BULLETIN OF T H E AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS

VOL. 49. NO, 12 (DECEMBER. 1965). PP. 2182-2245, 98 FIGS., 1 TABLE

S T R A T I G R A P H I C N O M E N C L A T U R E OF I R A N I A N O I L C O N S O R T I U M
A G R E E M E N T AREA^

G. A. JAMES' AND J. G. WYND'

Tehran, Iran

ABSTRACT
The stratigraphy and correlation of Triassic to Plio-PIeistocene sediments within the Iranian
Oil Consortium Agreement Area are discussed. Rock-stratigraphic units are named and defined. These
are correlated with the Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabian stratigraphic successions.
The Agreement Area, situated northeast of the Arabian shelf and including part of the Zagros
orogenic area, has been the site of more or less continuous sedimentation from Triassic to Plio-
Pleistoeene time. Regional disconformities occur at the top of the Aptian, the Cenomanian-Turonian,
the Cretaceous, and the Eocene. A major angular unconformity produced by Mio-Pliocene folding
occurs at the top of the Ears Group. Carbonate and shale deposition controlled by epeirogenic move-
ments dominated until Late Cretaceous time when movements within the Zagros area began to in-
fluence sedimentation. Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene deposits are characterized
by sharp facies and thickness changes as a result of orogenic movements in the Zagros area. Following
deposition of the Oligocene-lower Miocene Asmari Formation the Agreement Area was part of a
trough trending northwest-southeast. After initial evaporitic and marine phases, this trough was filled
by elastics derived from the rising Zagros Mountains on the northeast. Conglomerates of the Bakh-
tyari, deposited unconformably upon the Fars Group, mark the end of this basinal filling.

INTRODUCTION dan. To perform these functions two operating

In October, 1954, oil-contract negotiations were companies were formed, the Iranian Oil Explora-
initiated between the Iranian Government and tion and Producing Company and the Iranian Oil
National Iranian Oil Company on one hand and a Refining Company.
consortium of eight international petroleum com- The area defined for exploration and produc-
panies on the other. An agreement was reached tion (hereafter referred to as the Agreement
which allocated to the latter the right to carry Area) is a linear belt approximately 870 miles
out oil exploration and production in a designated long and 120 miles wide which contains parts of
area of Iran, and to operate the refinery at Aba- Lurestan, Khuzestan, Fars, and Kerman Provinces.
I t is located along the southwestern part of Iran
' Manuscript received. May 3, 1965. and is essentially the same area that formed the
The writers thank the directors of the National Anglo-Iranian Oil Company concession prior to
Iranian Oil Company and the Iranian Oil Explo-
ration and Producing Company for permission to 19S1. For ease of discussion the Agreement Area
publish this paper. is divided into Lurestan, Khuzestan, and Fars
They also acknowledge the many geologists and (Fig. 1).
paleontologists on whose work this publication is
largely based, including those early workers of the T h e purpose of this paper is to propose formal
Anglo-Persian Oil Company and Anglo-Iranian Oil names for Triassic to Plio-Pleistocene rock-strati-
Company, who, under arduous and trying conditions,
established a sound foundation of geological ob- graphic units now recognized in the Agreement
servations. Thanks are due to the staff of the Sedg- Area. T h e delimitation of these units has been
wick Museum, University of Cambridge, England, based on recommendations and definitions pro-
who, since 1958, have supplied many of the mega-
fossil determinations noted in this paper. Geologists posed by the International Subcommission on
of the National Iranian Oil Company, the Geological Stratigraphic Terminology (1961) and the Ameri-
Survey of Iran, member companies of the Consor-
tium, the Arabian American Oil Company, Kuwait can Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature
Oil Company, and Iraq Petroleum Company are sin- (1961).*
cerely thanked for their useful criticism of this work. Fortunately, throughout the history of petro-
Special appreciation goes to F. C. P. Slinger, pre-
viously head of the Geological and Exploration Divi- leum exploration in Iran rock-stratigraphic units
sion of the Iranian Oil Exploration and Producing
Company and now with the British Petroleum ' T h e terms lower, middle, and upper are used
Company. It was under his guidance that this paper throughout the Middle East, where they have a defi-
was initiated. nite paleontologic and time significance. This usage is
not consistent with that of the A.C.S.N. (1961), whose
' Senior geologist, review, Iranian Oil Exploration practices are followed in this paper. Therefore, where
and Producing Company, Tehran, Iran. the terms were employed in strictly a time sense, the
' Senior paleontologist, Iranian Oil Exploration and words early and late have been substituted for lower
Producing Company, Tehran, Iran. and upper.
2182
 ****-*--^ 44* VRezoyyeh OIL F I E L D S N THE
AGREEMENT AREA
1 MASJED - [ SULErMAN 10 KHARG
2 HAfT KEt II BIBI HAKIMEH
i GACHSARAN 12 KHALAEAUAD
4 NAFT »FID 1! HANSURI
S AGHA JARI 14 BL'SHGAN
i PA2ANAN 1! GUIKHARI
7 LALI 16 KARANJ
8 AHWA; 12 HARUN
1 BINAK 18 PARIS
19 RAG - E SAFID

TM—

'•'CfiEUTRAt'*'.. /'KUWAI-F
' - , ZONE ,,.>"*•>**.»»-*'?

NEUTRAte
•. ZONE)

CROSS SECTION AND PLACE NAME

INDEX MAP

PROVINCE BOUNDARIES

AGREEMENT AREA BOUNDARY

• ' • • CROSS S E C T I O N

24°

44°

Field Status Discovered Reservoir Field Status Discoiered Reserioir

Masjed-e Producing 1908 Asmari Kharg Producing 1961 Fahliyan-Surmeht
Suleyman Bibi Hakimeh Development 1961 Asmari-Bangestant
HaftKel Producing 1928 Asmari-Bangestant KhalafabadI Shut in 1961 Asmari, Bangestan*
Gachsaran Producing 1928 Asman-Bangestanf Mansuri Shut in 1962 Asmari, Bangestan*
Naft Safid Producing Gas 1935 Asmari-Bangestant Busbgan Shut in 1963 Asmari
Oil 1938 Gulkhari Shut in 1963 Asmari
Agha Jari Producing Gas 1937 Asmari-Bangestant Karanj Development 1963 Asmari
Oil 1938 Marun Development 1964 Asmari
Fazanan Producing Gas 1936 Asmari Paris Drilling 1964 Asmari
OU 1961 Rag-e Safid Drilling 1964 Asmari, Bangestan"'
LaU Producing 1938 Asmari, Bangestan*
Ahwaz Producing 1958 Asmari, Bangestan* * Separate reservoirs.
Binak Shut in 1959 Asmari, Bangestan* t Reservoirs in fluid connection
2184 A. J A M F : S A N D J, G. WVXD

have been employed which have stood the tests to porcellaneous, siliceous, thin to medium, evenly
of usage for many years. These have been main- bedded dolomite (Figs. 12, 13, 14). Minor con-
tained with new names being applied where nec- temporaneous slump and brecciation features
essary to conform with recommendations of the occur in the upper 400 feet. A conspicuous, mas-
International and American stratigraphic nomen- sive, brown, porous, crystalline dolomite forms
clature commissions. the top of the unit.
The correlations of formations in the Agree- The base is the junction between the relatively
ment Area with those of Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi prominent-weathering dolomite, and an unnamed
Arabia are based on publications by Owen and unit of low-lying, yellowish-weathering shale with
Nasr (1958), Steineke, Bramkamp, and Sander subordinate thin dolomite beds. The top is the
(1958), and the Lexique Stratigraphique Interna- junction between the uppermost massive dolomite
tional for Iraq (van Bellen et al., 1959). of the Khaneh Kat and the low-weathering shale
An index to the rock-stratigraphic units is and thin-bedded dolomite of the Neyriz. Both
found in Table I. Figure 3 provides a key to the lower and upper contacts apparently are con-
lithologic symbols as used in the text figures. formable.
For a detailed map, as well as stratigraphic and Regional aspects.—The formation is exposed in
tectonic sections of the area under discussion, see: few places except in the more deeply eroded an-
The British Petroleum Co. Ltd,, 1956, Geological ticlines along the northeastern boundary of the
maps and sections: 20th Sess. Internatl. Geol. Agreement Area. Toward the southwest a strati-
Cong., Mexico. graphically equivalent part of the section, ex-
posed at Kuh-e Surmeh and drilled in the Mand 2
OIL FIELDS and Lavan 1 wells, is dominantly anhydrite and
Nineteen oil fields have been discovered in the dolomite. Formal names have not yet been ap-
Agreement Area. Five of these, Binak, Bushgan, plied beneath the Neyriz in the latter localities.
Mansuri, Khalafabad, and Gulkhari, are of doubt- In southwestern Lurestan-Khuzestan the Kha-
ful economic status. neh Kat apparently is not distinguishable.
The prolific Asmari Formation is the most im- Fossils and age.—At the type section the Kha-
portant reservoir, accounting for the major share neh Kat Formation contains a sparse, non-diag-
of production and reserves. Limestones within the nostic microfauna which includes Agathammina
Bangestan Group also contain considerable quan- sp., Nodosaria sp., and Frondicularia sp. Aeolisac-
tities of oil. In fields that have tested the Banges- cus dunningtoni Elliott occurs in the basal third
tan, about half have found it to be in fluid con- of the section. Slightly above this level, in the
nection with the Asmari reservoir (Fig. 1). middle part of the section, a few small Trocho-
The only other reservoir from which a commercial lina sp. have been noted.
amount of oil has been obtained is the Khami Similar Trocholina-hearing limestones occur at
Group at the Kharg oil field. Kuh-e Surmeh where they overlie gypsum and
Figure 1 lists the oil fields, their date of dis- thin-bedded limestone which have yielded the fol-
covery, and producing formations. lowing Lower Triassic megafossils: Pseudomono-
tis aurita Hauer, Pseiidomonotis ovata (Schau-
KHANEH KAT FORMATION roth), Myophoria balatonis Freeh, and Halobia
Synonyms.—This rock-stratigraphic unit for- parthanensis Schafh.
merly has been called the Middle Triassic dolo- At Kuh-e Mangasht, in the Bakhtyari Moun-
mites, Triassic dolomites, or included within tain front area of northeastern Khuzestan, the
undifferentiated Triassic. Middle Triassic ammonite Paraceratites has been
Rejerences.—Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, recorded from limestones above the Pseudomono-
1951; The British Petroleum Company Ltd., tis fauna. These limestones are here considered to
1956. be equivalent in age to the lower two-thirds of
Type section.—The type section at Tang-e the type section at Khaneh Kat. The brecciated
Daneh Qumbari, 1.5 miles southwest of Khaneh limestones of the upper third are, at present, con-
Kat on the Khaneh Kat structure, exposes 1,195 sidered to be of Late Triassic to Rhaetic in age.
feet of dominantly dark gray, very fine-grained Age of formation.—Early Triassic to Rhaetic.
 IRANIAN (JIL C O N S O R ' n U M A G R E E M E N T AREA 2185

