 and Landsat ETM+ in 2003 imagery into five land use and land cover (LULC) classes: vegetation, sand, urban area, unused land, and water bodies. Supervised classification and normalized difference build-up index (NDBI) were used respectively to retrieve its urban boundary. An accuracy assessment was performed on the 2003 LULC map to determine the reliability of the map. Finally, GIS software was used to quantify and illustrate the various LULC conversions that took place over the 13-year span of time. Results showed that the urban area had increased by the rate of 1.2% per year, with area expansion from 3 299.1 km² in 1990 to 3 794.9 km² in 2003. Large vegetation area in the north and southeast were converted into urban construction land. The land use/cover changes of Basrah Province were mainly caused by rapid development of the urban economy and population immigration from the countryside. In addition, the former government policy of “returning farmland to transportation and huge expansion in military camps” was the major driving force for vegetation land change. The paper concludes that remote sensing and GIS can be used to create LULC maps. It also notes that the maps generated can be used to delineate the changes that take place over time. Supported by the Al-Basrah University, Iraq, the Geo-information Science and Technology Program (No. IRT 0438)China).     

Feminist Geopolitics Revisited: Body Counts in Iraq*

Feminist geography and political geography still represent two solitudes within the discipline. While increased traffic between these different parts of the discipline points to a degree of intellectual engagement, there remains a paucity of feminist thought in political geography. This article examines recent scholarship on feminist political geography, with a view to applying its insights to the struggles to protest and end political violence. The concept of feminist geopolitics is employed and recast, both as a bridging concept between feminist and political geography and as an analytical approach that has political valence in the context of the war in Iraq. Feminist geopolitics is revisited in this article, but remains a critical analytic in relation to body counts and other casualties in war zones.     

伊拉克艾哈代布油田白垩系生物铸模孔及体腔孔发育的灰岩储层特征及成因分析

伊拉克地区艾哈代布油田白垩系(含)生物灰岩的生物铸模孔和体腔孔普遍发育,是主要的储集空间。本文综合利用铸体薄片观察、物性实验数据和压汞曲线等资料对该类储层的特征和成因进行分析。生物铸模孔以绿藻铸模孔为主,常发育在生物碎屑滩和藻屑滩中;发育的体腔孔主要为底栖有孔虫和浮游有孔虫体腔孔,在滩间凹地及台坪中常见。研究区灰岩储层的平均孔隙度在20%～25%,为中高孔储层,渗透率与孔隙结构和孔隙组合类型密切相关。生物铸模孔和晶间微孔组合储层的孔隙结构相对较好,平均渗透率约在2×10-3～10×10-3μm2之间,为中高孔-中低渗储层;体腔孔和晶间微孔组合储层的孔隙结构相对较差,平均渗透率小于2×10-3μm2,属于中高孔低渗储层。生物铸模孔及体腔孔灰岩储层的发育受控于沉积环境和同生期溶蚀作用。藻屑滩沉积在较局限的环境,因同生期的暴露溶蚀作用,发育铸模孔。滩间凹地、台坪等相对静水环境沉积物中有孔虫含量较高,原生的有孔虫体腔孔发育。由于这两类孔隙分布相对"孤立",主要靠晶间隙连通,形成了储层的中高孔和低渗透的特征。     

Chromitite and peridotite from Rayat, northeastern Iraq, as fragments of a Tethyan ophiolite

Ophiolitic rocks (chromitites and serpentinized peridotites) were petrologically examined in detail for the first time from Rayat, in the Iraqi part of the Zagros thrust zone, an ophiolitic belt. Almost all the primary silicates have been altered out, but chromian spinel has survived from alteration and gives information about the primary petrological characteristics. The protolith of the serpentinite was clinopyroxene-free harzburgite with chromian spinel of intermediate Cr# (= Cr/[Cr + Al] atomic ratio) of 0.5 to 0.6. The harzburgite with that signature is the most common in the mantle section of the Tethyan ophiolites such as the Oman ophiolite, and is the most suitable host for chromitite genesis. Except for one sample, which has Cr# = 0.6 for spinel, the Cr# of spinel is high, around 0.7, in chromitite. The variation in Cr# of spinel in chromitite observed here has been also reported in the Oman ophiolite. The peridotite with chromitite pods exposed at Rayat was derived from an ophiolite similar in petrological character to the Oman ophiolite, one of the typical Tethyan ophiolites (fragments of Tethyan oceanic lithosphere). This result is consistent with the previous interpretation based on geological analysis.