Zagros
The Zagros fold-and-thrust belt and foreland basin in Iran and Iraq is one of the top oil and gas producing regions in the world. The producing fields are mainly hosted in Cenozoic and Cretaceous fractured carbonate anticlines, which were formed in the late Cenozoic. The fold and reservoir geometries of their structures are still poorly known. Key information on individual structures, local and regional stratigraphy, sediment geometries and reservoir to regional scale deformation patterns are missing. Addressing these issues may allow new exploration concepts developed worldwide in fold-and-thrust belts to be applied, leading to new discoveries and a better appreciation of the reservoir geology of existing fields.
Map of Region
Regional Expertise
The Zagros was an important element of CASP studies from 2001 to 2004. Our research focus was the structural evolution of the range during the late Mesozoic to Cenozoic, with fieldwork a key component of the work from the outset. Topics include detailed outcrop studies of large dissected folds similar to neighbouring prospective and producing structures, the study of inherited pre-orogen geometries and the interaction of evolving structures with contemporaneous depositional systems. A major aspect of the work was the construction of serial cross sections at 1:100,000 and balancing and restoration of sections at 1:250,000 integrated in a GIS database. Additional fieldwork was carried out in 2005 to support our work on the Palaeozoic of Arabia Project.
Most Recent Reports
- Paleozoic of Arabia Project: Summary report CASP.PZA2011-13.10
- Whole rock geochemistry, mineralogy and source potential of shales from the Khabour Formation in the Akkas-1 well and Chia Zinnar section CASP.PZA2011-13.6
- Petrography and whole rock geochemistry of the Chalki basalts in northern Iraq CASP.PZA2011-13.5
- Petrography and whole rock geochemistry of the Late Devonian Pirispiki Formation at outcrop in northern Iraq CASP.PZA2011-13.4
- Petrography and whole rock geochemistry of the Ordovician Khabour Formation in the Akkas-1 well and the Khabour Section CASP.PZA2011-13.3