TABLE I
IM)I_\ OF ROCK-STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS
OTTStnF. THE A G R E E M E N T AREA
Page Pagc
Ahmadi Formation 2210 Mauddud Formation 2210, 2213
Aruma Formation 2218 Minagish Formation 2201
Balambo Formation 2206 Musandam Formation 2186
Burgan Formation 2207 Mutriba Formation 2214
Dammam Formation 2226 Nahr Umr Formation 2207
Dhruma Formation 2198 Radhuma Formation 2226
Dibdibba Formation 2242 Ratawi Formation 2201
Fadhili Zone 2198 Rumaila Formation 2213
(ihar Formation 2229 Sa'di Formation 2214
Hanifa Formation 2198 Shu'aiba Formation 2204
Hartha Formation 2214 Tayarat Formation 2218
Hofuf Formation 2242 Tuwaiq Mountain Formation 2198
Makliul Formation 2201 Upper red formation 2236
Marrat Formation 2186 Zubair Formation 2201
AGREEMENT AREA
ROCK-STRATIGRAPHIC UNIT INDEX
Abbad Formation 2207 Gotnia Formation 2186, 2188
Adaiyah Formation 2186, 2188 Guri Formation 2237
Agha Jari Formation 2215 2232, 2238-2243 Guri Limestone Member 2236' •2239
Ahmadi Member 2210, 2213 Gurpi Formation 2208, 2213, 2214-2220 2226 -2228
Ahwaz Sandstone Member 2229, 2231 Gypsina limestone 2234
Alan Formation 2186, 2188 Gypsum series 2234
Albian-Aptian limestone 2204 Hippuritic limestone 2206, 2208, 2214
Amiran Formation 221,S 2216 , 2218, 2220, 2222 Hith Anhydrite 2186, 2188, 2198, 2200, 2201
Ammonite shales 2201, 2207 Ham Formation 2207, 2210, 2213 -2216
Anguru Marl 2236 Infra-nummulitic gypsum 2220
Aptian-Barremian marl 2201 Jahrum Formation 2200, 2222, 2224, 2226,
Argillaceous group 2236 2228. 2231, 2236
Asbu Limestone 2188 Kalhur Anhydrite 2229
Asmari Formation 2183, 2184, 2223, 2224, 2226, Kalhur Limestone 2228
2228 , 2229, 2231-2236 Kalhur Member 2229, 2231, 2232
Bakhtyari Formation 2240, 2242, 2243 Kashkan Formation 2215, 2220, 2222 -2224
Baluti Shale 2186 Kazhdumi Formation 2204-2206, 2207 -2210
Bangestan Group 2183 , 2184, 2206, 2207 Khami alternations 2201
Bangestan Limestone 2206, 2208, 2214 Khami Group 2184, 2188
Barren limestone 2223 Khami Limestone 2188, 2198, 2201, 2204
Basal anhydrite 2229 Khamir Limestone 2228, 2229
Basal gypsum beds 2234 Khaneh Kat Formation 2184
Basal gypseous group 2232 Lahbari Member 2238, 2240 -2242
Brissopsis shales 2229, 2232 Lashtagan Limestone 2206, 2208, 2214
Cap Rock 2234 Lithiotis beds 2188
Champeh Member 2234-2236 Lopha limestone member 2216 -2218
Chehel Member 2234, 2235 Lower Bakhtyari 2238, 2240, 2242
Chel Anhydrite 2234 Lower Eocene marls 2226
Central Iran facies 2236 Lower Fars 2232, 2234, 2236
Dardam Conglomerate 2242 Lower limestone 2234
Dariyan Formation Maestrichtian limestone 2218
2188, 2201 2204, 2206-2208
Dezak Marl 2215, 2226 Mauddud Member 2210 2213, 2215
Emam Hasan Limestone Member 2216, 2218 Mid-Cretaceous limestone 2206, 2208, 2213, 2214
Eocene blue and purple shales 2226 Middle Fars 2232 2236, 2238
Middle Triassic dolomites 2184
Eocene cherty limestone 2226
Eocene fissile limestone 2226 Mid-Eocene limestone 2221, 2226
Eocene green and purple marls 2226 Mishan Formation 2232, 2235, 2236-2238, 2240, 2242
Eocene limestone 2224 Mol Member 2234-•2236
Eocene redbeds 2222 Mus Formation 2186, 2188
Euphrates Limestone Najmah Formation 2186, 2188
2228, 2229
Exogyra marl 2210, 2213 Neyriz Formation 2184 2186, 2188
Operculina limestone 2237
Fahliyan Formation 2183, 21S , 2198, 2200-2205 2204
OrbitoUna limestone
Fars Group 2232, 2243 Ostrea virleti beds 2232
Flysch 2218 Pabdeh Formation 2215, 2216, 2222, 2223,
Gachsaran Formation 2229, 2231-2237 2226-2229, 2231, 2232
Gadvan Formation 218 ;, 2200-2204, 2207 Pecten vasseli beds 2232
Garau Formation 218S 2200, 2204, 2206 Purple shale member 2216, 2226, 2228
Gishun Limestone 2224 Radiolarites 2215, 2220, 2223
Globigerina marl 2215, 2226 Razak Formation 2232, 2235, 2236, 2238
2186 (;. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

Page Page
Redbeds 2234 Taleh Zang Formation 2220, 2223, 2226
Rudist limestone 2206, 2208, 2214 Taleh Zang member 2222, 2223, 2226
Sachun Formation 2218, 2220, 2221, 2236, 2238 Tarbur Formation 2216, 2218, 2220, 2221, 2236, 2238
Sargelu Formation 2186, 2188 Transition beds 2238
Sarvak Formation 2206-2211, , 2213-2214, 2216 Triassic dolomites 2184
Shahbazan Formation 2222 -2224, 2226, 2231 Upper Bakhtyari 2242
Spatangid shales 2226 Upper Cretaceous limestone 2218
Surgah Formation 2206, 2207, 2213, 2214 Upper Eocene marls 2226
Surmeh Formation 2183,, 2186, 2188, 2198, 2200, 2201 Upper Fars 2232, 2238
NEYRIZ FORMATION scription of the lower Musandam Limestone of
Synonyms.—Previously the Neyriz Formation Oman, show Liassic Orbitopsella-hfsn'mg lime-
has been included within undifferentiated Triassic stone (group a) at the base of the formation. At
or called the Baluti Shale (the latter was bor- Wadi Milaha the uppermost limestone of the
rowed from Iraq stratigraphic terminology). group contains thick-shelled pelec)rpods of close
References.—Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, affinity with Megalodon and Lithiotis.
1951; The British Petroleum Company Ltd., Age of formation.—From regional correlations,
19S6. the Neyriz Formation is considered to be of
Type section.—Nine hundred lifty feet of the Early Jurassic (Liassic) age.
Neyriz Formation is present at the type section
in Tang-e Daneh Qumbari which exposes the core ADAIYAH, M U S , ALAN, SARGELU, NAJMAH, AND
of the Khaneh Kat structure (Figs. 12, 13, IS, GOTNIA FORMATIONS
18). The basal third consists of thin-bedded, rub- During 1963 and 1964, drilling at Emam Hasan
bly dolomite and greenish shale overlain at the by the National Iranian Oil Company and at
top by a prominent, brown-weathering dolomite. Masjed-e Suleyman by the Iranian Oil Explora-
Sandy siltstone dominates the middle part. The tion and Producing Company (Consortium) pene-
upper third is argillaceous, thin-bedded limestone trated a sequence of Jurassic sediments which
to mudstone. have no lithological equivalents in Agreement
The formation is conspicuously low-weathering Area outcrops, or in oil test wells previously
between the massive Surmeh above and the drilled in Iran. The sequence was correlated with
underlying Khaneh Kat. The lower contact is the Adaiyah, Mus, Sargelu, Najmah, and Gotnia
sharp but apparently conformable. The upper Formations of Iraq which have been described
contact is gradational. and defined in the Lexique Stratigraphique Inter-
Regional aspects.—The Neyriz Formation is a national for Iraq (van Bellen et al., 1959). For
widespread unit cropping out in a few deeply the time being these names are applied to their
eroded anticlines in the Agreement Area. In the homotaxial equivalents in the Agreement Area
southwestern part of the Agreement Area a (Fig. 16).
similar lithologic unit incorporating considerable The Adaiyah Formation in Iran consists of ap-
anhydrite was encountered in the wells Mand 2 proximately 200 feet of anhydrite with subordi-
and Lavan 1. nate thin dolomite and dark shale. It is underlain
Kent, Slinger, and Thomas (19S1) have cor- by unnamed dark gray shale and limestone, and
related the Neyriz with the Baluti Shale of Iraq. overlain by the Mus Formation. The latter is
The Marrat Formation of Arabia also may be composed of about 180 feet of limestone and
partly equivalent. overlain by about 300 feet of Alan Formation
Fossile and age.—^The dolomitic, shaly, and anhydrite. The Sargelu is 500-700 feet of dark
arenaceous lower two-thirds of the Neyriz Forma- gray limestone and dark shale. A disconformity
tion are almost devoid of fossils except for a few separates the Sargelu from the overlying pellety,
scattered occurrences of thin-walled ostracods and algal limestone, about 60 feet thick, which makes
gastropods. The arenaceous foraminiferid Orbi- up the Najmah Formation. The Najmah is suc-
topsella praecursor (Giimbel) occurs in the up- ceeded by 450 feet of Gotnia Formation consist-
permost argillaceous limestones which are over- ing of anhydrite and subordinate, dark gray
lain conformably by the dolomitic limestones shale. A disconformity may be present at the top
with Lithiotis and Megalodon of the lower Sur- of the Gotnia.
meh Formation. The relation between the Hith and Gotnia For-
Hudson and Chatton (19S9, p. 78), in their de- mations in Iran is not fully understood because
 HAMADAN TYPE SECTION LOCATION MAP AND FIG. REFERENCE
ROCK STRATIGRAPHIC ROCK STRATIGRAPHIC
UNIT UNIT
1 KHANEH KAT 12 7 TARBUR S3
2 NEVRIZ 12 8 AHIRAN 62
ADAIVAH MliS ALAN li 9 SACHUN 57
SARGELIi NAJNAH GOTNIA 16 10 TALEH ZANG 59
! KHAMI GROUP 19 II KASHKAN 62
n SURMEH 17 12 SHAH BAZAN 51
HITH 20 13 jAHRUn 63
3B EAHLITAN 2! 14 PABDEH 4e
3C GADVAN U IS ASHAKI 76
3D DARIYAN U 76
ESFAHAN 4 GARAU 31
ISA AHWAZ SST. HBR.
158 KALHUR MBR. 77
SBANGfSTAN GROUP 34 16 EARS GROUP 8J-V
SA KAZHDUHI 32 I6A GACHSARAN 82
SB SARVAK 33 I6AICHEHEI MBR. 83
HAUDDUD U I6A2 CHAMPEH MBR. 83
AHNAOI 34 I6A3 MOL MBR. 83
5CSUR6AH 39 I6B RAZAK 14
I6C MISHAN
SD ILAH n 96
RADIOLARITES I6CI GURI MBR. 85
- I6D AGHA |ARI 9t
i GURPI 48
iAEHAH HASAN HBR. 4g I6DI LAHBARI MBR. 92
LOPHA LST. MBR 50 17 BAKHTTARI 97

