Industrial Assessment of Limestone Beds of the Qamchuqa Formation for Cement Industry, Kurdistan Region, North Iraq

Authors

  • Varoujan Sissakian Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management, School of Science and Engineering, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Erbil, KRI, Iraq http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9840-5422
  • Ala Abdulla Ghafur Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management, School of Science and Engineering, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Erbil, KRI, Iraq http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8535-2472
  • Sarhang Omer Mineral Resource Engineer, Erbil, KRI, Iraq
  • Dyar Khalil Mineral Resource Engineer, Sulaimani, KRI, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25079/ukhjse.v5n2y2021.pp62-71

Keywords:

Qamchuqa Formation, Limestone, Cement industry, Reserve Estimation, IKR

Abstract

The Qamchuqa Formation is widely exposed in Kurdistan Region (IKR); north of Iraq. The formation along with the Bekhme Formation form the bulk of the main mountains (anticlines) in the IKR. Among those anticlines is the Ranya anticline, which has a NW – SE trend, where the Qamchuqa Formations has a thickness of about 700 m. The main lithological facies of the formation are limestone, dolomitic limestone and dolomite. We have sampled the uppermost 89 meters of the northeastern limb, by collecting 10 samples of different sampling intervals that range from (3 – 12) m. The ten rock samples were tested by an XRF to measure the concentration of the oxides at each sample. The XRF results showed that the 10 rock samples are limestone with different percentages of oxides. The weighted averages of the oxides in the collected samples have been calculated, and the results showed that the limestone beds along the studied section in the upper part of the Qamchuqa Formations are suitable for the cement industry. The average concentration of CaO and MgO is 55.13 % and 0.26 %, respectively.

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Author Biographies

  • Varoujan Sissakian, Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management, School of Science and Engineering, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Erbil, KRI, Iraq

    Varoujan Sissakian: Has graduated from University of Baghdad in 1969 with BSc degree in Geology, and MSc in Engineering Geological Mapping from I.T.C., the Netherlands in 1982. He joined Iraq Geological Survey (GEOSURV) in 1971 and was nominated as Expert in 2005; retired on 10th of October, 2012. He has 125 documented reports in GEOSURV's library and 145 published articles in different geological aspects in different geological journals and 36 articles in different stages of publications. He was the Deputy Vice President of the Middle East Subcommission of the Committee of Compilation the Geological Map of the World (CGMW), Paris, from February 2010 until August 2012. He was Visiting Lecturer in University of Kurdistan, Hewler, since October, 2014 and Lecturer since February, 2017. Currently, he is a Lecturer in the University of Kurdistan Hewler, Erbil, KRG, Iraq.

  • Ala Abdulla Ghafur, Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management, School of Science and Engineering, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Erbil, KRI, Iraq

    Ala A. Ghafur: Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management joined UKH in September 2013 having different positions in the Natural Resources Engineering and Management department including Chair of the department. She received her PhD degree in Petroleum Geoscience from Cardiff University-United Kingdom, specialized in Carbonate Reservoir Characterization and Sedimentology.

  • Sarhang Omer, Mineral Resource Engineer, Erbil, KRI, Iraq

    Sarhang Omer: is a Mineral Resource Engineer, Erbil, KRI, Iraq

  • Dyar Khalil, Mineral Resource Engineer, Sulaimani, KRI, Iraq

    Diyar S. Khlail : is a Mineral Resource Engineer, Sulaimani, KRI, Iraq.

References

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Sissakian, V.K., Ghafur, A.A., Ibrahem, F.I., Abdulahaq, H.A., Hamoodi, D.A. & Omer, H.O. (2021). Suitability of the Carbonate Rocks of the Bekhme Formation for Cement Industry, Hareer Mountain, North Iraq, Kurdistan Region. Iraqi Geological Journal, 54(2C), 59–67.

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Published

2021-12-28

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2021): ISSUE 9

Section

Research Articles

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How to Cite

Industrial Assessment of Limestone Beds of the Qamchuqa Formation for Cement Industry, Kurdistan Region, North Iraq. (2021). UKH Journal of Science and Engineering, 5(2), 62-71. https://doi.org/10.25079/ukhjse.v5n2y2021.pp62-71

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