Fracture Analysis in the Outcrops of the Qara Chauq Anticlines, Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt of Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq

Authors

  • Abdullah Awdal Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management, School of Science and Engineering, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3439-8910

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25079/ukhjse.v6n2y2022.pp26-37

Keywords:

Fracture, Fault, Qara Chauq, Zagros, Kurdistan, Iraq

Abstract

The Zagros Fold and Thrust belt is one of the world's most prolific petroleum provinces. 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. Fracture data were collected in the outcrops of the Kirkuk Group of Oligocene age around Qara Chauq South and Qara Chauq North anticlines located near the Kirkuk Oil Field. The studied formations outcropping in the Qara Chauq are the main reservoir units in the Kirkuk and Bai Hassan fields. In Kirkuk and surrounding fields, hydrocarbon production comes mainly from primary porosity with assistance from secondary porosity created by dolomitization, karstification, dissolution, vugs and fractures. Fracture attributes collected from outcrops are fracture orientation, density and length. The results show that fractures in the studied reservoir formation are not uniformly distributed due to massive lithologic nature and lack of well bedding. Furthermore, fracture orientations show a clear relationship to the local fold axis in the outcrops. NW-SE fracture set is perpendicular to the NW-SE fold axis. However, some fractures do not show any relation to the local folding. These fractures may have formed in a pre-folding or post folding stage. Other fracture orientations exhibit a symmetrical relation to the maximum horizontal stress direction. The comparative analysis of outcrop data underlines the importance of representative analogue data for reservoir modelling and production strategies.

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Author Biography

  • Abdullah Awdal, Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management, School of Science and Engineering, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Dr Abdullah Awdal received his PhD degree in Geology from the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom. He also holds a MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from the University of Bergen in Norway, and a BSc in Geology from Salahaddin University-Erbil.

    Dr Awdal is a Petroleum Geologist with over 17 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and academia. He has been actively involved in a variety of exploration projects both onshore and offshore in the Middle East, Europe and North America. His research in the field of Petroleum Geoscience has resulted in a number of published articles in peer-reviewed journals.

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Published

2022-12-27

Issue

Section

Research Articles

How to Cite

Fracture Analysis in the Outcrops of the Qara Chauq Anticlines, Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt of Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq. (2022). UKH Journal of Science and Engineering, 6(2), 26-37. https://doi.org/10.25079/ukhjse.v6n2y2022.pp26-37

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