#= SURFACE S E C T I O N
• = WELL

''..ZONE,.,

FIG.2
218! (;. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

of lack of regional information. They are treated Kuh-e Surmeh. It consists of 2,205 feet of domi-
as separate formations in this paper because the nantly massive-weathering, feature-forming dolo-
Gotnia is considered to be a primary, relatively mite and dolomitic limestone (Fig. 17) which
deep-water anhydrite, whereas the Hith appears have been divided into three lithological units by
to be largely an upper tidal flat, or supratidal, P. E. Kent (1951, company report).
penecontemporaneous replacement phenomenon. The basal 300 feet is a massive dolomitic lime-
Fossils and age.—The Jurassic sequence Got- stone with abundant Lithiotis shells. The Lithio-
nia, Najmah, Sargelu, Alan, Mus, and Adaiyah, tis beds are a prominent and important marker.
which was penetrated at Eman Hasan and Overlying this is about 250 feet of relatively low-
Masjed-e Suleyman, provided little fossil evi- weathering, thin- to medium-bedded, marly to
dence which could be used for dating these for- silty, gray to brown, dolomitic limestone, with
mations. A swarm of the pelecypod Posidonia oc- abundant gastropods, pelecypods, ammonites, and
curs at the top of the Sargelu Formation. This worm casts. The upper 1,655 feet of the forma-
Posidonia horizon has been recorded at outcrops tion consists of massive, feature-forming, fine-
in northeastern Lurestan (Sirvan area) and near grained to coarsely crystalline, cherty dolomite
Kermanshah. Associated ammonites indicate a and dolomitic limestone.
Bajocian age for this horizon which, at Sirvan, is The basal junction with the underlying shale
directly overlain by the Garau Formation con- and marly dolomitic limestone of the Neyriz For-
taining the Hauterivian ammonites Spitidiscus mation is gradational. A change from dolomite
and Aegocrioceras. At Sirvan, the Upper Jurassic with chert nodules to oolitic and pellety lime-
sediments are either completely absent, or are a stone of the Fahliyan Formation defines the
condensed sequence in the 200 feet of strata be- upper boundary.
tween the Posidonia and the Spitidiscus horizons. Regional aspects (Figs. 13, 18).—The Surmeh is
Lees recorded a similar section near Kermanshah
present as a feature-forming neritic limestone
(Arkell, 1956, p. 377).
throughout Fars Province and the northeastern
part of Khuzestan and Lurestan. It grades later-
KHAMI GROUP
ally into a dark shale, limestone, and evaporite
The term Khami Limestone, originally des- facies in southwestern Lurestan and Khuzestan
ignated by M. W. Strong and N. L. Falcon from (Figs. 19, 20).
outcrops at Kuh-e Khami, just north of Gachsa- In many parts of coastal Fars the Surmeh For-
ran, has for many years referred to a massive, mation is overlain by the Hith Anhydrite. Where
feature-forming-'^ limestone unit ranging in age the Hith is not present, the top of the Surmeh is
from Early Jurassic to Albian. The Khami is placed at the junction of the uppermost dark do-
here raised to group status and divided into five lomite with the oolitic limestone of the overlying
formations: the Surmeh, Hith, Fahliyan, Gadvan, Fahliyan Formation.
and Dariyan. Fossils and age.—^The standard Jurassic stages
The name Asbu Limestone which has been ap- of Arkell (1956, p. 10) are difficult to apply to
plied to the Khami Group in Fars Province is the lower levels of the Surmeh Formation be-
discarded (L. E. T. Parker, 1959, company re- cause of the lack of good ammonite markers. The
port). 300 feet of basal dolomitic limestone contains the
References.—Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, Liassic pelecypod Lithiotis. This useful marker
1951; The British Petroleum Company Ltd., 1956; can be traced in the basal Surmeh through most
Slinger and Crichton, 1959. of the high Zagros Mountains area.
SURMEH FORMATION The succeeding 250 feet of limestone includes
Synonym.—This unit has been included pre- marly beds with rich molluscan faunas. J. A.
viously within the Khami Limestone. Douglas identified the Bathonian echinoid Acro-
Type section.—The type section was measured salenia aff. wylliei Currie from this fauna. The
in the northwestern part of the northern flank of upper part of this marly sequence coincides with
the base of the zone of Pfenderina trochoidea
"Feature-forming is used to signify resistant to Smout and Sugden (Fig. 22). The associated mi-
erosion, or topographically prominent.
FORMATION CORRELATION CHART
 FORMATION CORRELATION CHART OF IRAQ, IRANIAN AGREEMENT AREA, KUWAIT AND SAUDI ARABIA
I R A N I A N A G R E E M E N T A R E A K U W A I T ®
E P O C H S T A G E SAUDI A R A B I A SEE
(IG.J

PLIOCENE
>-
MIOCENE
<

OLIGOCENE

EOCENE

PALEOCENE

1/1

D
O UPPER
UJ

U
<

LOWER
U

U UPPER
oo

MIDDLE
<
Z)
LOWER
MINIUR
TEE FIG. 4
Chapmonina sp
Cr!brohomken)na sp
Gtoborotol}o cerro-Qzii/ensiS
Hantkenina spp
Globorotolia centr(7fis
Globigeropsis semi-in^'Qluto
NurnmLJJJtes cf. PefjiimonTi"
truncorotoioides sp~
GfoborocaffQ lehnen
Gioborotalia spinuiosa
PoriicuiasphaerQ sp.
lAlveoling oblonga
Globigennatheka sp~
"Globorota/fg" polmerae
Globorotolia quetro
Gioborotalia rex
Disticbopiox
Furcoporello sp.
i^^ioborotolFQ velascoensis
Miscellaneo sp.
Globorololio eiongota
Globorotalio bseudomenordii
GioborolQiia pseiidobuJIoides
Globorotalia compressa
Ghbi^erino doub/ergensis
Abalbompholus mayaroensi^
Globotruncana coniusa
GloboUuncana stuarf
Fseudotextulana vanam
Globotruncano gonssen
G eievota slucirti/ormis
Globotruncana colcoroto
G. eievoto elevota
Sfrtmo sp
Monolepfdorbis sp.
Plano^lobulina sp. rich
Ghboiruncana concavata
Globotruncofio sigali
G. ventncosa primitiva
Giobotruncana sch/ieegonsi

Schockoing spp
Ghbouuncana hclV^U^
ClavihedbergGlla sp
Rodtolana
RotaUpora sp.
Stomiosphaera conoidea
Trocholina sP-
Orbitolina sp.
G/obigerif]Q was/iitens/s
Ticineila spp.
BigJobigennellg sp.
Grobigennoldes afgeriano
Lefiticulina sp.
Postdonia sworm.
Orbitopseila sp.
Nodosaria spp.

TYPICAL MICROFOSSILS OF LURESTAN PROVINCE

FIG. 6
 JRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM ACiREEMENT AREA 2193

QESHM KUH - [ KUH- E ANGURU KUH - E BAZ

ISLAND KHAMIR
Well

STRATIGRAPHIC CROSS SECTION

QESHM TO KUH - E GAHKUM
D A T U M - T O P GURI LIMESTONE MEMBER
OF MISHAN FORMATION
Surfoce sections unless
otherwise noted

m
]\V)mm OF ittr
svto^*'^'^ ' FIG .7
 «UH - t lAHRUN

FARS GROUP
STRATIGRAPHIC CROSS SECTION
UMM SHAIF TO KUH - E SIAH
DATUM -SURFACE

UMM SHAIF
FROM ;
UMM SHAIF OILFIELD
HISTORY OF E X P L O R A T I O N A N D DEVELOPMENT
PRE-FARS GROUP
S ELDER
STRATIGRAPHIC CROSS SECTION
JOURNAL OF THE I N S T I T U T E OF PETROLEUM
UMM SHAIF TO KHANEH KAT
VO L 4 9 , O C T, 1963
D A T U M . BASE G A C H S A R A N FORMATION
Surface leclions mil««s oth«rwis< noted

FIG. 8
 COMPOSITE-KUWAIT
TTPE SECTIONS

FARS GROUP
STRATIGRAPHIC CROSS SECTION
KUWAIT TO GACHSARAN
DATUM-SURFACE

PRE-FARS GROUP
STRATIGRAPHIC CROSS SECTION
KUWAIT TO KUH - E KHAMI
FROM DATUM - BASE GACHSARAN FORMATION
STRATIGRAPHY OF THE
KUWAIT BASRA AREA Surfoc« MCtiOflS units* olhcrwit* nelsd
BY
RMS. OWEN AND 5 . N . N A S R ,
HABITAT OF OIL. AM ASSOC. OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS. H i FIG. 9
2196 C. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND
IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2107
u.
n o

7
O
1-
II
' O
-)
O
to
I "•
D Z
o U ^<
</l O
a.
<u
u_ I
i l l !
2198 C. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

FEET azaisi (Cotteau), Ovulastraea sp., Actinostroma

D sp., Isastrocoenia sp., and Milleporidium sp. Ac-
SURMEH FM. cording to J. A. Douglas, this fauna is probably
of Oxfordian age.
\ :
The 1,200 feet of dolomitic limestone above
the Trocholina palastiniensis zone at Surmeh can
LOWER JURASSIC be divided into two zones: a lower, with Kurnu-
950 FEET
bia jurassica s.l. (Henson), and an upper, with
NEVRIZ FM. Clypeina jurassica Favre. The ammonites Tor-
MOOO quatisphinctes and Virgataxioceras indicate an
early to middle Kimmeridgian age for the Clypei-

rv^ na zone. At the type section, the uppermost 300

feet of the Surmeh Formation is completely dolo-
mitized.
^ ^
^F : ^ : ^
1195 FEET
In the interior Fars area, the Surmeh above
the zone of Trocholina palastiniensis consists of
KHANEH KAT FM. cryptocrystalline limestone which may be divided,
L. JURASSIC - TRIASSIC x;S from the base upward, into a Radiolaria zone, a
^Sx
"Y~^
Saccocoma zone, and a Calpionella zone. The lower
to middle Kimmeridgian ammonite Torquati-
^ ^ ^ sphinctes has been recorded from the base of the
Saccocoma zone. The Calpionella zone limestones,
of late Tithonian age, pass upward into similar
FIG.Il. Type section of the Khaneh Kat limestones of the Neocomian Fahliyan Forma-
tion.
and Neyriz Formations.
Age of formation.—Early to Late Jurassic.
N 2r25'58"; E 53°37'33"
crofauna includes Haurania sp. and small Pseudo- H I T H ANHYDRITE
cyclammina sp. This zone persists into the basal The Hith, which is an important unit through
100 feet of the massive, feature-forming lime- much of the Persian Gulf area, has been named
stone. A similar fauna occurs in the Fadhili Zone and defined in Saudi Arabia (Steineke and Bram-
of the upper part of the Dhruma Formation of kamp, 1952). In coastal Fars, the formation,
Arabia, where it is considered to be of Bathonian which averages about ISO feet in thickness, over-
or Callovian age (Redmond, 1964, p. 257). lies the Surmeh Formation and underlies the Fah-
The succeeding Trocholina palastiniensis Hen- liyan. Both contacts are considered to be con-
son zone at Surmeh is approximately 250 feet formable. From coastal Fars, the Hith wedges out
thick. "Meyendorffina" sp. occurs throughout the toward the northeast, along the line shown in
zone and Kurnubia jurassica s.l. (Henson) ap- Figure 20.
pears in the uppermost beds. This fauna is com- The formation is believed to be an upper tidal
parable with that of the Tuwaiq Mountain and flat, penecontemporaneous replacement anhydrite.
Hanifa Formations of Arabia, although at Sur- Lack of fossils has prevented any precise age
meh it is very much reduced in vertical extent. designation of the Hith but it is assumed to be
The lower part of the Tuwaiq Mountain Forma- latest Jurassic and to mark the end of a cycle of
tion has been dated as middle Callovian, based on deposition, although Banner and Wood (1964, p.
occurrences of the ammonite Erymnoceras (Stei- 191) have suggested a middle Neocomian age for
neke, Bramkamp, and Sander, 1958, p. 1306). a similar anhydrite development in the Umm
Colonial corals, brachiopods, and mollusks are Shaif oil field.
common in this part of the section in both Iran
and Arabia. At Surmeh, a megafauna from the FAHLIYAN FORMATION
middle of the Trocholina palastiniensis zone in- Synonym.—The Fahliyan Formation was pre-
cludes Lopha solitaria (Sowerby), Septirkynckia viously included within the Khami Limestone.
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2199

FtG.13

•>-*«

''^'
. .^S^ "^tf- 'l^*"^
FIG 14

IK. IS
FIG. 13.—Type section of Khaneh Kat and Neyriz Formations. Kuh-e
Khaneh Kat, interior Fars.
FIG. 14.—Even-bedded dolomites of Khaneh Kat Formation. Kuh-e
Khaneh Kat, interior Fars.
FIG. 15.—Shales and rubbly, uneven-bedded dolomites of Neyriz For-
mation. Kuh-e Khaneh Kat, interior Fars.
2200 (,. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

fiARAU FM.

MIDDLE JURASSIC ~—r 540 FEET

11000
SARGELU fM,
—7—?—•?—?—?—?-
HZ
A A A 300 FEET
A A ALAN FM.
A A A
180 FEET
LOWER JURASSIC HUS FM.
200 FEET
A A A
JDAIYAH FM.

UNNAMED FM.

flG.I6. The Adaiyah, Mus, Alan, Sargelu, Najmah

and Gotnia succession as encountered in the
Emam Hasan and Masjed - e Suleyman Wells.

Type section.—^The type section was measured

near the village of Fahliyan on the southern flank
of Kuh-e Dul. It is composed of 1,200 feet of
FIG. 18.—Surmeh Foii.^ci,,i„[, „.^, Iviiis thin-bedded,
gray to brown, generally massive, oolitic to pelle- lower-weatherinK Nej'riz. Kuh-e Khaneh Kat, in-
ty limestone with minor contemporaneous brec- terior Fars.
ciation in the basal part (Figs. 21, 24).
Both the basal contact with the saccharoidal, dark brown dolomite of the Surmeh and the upper
contact with the marls and thin-bedded limestone
FEET of the Gadvan are apparently conformable.
|0
Regional aspects.—The Fahliyan is present
APTIAN
throughout Fars Province and in northeastern
Khuzestan and Lurestan. Toward southwestern
Khuzestan and Lurestan the Fahliyan grades into
NEOCOMIAN the dark shale and limestone of the Garau For-
mation (Figs. 19, 20).
In coastal Fars the Fahliyan is separated from
the Surmeh by the Hith Anhydrite. Where the
Hith is not present the lower boundary is placed
at the junction between the limestone of the Fah-
JURASSIC
liyan and the dark-colored Surmeh dolomite.
Fossils and age.—The microfossils of the Fah-
liyan Formation include Trocholina sp., Dukhania
sp., Nautilocnlina oolithica Mohler, and the algae
Lithocodium aggregatum Elliott, Salpingoporella
NEVRIZ FM. annidata Carozzi, and Ackularia sp. Pseudocy-
clammina lituus (Yokoyama) occurs at or near
FIG.I7. Type section of the Surmeh Formation, the top of the formation (Fig. 23). In the type
N 28"'34'08" E 52°34'54" area the basal oolitic, pellety limestone contains
 IRANIAN (JIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2201

PIG 19. Idealized longitudinal section along the southwestern

DEEfSd
border of the Agreement Area, showing the • changes WAIEB
:^T FXIES

within the Bangestan Group, the effect of the post NERITIC

FACIES
Cenomanian/Turonian disconformity and the relationship
DSRI SHALES WITH

between the Khami Group and the deeper water facies FINE GRAINED DARI
SHAir IIHESIONES

to the northwest.

rolled arenaceous Foraminifera including valvuh- and the upper contact with the Dariyan are grada-
nids and "Kurnnbia" sp. The ammonites, Spiti- tional.
ceras indicum (Uhlig), Neocomites, Berriasella, Regional aspects (Figs. 25, 27).—^The Gadvan
Olcostephanus, and the echinoid Heteraster cf. Formation is considered to be an extension of the
coiiloni Agassiz have been recorded from the Fah- Ratawi and a shaly, partial equivalent of the Zu-
liyan of Fars and Khuzestan Provinces. bair (Figs. 4, 9). A deep test at Masjed-e Suley-
Age of formation.—Neocomian. man indicated that the Minagish and Makhul
Formations of Kuwait and southeastern Iraq may
GADVAN FORMATION also have fingered out into shales of the Gadvan
Synonyms.—Previously the Gadvan Formation toward the northeast (Fig. 10).
was included within the Ammonite shales, the The formation may be divided laterally into
Khami Limestone, or called the Aptian-Barremian two facies. In Khuzestan and northwestern Fars
marl (company reports). In the Gachsaran area Provinces it consists of dark shale and argilla-
it made up part of the unit called the Khami al- ceous limestone. Toward the southeast it grades
ternations. into a relatively shallow-water facies, as shown by
References.—Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, the abundant macrofauna and oxidized character
1951; The British Petroleum Company Ltd., of some of the sediments. In coastal Fars Prov-
1956; Slinger and Crichton, 19S9. ince the formation is replaced by limestone (Figs.
Type section.—The type section, located in the 8, 20).
eastern end of Kuh-e Gadvan 26 miles east-north- Fossils and age.—Large ChoJJatella sp. and
east of Shiraz, exposes 350 feet of low-weather- coarse pseudocyclamminids, with abundant mol-
ing, gray to green to brownish yellow marl or lusk and algal debris, are common throughout the
shale, and dark gray, argillaceous limestone (Fig. formation. Some of the algae are similar to those
26). Pelecypods, gastropods, and echinoids are forms found in the underlying Fahliyan Forma-
common throughout. tion. Recorded megafossils include Ancyloceras
Both the lower boundary with the Fahliyan sp., Heteraster cf. couloni Agassiz, Heteraster
2202 (;. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

JURASSIC - LOWER CRETACEOUS

FACIES MAP
- Approximate SW and W h m i : of
Fahliyan. Surmeh Formations.
f^ ^ Approximate N E limit of the Hith
Formation,
^ V Approximate N E limit of Gotnta
Formation.
Approximate S and SE limit of
Gadvan Formation
Line dividing dark bituminous
Kazhdumi Formation In the NW
from oxidized Kazhdumi to the SE

KfcRMAN

28=

FIG.20

FEET
0
I 1
- - -7 GADVAN FH
/ — —•
/r'l 1 1

FIG. 22.—Detrital limestone with Pjenderina sp.

j 1200 FEET
FAHLIYAN
Surmeh Formation, Fars Province. Middle Jurassic.
X40.
FIG. 23.—Fine-grained limestone with Pseudo-
( FORMATION cyclammina lituus (Yokoyama) (P), and small
\ oo Trocholina sp. (T). Fahliyan Formation, Fars Prov-
ince. Neocomian. XSO.
oo FIG. 24.—Type section of Fahliyan Formation.
Kuh-e Dul, Fars Province. (Photo—A. J. Wells)
oo
FIG. 25.—Section exposing Fahliyan, Gadvan, Dari-
yan, Kazhdumi, and Sarvak Formations. Near FahU-
1)\ \ \ \ SURMEH FM yan village, Fars Province. (Photo—A. J. Wells)
JURASSIC
(—^—^ s
flG,2l. Type section of the Fahliyan formation.
N 30°iri9" E 5r27'36"
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2203
w '•^'
2204 (•;. A. JAMES AND J. G. WVND

Gadvan Formation and conformably underlies the

marl and thin-bedded limestone of the Kazhdumi
Formation.
Regional aspects (Figs. 19, 25).—The Dariyan
is considered to be an extension of the Shu'aiba
of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq (Figs. 4, 9,
10). It is found through most of the Agreement
Area, except possibly in southwestern Lurestan
and adjoining parts of Khuzestan.
Where typically developed the formation is a
prominent 400-1,000-foot-thick unit bounded by
two low-weathering formations. Toward the Per-
sian Gulf, however, the underlying Gadvan grades
into limestones and the Dariyan merges with the
Fahliyan (Figs. 8, 20).
In coastal Fars and Khuzestan there is general-
FAHLIYAN FH. ly evidence of a disconformity in the beds direct-
ly overlying the Dariyan; these beds are sandy,
glauconitic, and slightly weathered. Toward inte-
FIG.26. Type section of the Gadvan rior Fars disconformity disappears, the top of
and Dariyan Formations. the unit becoming younger in age.
In the northwestern part of the Agreement
N 29''37'5I"; E 52°S7'I2".
Area the Dariyan passes into the euxinic Garau
verruculatus Fourtau with common Alectryonia, Formation (Fig. 19).
and Spondylus sp. Fossils and age.—The Dariyan contains a rich
Age of formation.—Late Neocomian to Aptian. microfauna of conical and discoid Orbitolina,
Chofjatella decipiens Schlumberger, Dictyoconus
DARIYAN FORMATION arabicus Henson, Pseudochrysalidina conica (Hen-
Synonyms.—Previously the Dariyan has been son), and the algae Hensonella cylindrica Elliott,
called the Orbitolina limestone, the Albian-Aptian (Fig. 29), Lithocodium aggregatum Elliott, and
limestone, or included within the Khami Lime- Salpingo porella sp. Rudist detritus occurs locally
stone. at the top of the formation.
References.—Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, Megafossils identified in the Dariyan include
1951; The British Petroleum Company Ltd., Parahoplites, Douvilleiceras, Deshayesites, Hin-
1956. nites, Exogyra, and Orthopsis.
Type section.—The type section, measured at Age of formation.—Aptian.
Kuh-e Gadvan just north of the village of Dari- Aptian-Albian disconformity.—The contact of
yan, consists of 940 feet of gray to brown, thick- the Dariyan with the overlying Kazhdumi is
bedded, feature-forming, Orbitolina-rich limestone characterized by a strongly stained, oolitic, and
(Fig. 26). glauconitic interval. Micropaleontological zona-
It gradationally overlies the low-weathering tion of the Dariyan indicates that a considerable

FIG. 27.—Low-weathering limestone and shale of Gadvan Formation overlying massive Fahliyan limestone.
Kuh-e Khami, north of Gachsaran.
FIG. 28.—Conical Orbitolina sp. with Hensonella cylindrica Elliott (H). Dariyan Formation, Fars Province.
.\ptian. X3S.
FIG. 29.—Fine-grained limestone with Hensonella cylindrica Elliott (H). Dariyan Formation, Fars Province.
.\ptian. XSO.
FIG. 30.—Orbitolina limestone from basal Kazhdumi Formation, Fars Province. Albian. X40,
2206 G. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

grained limestone with black chert nodules. The

FEET
upper 600 feet is made up of alternating gray
0 ALBIAN
shale and thin-bedded, fine-grained, shaly lime-
stone. The top is sandy and glauconitic.
The base of the formation is not exposed. The
top is the contact of the low-weathering dark shale
and thin-bedded limestone of the Garau with the
feature-forming limestone of the overlying Sar-
vak. A sandy, glauconitic zone at this contact
1000 suggests the presence of a disconformity.
Regional aspects.—The Garau is partly equiva-
lent to the Balambo Formation of Iraq. In the
Agreement Area it is known only from a few lo-
calities. The formation underlies the Sarvak in
the type section but in the Emam Hasan well the
Sarvak has graded laterally into dark shale and
limestone of the Garau, extending the top of the
formation into the Upper Cretaceous (Figs. 4,
19).
Fossils and age.— Radiolarian faunas are com-
mon throughout the Garau Formation, especially
in the lower levels. The associated micro fauna
includes Nannoconus sp., Lenticulina sp., Plano-
malina sp., and rare textulariidae. Globigerinel-
loides algeriana Cushman and ten Dam occurs in
flG.3l. Type section of the Garau Formation.
the upper 600 feet of the formation at the type
N 33°27'24"; E 46°44'2I". section.
loss of limestone section occurs at the top of the Ammonite faunas have proved the most useful
formation from the type area southward toward age indicators for the radiolarian-rich basal beds.
the coastal Fars area. Several localities in coastal Berriasella sp. has been identified from the base
Fars show basal Kazhdumi marl containing mid- of the formation. From marl SOO feet above the
dle to late Albian species of Knemiceras resting base, the following late Valanginian fauna has
on strongly weathered, Choffatella-bear'mg Dari- been recorded; Olcostephanus radiatus Spath, 0.
yan limestone of Aptian age. salinarius Spath, 0. psilostomus Neumayr and
Uhlig, Neocomites neocomiensis (d'Orbigny), and
GARAU FORMATION N. similis Spath. At the type section the Garau is
Synonyms.—^This unit has not previously been Neocomian to Aptian in age.
named. The well at Emam Hasan penetrated the Garau
Type section.—The type section is on the facies throughout the Coniacian to Neocomian
northeastern flank of Kabir Kuh in southwestern interval. The microfauna from the Coniacian to
Lurestan, about 6 miles northeast of the village Albian part of this interval at Emam Hasan is
of Arkwaz (Fig. 31). It may be divided into five similar to that of the laterally equivalent Surgah
units. The bottom 1,000 feet consists of dark and Sarvak Formations of Lurestan.
gray to black, carbonaceous shale and dark, ar- Age of formation.—Neocomian to Coniacian.
gillaceous, pyritic limestone, the base of which is
not exposed. Overlying this is 500 feet of very BANGESTAN GROUP
fine-grained, dark gray limestone with carbona- Slinger and Crichton (1959, p. 7) proposed the
ceous shale partings. Four hundred feet of gray name Bangestan Limestone for the unit that had
to brown, low-weathering shale with lesser been called the mid-Cretaceous limestone, Rudist
amounts of thin, dark gray argillaceous limestone limestone, Hippuritic limestone, and Lashtagan
follows. Above this is 200 feet of very fine- Limestone. The term Bangestan is here elevated
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2207

to group status and enlarged to embrace the Kazh-

dumi Formation as well as the Sarvak. Surgah.
and Ham Formations. The Kazhdumi is included
within the group because it was deposited during
the same cycle of sedimentation as the Sarvak.
Furthermore, because of the minimal develop-
ment of the Kazhdumi in some areas, it is useful
to group it with the Sarvak and Ham.
The inclusion of the important post-Cenomani-
an-Turonian disconformity within the Bangestan
Group does not conform entirely with the recom-
mendations of the Commissions on Stratigraphic
DARIYAN FM.
Nomenclature. The Ham and Sarvak, however,
make up a practical rock-stratigraphic unit which FIG.32. Type section of the Kazhdumi Formation.
has been profitably used for many years. This, in
addition to the difficulties often encountered in N 30°22'46" E 50''54'I6"
defining the post-Cenomanian-Turonian disconfor- inces but grades into limestone toward Lurestan
mity, has prompted the present definition of the (Fig. 3).
Bangestan Group. Like the older Gadvan it may be divided into
References.—Vilgiim, 1904, 1908; Douville, two lateral facies (Fig. 20): a dark, bituminous
1902, 1910; Vredenberg, 1908; R. K. Richardson, shale and limestone facies; and a shale-limestone
1924; de Boeckh, Lees, and F. D. S. Rich- facies with oxidation and shallow-water features
ardson, 1929; L. R. Cox, 1936; Lees and F. D. S. including red zones, laterites, and sandy, silty
Richardson, 1940; G. M. Lees, 1938, 1953; beds. The former facies is present in Khuzestan
Henson, 1950; Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, 1951; and northwesternmost Fars Province. The latter
The British Petroleum Company Ltd., 1956; is present in the southeastern half of the Agree-
Slinger and Crichton, 1959. ment Area where abundant physical evidence of a
disconformity exists at the base of the formation.
KAZHDUMI FORMATION
Fossils and age.—At the type locality the Kazh-
Synonyms.—The Ammonite shales and the dumi microfauna is predominantly planktonic.
Abbad Formation. Globigerina washitensis Carsey and rich floods of
References.—Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, "Oligostegina" occur throughout the upper 450
1951; The British Petroleum Company Ltd., feet of the formation. The basal 240 feet con-
1956; Slinger and Crichton, 1959. tains a rich fauna of Hedbergella sp., Ticinella
Type section.—The type section was measured sp., Biglobigerinella sp., and Planomalina sp. with
at Tang-e Gurguda in the mountain front just Radiolaria and spicules. Hemicyclammina cf. si~
north of Gachsaran. It consists of 690 feet of gali Maync and orbitolines are also found in the
dark bituminous shale with subordinate, dark, ar- basal beds (Fig. 30).
gillaceous limestone (Fig. 32). Glauconite is com- The rich ammonite fauna of the Kazhdumi in-
mon, particularly in the lower 300 feet. The basal cludes Knemiceras uhligi (Choffat), Knemiceras
100 feet contains numerous red, oxidized zones. syriacum (Buch), Puzosia denisoni (Stoliczka),
Contact with the underlying cherty limestone Spathiceras sp., Oxytropidoceras sp., Stoliczkaia
of the Dariyan is associated with red zones indic- sp., and Parahoplites sp.
ative of shallowing or a possible diastem. The Echinoids identified in the Kazhdumi include
upper contact grades into the marly, thin-bedded Douvillaster thomasi Gauthier, Salenidia boulei
limestone of the basal part of the Sarvak Forma- (Lambert), Codiopsis sp., Epiaster sp., and Plio-
tion. toxaster sp.
Regional aspects (Fig. 25).—The Kazhdumi is Age of formation.—The Kazhdumi is generally
the shale equivalent of the Burgan-Nahr Umr of Albian to early Cenomanian in age. A late Aptian
Kuwait and southeastern Iraq (Figs. 4, 9, 10). It age is indicated for the base of the formation by
is present throughout Khuzestan and Fars Prov- the presence of Parahoplites in a few localities
 2208 <;. A. JAMES A \ I ) J. G. WVND

FIG.34. Typical Bangestan Group succession,

coastal Fars Province.

grained, dark gray, nodular-bedded, argillaceous

limestone with thin, dark gray marl partings (Fig.
37). Small ammonite impressions are common
throughout. This grades upward into a massive,
chalky white to buff limestone 360 feet thick
with numerous brownish red, siliceous nodules.
Above the siliceous unit is 1,360 feet of very
massive, tan to brown hmestone containing abun-
dant rudist debris. Large-scale cross-bedding is
present in the basal part. The upper 140 feet of
FIG.33. Type section of the Sarvak formation. the formation is made up of 1-3-foot beds of rub-
bly, relatively low-weathering limestone with fer-
N 30°58'29"; E S0°07'll" ruginous red staining and leached zones of brec-
where the Kazhdurai passes downward through a cia. The top is very ferruginous, uneven, and rub-
series of marl and limestone alternations into the bly.
underlying Dariyan. The contact with the underlying Kazhdumi is
gradational and conformable. The upper contact
SARVAK FORMATION with the Gurpi Formation is uneven, and associ-
Synonyms.—Heretofore the Sarvak made up, ated with a rubbly weathered zone.
or was part of, the mid-Cretaceous limestone, Ru- Regional aspects.—The Sarvak Formation is
dist limestone, Hippuritic limestone, Lashtagan developed in two major facies: one is a massive,
Limestone, or Bangestan Limestone. feature-forming limestone deposited in the neritic
References.—See Bangestan Group. environment, and containing rudists, gastropods,
Type section.—The type section was measured pelecypods, and a rich microfauna; the other is a
at Tang-e Sarvak in the central part of the south- deeper-water facies of thinner-bedded, fine-
ern flank of Kuh-e Bangestan (Figs. 33, 35, grained, dark-colored, argillaceous, "Oligostegina"
36). The lower 835 feet is composed of fine- limestones with a pelagic microfauna. The forma-

FIG. 35.—Southern flank of Kuh-e Bangestan exposing Sarvak, Ham, Gurpi, Pabdeh, and Asmari Formations.
Near Agha Jari, Khuzestan.
FIG. 36.—Sarvak Formation. Massive upper unit forming vertical cliff. Argillaceous limestone of basal Sarvak
forming round shoulder overlying Kazhdumi. Kuh-e Bangestan, near Agha Jari.
FiG. 37.—Sarvak Formation; basal nodular, argillaceous limestone. Type section, Kuh-e Bangestan.
FIG. 3S.~Trocholina-Orbitolina fauna of Mauddud Member of the Sarvak Formation. Cenomanian. X3S.
2210 (;. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

FEET
weathering, thick-bedded, gray to brown, Orbito-
0 /~ ~ /mo-rich limestone. The unit ranges throughout

J- ^ GURPI EM. coastal Fars from 200 to 400 feet in thickness.

It conformably overlies the Kazhdumi Forma-
0 1 tion.
1 Low-weathering, gray to green shale and thin-
1 1 624 FEET
1 bedded limestone make up the Ahmadi Member.
SANTONIAN L 1 1 ILAM FM.
It averages about 100-200 feet in thickness. The
1 lower contact with the Mauddud Member is con-
loog s| I...
formable. The post-Cenomanian-Turonian discon-
]- - 576 FEET formity separates the Ahmadi Member from the
CONIACIAN ) - - SURGAH FM. overlying Ham Formation.
The Exogyra marl is a synonym for the Ahma-
TO TURONIAN /^— — ~..~— di Member.
1 Fossils and age.—At the type section the basal
1 1 SARVAK FM.
835 feet of nodular, marly limestone contains an
1
abundant "Oligostegina"-Globigenna fauna asso-
FIG.39. Type section of the Surgah ciated with Roialipora sp. and Hedbergella sp. The
and Ham Formations. "Oligostegina" fauna (Figs. 5, 6) includes Stomio-
sphaera conoidea Bonet, S. spkaerica (Kaufmann),
N 33°35'09"; E 46°I9'06" Calcisphaerula innominata Bonet, Pithonella ovalis
(Kaufmann), and P. trejoi Bonet. Ticinella sp. be-
tion may be developed exclusively in one or the comes more common in the lower beds, and Glo-
other of these facies or as an interdigitation of bigerina washitensis Carsey occurs in the basal 200
the two (Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, 19S1). feet of the formation.
The top of the Sarvak is a significant discon- The succeeding 360 feet of siliceous limestone
formity in Khuzestan and Pars Provinces. This contains a poor fauna of Calcisphaerula innomi-
disconformity is less apparent in Lurestan where nata Bonet, Pithonella ovalis (Kaufmann), Glo-
the formation generally is in the deeper-water fa- bigerina sp., and spicules. The fauna of the over-
cies (Fig. 11). The Sarvak of Lurestan Province lying 1,360 feet of massive, rudist-bearing lime-
extends downward through the Albian because of stones includes: Praealveolina cretacea (d'Ar-
the disappearance of the Kazhdumi Formation chiac), OvalveoUna sp., Nezzazata (Begia) sp.,
(Fig. 3). Rabanitina sp., rare Orbitolina sp., Dictyoconella
Generally in coastal Fars Province only the sp., and Dicyclina sp. In the uppermost 140 feet
lower part of the Sarvak is present, the top being unit of rubbly limestones this fauna becomes
absent because of the post-Cenomanian-Turonian more abundant, with rich occurrences of Oval-
disconformity (Fig. 19). Two members are recog- veoUna ovum (d'Orbigny), Cisalveolina sp., Cu-
nized (Fig. 34): the Mauddud Member and the neolina sp., Dicyclina sp., Meandropsina sp., Ta-
Ahmadi Member. Both of these are correlated berina sp., and associated algal and echinoid de-
with and named from formations of the same bris (Figs. 40, 41).
names in Kuwait and Iraq (Owen and Nasr, Age of formation.—At the type section, the
1958). Sarvak ranges from Albian to Cenomanian and
The Mauddud Member consists of prominent- possibly to Turonian age. It is disconformably

^^OT ^

FIG. 40.—Praealveolina limestone from upper Sarvak Formation of Khuzestan. Cenomanian. X25.
FIG. 41.—Detrital rudist limestone facies of upper Sarvak Formation. Fars Province. Cenomanian. x25.
FIG. 42.—Typical "Oligostegina" limestone from upper Sarvak Formation. Fars Province. Cenomanian. XSO.
FIG. 43.—Regular-bedded limestones of Ham Formation. Type section, Lurestan.
 * . * *•»-*«. *»• • . • • » -.• •
,.. : !.„.* * » . . • .- o.' • i
» 4 *, % '
< * . • ' . . ' • • ' # • •
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 22i:-

overlain by Maestrichtian marl of the Gurpi For- that of the type Sarvak at Kuh-e Bangestan.
mation. In Lurestan Province, the Sarvak contains an
Regional jaunal aspects.—Considerable lateral almost entirely planktonic microfauna. On the
changes in the microfaunas of the Sarvak take northeastern flank of Kabir Kuh, near the Iran-
place in Ears Province. The basal Mauddud Iraq border, the Sarvak ranges from Albian to
Member is characterized by a zone of Trocholina Turonian in age. The lower half of the formation,
cf. lenticularis Henson and Orbitolina concava La- measuring 1,400 feet in thickness, contains a poor
marck (Fig. 38). This zone is not present in the fauna of small globigerines, textulariids, Lenticii-
type area, but can be correlated readily with lina sp., Radiolaria, and spicules. Globigerina
identical faunas in the Mauddud Formation of washitensis Carsey occurs within the upper part
Kuwait. of this interval. The Albian ammonites Douvillei-
In coastal Fars, the succeeding Ahmadi Member ceras, Mortoniceras, and Oxytropidoceras also
contains oyster-bearing marly intervals, previous- have been recorded from this part of the section.
ly called the "Exogyra marls." The rich Ceno- The upper 1,000 feet of limestone at Kabir
manian megafauna includes Exogyra conica (Sow- Kuh is rich in "Oligostegina" with associated Ro-
erby), E. flabellata Goldfuss, and the echinoids talipora sp., Hedbergella sp., and Schackoina sp.
Orthopsis granulans Cotteau, Caenholectypus The Cenomanian contains the main development
serialis (Deshayes), and Anorthopygus orbicularis of the "Oligostegina" faunas with associated Ro-
Grateloup. Thin limestone beds occurring at the talipora appenninica (Renz), Stomiosphaera co-
base of the Ahmadi contain Praealveolina sp. and noidea Bonet, S. sphaerica Bonet, Calcisphaerula
siphonate algae. "Oligostegina"-hearing limestone innominata Bonet, and Pithonella ovalis (Kauf-
is (Fig. 42) more common in the upper levels of mann). Cenomanian ammonites from this level
the Ahmadi Member. The associated microfauna include Puzosia denisoni (Stoliczka), Sharpeice-
includes rare Hemicyclammina sigali Maync and ras laticlavium (Sharpe), Acanthoceras sp., and
other arenaceous Foraminifera, ostracods, rotali- Schloenbachia sp. At the same locality, the Tu-
ids, and spicules. Near the base of the member ronian is represented by the uppermost 350 feet
are occurrences of Globigerina washitensis Carsey. of argillaceous limestone with Globotruncana hel-
In most of the coastal Fars area the Cenomani- vetica Bolli. These limestones grade laterally into
an Ahmadi Member is disconformably overlain a nodular, shelly, ammonite-bearing limestone
by the shallow-water, rotaliid-bearing Ham For- from which J. A. Douglas identified the following
mation of Santonian age. Locally, as at Kuh-e Turonian fauna: Metoicoceras cf. whitei Hyatl,
Surmeh, Cenomanian to Turonian? "Oligostegi- Prionotropis sp., Coilopoceras sp., and Hopli-
na" limestone with rudist banks succeeds the faides sp.
shaly Ahmadi Member (Fig. 3). These "Oligoste- Age of formation.—Albian to Turonian? in
gina" limestones, which form the upper beds of Khuzestan and Fars Provinces; Albian to Turon-
the Sarvak in parts of coastal Fars, contain a mi- ian in Lurestan Province.
crofauna similar to that of the Rumaila Forma-
tion of southeastern Iraq (Owen and Nasr, 1958, SuRGAH FORMATION
p. 1270). Synonym.—Previously the Surgah has been in-
In the Khaneh Kat and Jahrum area, the Ah- cluded within the mid-Cretaceous limestone.
madi Member and the "Oligostegina" limestone Type section.—The type section is located at
of the coastal Fars area pass laterally into a thick Tang-e Garab, 7.5 miles southwest of Ham on the
zone of alveolinid-A'''ezsa2ate limestone similar to southwestern flank of the northwestern end of

FIG. 44.—Ham outcrop near type section, northeastern flank of Kabir Kuh, Lurestan.
FIG. 45.—Mould of ammonite Texanites sp. Ham Formation of Lurestan. Santonian.
FIG. 46.—Ham Formation of Lurestan; typical Globotruncana assemblage from lower part of formation.
Santonian. X30.
FIG. 47.—Ham Formation of Khuzestan and Fars; shallow-water Rotalia sp. (R). Dicyclina sp. (D) fauna.
Santonian-Campanian. X3S.
2214 (;. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

Kabir Kuh. It exposes 576 feet of gray to dark Fars Provinces, however, may exhibit either fa-
gray, pyritic, low-weathering shale with subordi- cies or both (Figs. 46, 47).
nate yellow-weathering, fine-grained, thin-bedded In Lurestan the Ilam overlies the Surgah, but
limestone (Fig. 39). toward the southeast it rests directly on the Sar-
Three feet of limonitic clay overlies the dis- vak (Fig. 19). Throughout the southeastern half
conformable basal contact with the rubbly, pot- of the Agreement Area a weathered zone is at the
holed surface of the underlying Sarvak. A minor top of the Ilam.
disconformity, suggested by iron nodules, silti- Though a major disconformity separates the
ness, and a small amount of weathering, may Ilam and Sarvak, it is difficult in some places to
exist between the Surgah and the overlying Ham differentiate the units in those areas where the
Formation. Surgah is absent. As the separation is largely
Regional aspects.—The Surgah is well de- based on the disconformity, age determination
veloped only in Lurestan (Fig. 19). In Khuzestan commonly plays an important part in placing the
it is questionably represented in some sections by boundary.
a thin shale break between the Sarvak and Ham. Fossils and age.—The Ilam Formation at the
It is not present in Ears Province. type locality in Lurestan contains a rich plank-
Fossils and age.—The Surgah Formation con- tonic microfauna (Figs. 46, 51) which includes:
tains a rich planktonic fauna in which Globotrun- Glohotruncana concavata (Brotzen), G. sigali Rei-
cana schneegansi Sigal and Glohotruncana sigali chel, G. carinata Dalbiez, G. elevata (Brotzen),
Reichel are the most common forms. Glohotrun- G. conica White, G. elevata stuartiformis Dal-
cana ventricosa primitiva Dalbiez occurs in the biez, Pianoglobulina sp., and Calcispkaerula sp.
upper part of the formation. The associated The ammonite Texanites has been identified in
fauna includes Glohotruncana imbricata Mornod, the lower part of the formation (Figs. 45, 51).
G. jornicata Plummer, G. angusticarinata Gan- In Khuzestan and Fars the Ilam becomes a
dolfi, Hedhergella sp., and Calcispkaerula sp. No shallow-water, nodular limestone with a domi-
conclusive evidence of a disconformity at the nantly benthonic fauna. The fauna consists of
upper contact of the Surgah with the overlying abundant echinoid and algal debris, Rotalia sp.,
Ham can be established on paleontological forms very similar to Rotalia skourensis Pfender,
grounds. Ammobaculites sp., Dicyclina sp., Valvulammina
Age of formation.—Turonian? to early San- sp., small globigerines, miliolids, and ostracods.
tonian. In coastal Fars the upper part of the Ilam con-
tains a fauna of Archaecyclus mid-orientalis
ILAM FORMATION Eames and Smout, Pseudedomia cf. complanata
Synonyms.—Previously the formation has been Eames and Smout, Rotalia cf. skourensis Pfen-
included within the mid-Cretaceous, Rudist, Hip- der, and Dicyclina sp. The occurrence of Gloho-
puritic, Lashtagan, or Bangestan limestone units. truncana elevata (Brotzen) above and below this
References.—See Bangestan Group. fauna indicates a Campanian age. A close correla-
Type section.—At Tang-e Garab on the north- tion exists between the microfaunas of the Ilam
western end of Kabir Kuh the Ilam consists of of coastal Fars, and the Hartha, Sa'di, and Mu-
624 feet of gray, regularly bedded, fine-grained, triba Formations of Kuwait. Eames and Smout
argillaceous limestone with thin, black, fissile (1955) described a similar benthonic fauna from
shale partings (Fig. 39). Campanian limestone of the Umm Gudair field in
The basal bed is silty with large hematite nod- Kuwait.
ules and minor weathering which may indicate a Age of formation.—Santonian to Campanian.
disconformity between the Ilam and the underly- Post-Cenomanian-Turonian disconformity.—
ing Surgah. The upper contact with the Gurpi is Through most of Khuzestan and Fars Provinces
conformable. the top of the Sarvak Formation shows strong
Regional aspects.—Like the Sarvak, the Ilam physical evidence of a period of general emer-
Formation consists of both shallow-water and gence which began in the CenomanianP-Turonian
deeper-water sediments. In Lurestan the deeper- and persisted locally into the Maestrichtian. This
water facies prevails. The Ilam of Khuzestan and break in deposition also has been observed in
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM ACREEMENT AREA 221:

Arabia (Steineke, Bramkamp, and Sander, 19S8),

ASHARI FM.
Kuwait (Owen and Nasr, 1958), Iraq (Dunning-
ton, 1958), and Umm Shaif (Elder, 1963).
The magnitude of this depositional break in
Iran is variable (Fig. 3). In the Bandar Abbas
area, Santonian marl of the Gurpi Formation
overlies the lower Cenomanian Trocholina-Orhito-
lina limestone of the Mauddud Member of the
Sarvak. At Kuh-e Bangestan, Maestrichtian Gurpi
marl overlies the Cenomanian-Turonian? Sarvak
limestone. In most of Fars and Khuzestan, the
Sarvak, in either the alveolinid-iVezsaza/a or "Oli-
gostegina" facies, is overlain by the Senonian
Ham or Gurpi Formation.
No faunas of known Coniacian age have been
recognized in Fars and Khuzestan, but rocks of
this age may occur. The Turonian probably is
present locally in the topmost levels of the Sar- ItAM FM.
vak where alveolinid limestone is overlain by
FIG.48. Type section of the Gurpi
limestone with a Dkyclina-Vahulammina fauna
(e.g., at Kuh-e Bangestan). The Turonian ammo- and Pabdeh formations.
nite Prionotropis has been recorded from Khu-
N 32°27'00"; E 4914'00"
zestan, but the associated microfauna is not known.
In parts of Lurestan (e.g., Kabir Kuh) the up- cene time (Amiran and Kashkan Formations).
permost beds of the Sarvak, which are of Turoni- Chert particles, possibly derived from the radi-
an age, are strongly iron-stained. The presence of olarites, are also common in sandstones of the
this staining suggests the possibility of subaerial Agha Jari Formation.
exposure before the subsequent deposition of the A formal name has not been applied to the ra-
shales of the Surgah. diolarites because their area of outcrop is outside
of the Agreement Area.
RADIOLAEITES
The radiolarites are a thick sequence of red, GURPI FORMATION
green to gray chert, shale, and siliceous lime- Synonyms.—The unit, previously called the
stone with included masses of basic to ultrabasic Globigerina marl or Dezak Marl, is now divided
igneous rocks. They crop out in a linear belt, into the Gurpi and the Pabdeh Formations. The
which is coincident with a zone of thrusting and basis for division is a disconformity with associ-
tectonic disturbance just northeast of, and paral- ated lithologic criteria; the disconformity gener-
lel with, the northeastern boundary of the Agree- ally separates the Upper Cretaceous from the
ment Area. Paleocene.
A Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous age has References.—Cotteau and Gauthier, 1895;
been assigned to the radiolarites (de Boeckh, Douville, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1905, 1907; Gau-
Lees, and F. D. S. Richardson, 1929; Lees, 1938, thier, 1902; Gregory and Currie, 1920; de Boeckh,
1953; Gray, 1950; The British Petroleum Com- Lees, and F. D. S. Richardson, 1929; Lees
pany Ltd., 1956). Lately, however, work by com- and F. D. S. Richardson, 1940; Rutsch and
pany geologists in Fars and Lurestan, just north- Schenck, 1940; Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, 1951;
east of the Agreement Area, has indicated a Late Lees, 1953; The British Petroleum Company
Cretaceous age for the radiolarites. Ltd., 1956; Falcon, 1958; Slinger and Crichton,
Tectonic movements within the area of radi- 1959.
olarite outcrop caused great quantities of radi- Type section.—^The type section at Tang-e
olarite detritus to be deposited in the Agreement Pabdeh on the southwestern flank of the
Area during Late Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eo- southeastern plunge of Kuh-e Pabdeh, just north
2216 (;. .\. J.AMES .AND J. G. WVND

of the Lali oil field, exposes 1,050 feet of low- Arabia (Figs. 4, 9, 10). Toward the northeast of
lying, dark bluish gray, marine marl and shale Lurestan the upper part passes into the clastic
with subordinate marly limestone (Figs. 48, 6Q. Amiran Formation. Limestone of the Tarbur
71). Its low-weathering profile is broken only by grades into and takes the place of the upper part
the relatively prominent Emam Hasan Member. of the Gurpi in interior Fars (Figs. 3, 7, 8).
The formation overlies the Ham with minor Fossils and age.—Over the entire Agreement
disconformity marked by a one-foot ferruginous- Area the Gurpi Formation contains abundant
weathering zone. The upper contact is placed at planktonic Foraminifera rich in species of Globo-
the junction of the dark gray shale of the Gurpi Iruncana. The more important species are Globo-
with the sandy, silty, purple shale of the lower- truncana concavata (Brotzen), G. sigali Reichel,
most Pabdeh. G. carinata Dalbiez, G. elevata (Brotzen), G.
Emam Hasan Limestone Member.—In most of conica White, G. calcarata Cushman, G. stuarti
Lurestan and Khuzestan a white-weathering, marly (de Lapparent), G. gansseri Bolli, G. contusa
limestone, called the Emam Hasan Limestone (Cushman), and Abathomphalus mayaroensis
Member, forms an important unit within the (Bolli).
Gurpi Formation. At its type section in Tang-e In Fars and Khuzestan, the basal Gurpi, with
Emam Hasan, on the southwestern flank of the Globotruncana concavata (Brotzen), is of San-
anticline of the same name, the member consists tonian age, and overlies the Cenomanian-Turoni-
of 365 feet of beds, 1-2 feet thick, of marly, gray an? Sarvak Formation disconformably. Where
limestone with interbeds of blocky, gray marl and the Senonian Ham Formation is developed, the
marlstone (Fig. 49). overlying basal Gurpi Formation, with Globo-
Lopha limestone m,ember.—This informal truncana elevata (Brotzen), is Campanian in age
member is a prominent mapping unit in Lurestan (Fig. 3). Abathomphalus mayaroensis (Bolli),
consisting of shelly limestone and marl. The indicative of Maestrichtian age, has not been re-
name is derived from the profusion of Lopha corded from the top of the Gurpi in Fars and
shells which characterize the unit (Fig. 50). Khuzestan, which suggests that the uppermost
Regional aspects.—The Gurpi is present in Maestrichtian is missing. In this area the upper
most of the Agreement Area. It is a transgressive contact of the Gurpi with the overlying Pabdeh
shale which, together with the partly equivalent Formation is marked by a highly glauconitic marl
Ham Formation, overlies the post-Cenomanian- bed of up to 2 feet in thickness. This bed indi-
Turonian disconformity (Fig. 3). cates a hiatus which represents the topmost zone
The upper boundary is also disconformable in of the Maestrichtian and the lower Paleocene
Fars and parts of Khuzestan, but conformable in (see Pabdeh Formation).
Lurestan. It is placed at the base of the purple In Lurestan the Gurpi ranges from Campanian
shale member of the Pabdeh in the northwestern to Paleocene in age. Near the Iran-Iraq border,
half of the Agreement Area. In the southeastern the shallow-water, rubbly, shelly limestone known
half, the upper boundary is marked by a thin as the Lopha limestone member contains an
conglomeratic zone or a prominent glauconite abundant megafauna. This fauna includes Lopha
bed, beneath a zone of thin-bedded, cherty, phos- dichotoma (Bayle), Lopha dichotoma (Bayle)
phatic limestone. var. sollieri (Coquand), Alectryonia zeilleri
The formation is best developed in Lurestan (Bayle), Pycnodonta vesicularis (Lamarck),
and Khuzestan from where it interfmgers toward Sphenodiscus sp., Indoceras sp., Pachydiscus sp.,
the southwest with the dominantly carbonate se- and abundant echinoids. Monolepidorbis sp., Sir-
quence of southwestern Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi tina sp., and Orbitoides sp. occur in the associated

FIG. 49.—Type section of Emam Hasan Limestone Member of Gurpi Formation, Lurestan.
FIG. 50.—Outcrop of Lopha limestone member of Gurpi Formation, Lurestan.
FIG. 51.—Typical plankton assemblage of Ham Formation of Lurestan and Gurpi Formation throughout
Agreement Area. Globotruncana elevata stuartiformis Dalbiez (G) fauna. Campanian. X30.
FIG. 52.—^Tarbur-Gurpi Formations, Kuh-e Jahrum, northeastern flank. Interior Fars.
;-•«.••.
:r.'i/:\ ^ • J U
< I* ^'^
•• I' %
2218 C;. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

FEET in Khuzestan and Pars Provinces; Campanian to

Paleocene in Lurestan Province.
PALEOCENE-
MAESTRICHTIAN
TARBUR FORMATION
Synonyms.- —Upper Cretaceous limestone,
Maestrichtian limestone.
Reference.—The British Petroleum Company
Ltd., 1956.
Type section.—The type section was measured
'1000
at Kuh-e Gadvan, 0.7S mile north of the village
of Tarbur. It is composed of 1,730 feet of mas-
sive, shelly, anhydritic limestone (Fig. 53).
The basal contact with the Gurpi Formation is
conformable. The upper contact with the gray to
green, ferruginous shale of the Sachun Formation
is associated with ironstone nodules which may
indicate a pause in sedimentation.
Regional aspects (Fig. 52).—The Tarbur is
CAMPANIAN
HAM - present only in interior Fars Province where it is
5ARVAK FM. a prominent, feature-forming unit. It may be pre-
FIG.53. Type section of the Tarbur Formation. dominantly dolomite or limestone. Toward the
southwest it grades into shale of the Gurpi.
N 29°38'0I" ; E 52°54'05". Figures 7 and 8 show the extreme thickening of
microfauna. This fauna indicates that the Lopha the Cretaceous-Tertiary section from coastal Fars
limestone occurs at or near the upper Campanian- to interior Fars which is coincident with the de-
Maestrichtian boundary. velopment of the Tarbur Formation.
The Emam Hasan Limestone Member occurs Fossils and age.—The Tarbur Formation con-
in the uppermost levels of the Gurpi in Lurestan. tains a rich shallow-water, reefal microfauna as-
It contains a rich Maestrichtian fauna which in- sociated with abundant rudist, mollusk, and algal
cludes Globotruncana gansseri Bolli, G. stuarti detritus. Monolepidorbis douvillei Astre occurs in
(de Lapparent), and Pseudotextularia varians the basal 200 feet of the formation. The suc-
(Rzehak). The 100-200 feet of Gurpi marls di- ceeding 1,530 feet of limestone contains the fol-
rectly above the Emam Hasan contains Abathom- lowing fauna: Omphalocydus macroporus (La-
pkalus mayaroensis (Bolli). The Cretaceous-Ter- marck), Siderolites calcitrapoides Lamarck, Orbi-
tiary boundary can be established only by micro- tella media (d'Archiac), Loftusia sp., Dictyo-
faunal evidence at a level within the marls where conella sp., Dicyclina sp., and Lepidorbitoides sp.
Globotruncana becomes extinct and Globigerina A similar fauna is in the Tayarat Formation of
daubjergensis Bronnimann appears. The suc- Kuwait and the upper part of the Aruma Forma-
ceeding fauna of the uppermost Gurpi in Lures- tion of Saudi Arabia (Fig. 54).
tan includes the Paleocene species Globorotalia Age of formation.—Late Campanian to Mae-
uncinata Bolli, Globigerina triloculinoides Plum- strichtian.
mer, Globorotalia pseudobuUoides (Plummer), and AMIRAN FORMATION
Globorotalia compressa (Plummer). Synonym.—^The "flysch."
Age of formation.—Santonian to Maestrichtian References.—P. T. Cox, 1938; Kent, Slinger,

ZOT ^

FIG. S4.—Tarbur Formation; detrital, reef limestone with Omphalocydus macroporus (Lamarck) (O) and
Siderolites sp. (S). Interior Fars. Maestrichtian. X30.
FIG. 55.—Dark, somber-colored Amiran Formation. Kuh-e Pusht-e Jangal. 1 mile north of type section,
Lurestan.
FIG. S6.—-Type section of Kashkan and Amiran Formations. Kuh-e Amiran, Lurestan.
s
I t
• . ^ . , '
«
».*,
mmm
 2220 G. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

and Thomas, 1951; Lees, 19S3; The British Pe- JAHRUH FM.
troleum Company Ltd., 1956; Falcon, 1958.
Type section.—The type section was measured
on Kuh-e Amiran, near the village of Ma'mulan,
where the Kashkan River cuts through the north-
eastern flank of the structure. It consists of 2,960
feet of low-weathering, dark olive-brown siltstone
and sandstone with local developments of chert
conglomerate and shelly limestone (Figs. 55, 56,
62). Chert grains are the dominant sandstone
constituent.
The basal contact with the gray marl of the
Gurpi is gradational. In most locahties the Ami-
ran is overlain by the lenticular, shelly limestone
A _ A
of the Taleh Zang Formation. Where the Talech
MAESTRICHTIAN / \ ^ ^ ^ ^
Zang is not present the top is placed at the junc- X
\ . \
tion of the dark, olive-green siltstone and sand- I
stone of the Amiran with the red to green, con-
glomeratic sandstone of the Kashkan Formation. • —<t\ A

Regional aspects.—During Late Cretaceous and

Paleocene time the area of radiolarites and basic
TARBUR FM.
igneous rocks northeast of the Agreement Area ^
was subjected to uplift, folding, and erosion,
which provided the detritus of the Amiran For- FIG.S7. Type section of the Sachun Formation.
mation.
N 28°33'37" ; E 54°26'04".
In the Agreement Area the Amiran is present
only in the northeastern part of Lurestan Prov- Reference.—I^t British Petroleum Company
ince (Fig. 3). Ltd., 19S6.
The unit increases in time-range and thickness Type section.—^The type section was measured
from southwest to northeast (Figs. 3, 11). at Kuh-e Sachun, about 3 miles north of Sachun
Fossils and age.—The Amiran Formation local- village. It is composed of 4,640 feet of gypsum,
ly contains rich planktonic faunas of Paleocene marl, and dolomite in about equal proportions
age. The fauna includes Globigerina daubjergensis (Fig. 57). The gypsum is highly lenticular, com-
Bronnimann, Globorotalia uncinata Bolli, G. monly interfingering with ochre-colored marl and
pseudobulloides (Plummer), G. velascoensis thin-bedded dolomite along strike.
(Cushman), and G. pseudomenardii Bolli. Re- The Sachun Formation conformably and grada-
worked Maestrichtian Globotruncana sp., Om- tionally overlies the Tarbur Formation and is
phalocyclus sp., and Lofiusia sp. at some places conformably overlain by the Jahrum Formation.
occur in the lowermost beds of the Amiran. Regional aspects.—The area of development of
In central Lurestan the Amiran is of Paleocene the Sachun, which is present only in interior Fars
age. Toward the northeast in the Kermanshah- Province (Figs. 3, 61), is coincident with the
Khurramabad area the basal units of the forma- area of marked thickening of the Cretaceous-Ter-
tion are Maestrichtian in age. In this area out- tiary section from coastal Fars to interior Fars
crops of Omphalocyclus-hemng limestone pro- (Fig. 8). The unit may have been deposited dur-
vided the reworked Maestrichtian faunas found ing part of the time that is represented elsewhere
in the basal Amiran on the southwest. by the post-Cretaceous disconformity.
Age of formation.—Maestrichtian to Paleo- Lithologically the formation ranges from gyp-
cene. sum to ochreous-weathering marl and dolomite to
silty, sandy redbeds. These changes may take
SACHUN FORMATION place over short distances.
Synonym.—Infra-nummulitic gypsum. FossUs and age.—At the type section the basal
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM ACiREEMENT AREA 2221

1,200 feet of the Sachun Formation contains a FEET

Maestrichtian microfauna similar to that of the 0
underlying Tarbur Formation. This fauna in-
cludes Omphalocyclus macropurus (Lamarck), 1 MIOCENE {\ 1 1 ASMARI FM
Lojtusia sp., Dictyoconella sp., Siderolites sp.,
1 U. EOCENE
and rudist detritus. Elphidiella mtiUiscissurata
Smout also has been identified from this interval
rT^K^'
\ \
in nearby sections.
: ' 1 1 o

The succeeding l,SOO-foot interval of gypsum 1 ^-^ . ^ _ \ \

J 1000 .-
and ochreous marl contains a non-diagnostic Av_ o —I

fauna of indeterminate algae and arenaceous \ \ ^ \ _ —1

O
Foraminifera. This interval is directly overlain by \ 1
200 feet of purple and red-stained limestone con-
taining a Paleocene fauna of Miscellanea sp. and
A \ KASHKAN FM.
^:y^:m^^^/•
Glomalveolina sp.
" {' ^ \ \
The upper 1,740 feet of the Sachun type sec- ^ 1 1 1 670 F "ET
tion is almost barren of fossils, but rare occur- '" ! 1 1 TALEH im
rences of Opertorbitolites sp. indicate an early
Eocene age.
Age of formation.—Late Maestrichtian to early
Eocene.
-1
LOWER EOCENE
1 1
I I
FM.

PALEOCENE \ AMIRA» FM.

The position of the Cretaceous-Tertiary
boundary can not be defined exactly because of
lack of faunal control in the lower part of the flG.59. Type section of the Taleh Zang
formation. and Shahbazan Formations.
N 32°47'38"; E 48°42'00"

TALEH ZANG FORMATION

Synonym.—Mid-Eocene limestone.
References.—Loftus, 1855; Cotteau and Gau-
thier, 1895; Douville, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1905;
Gauthier, 1902; Priem, 1908; Pilgrim, 1908;
R. K. Richardson, 1924; de Boeckh, Lees, and
F. D. S. Richardson, 1929; Lees and F. D. S.
Richardson, 1940; Lees, 1938, 1953; Kent, Sling-
er, and Thomas, 1951; The British Petroleum
Company Ltd., 1956; Falcon, 1958.
Type section.—At Tang-e Do, about 3 miles
southeast of the Taleh Zang railroad station, the
type section consists of 670 feet of medium-bed-
ded, gray limestone with an abundant fauna of
alveolinids, nummulites, assilinids, discocyclinids.
and Orbitolites (Figs. 58, 59). The Taleh Zang
conformably overlies the Amiran Formation and
is overlain by red sandstone and conglomerate of
the Kashkan Formation. There is some indication
that a disconformity may be present at the latter
boundary (see section on fossils and age, Kash-
kan Formation).
Fio. 58.—Type section of Taleh Zang and
Shahbazan Formations, Khuzestan. Regional aspects.—In northeastern Lurestan
 mi G. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

Company Report
A Allison.
F.C.P. Slinier
1948

FIG. 6 0 . Idealized N-S cross section near Lurestan-Khuzestan

boundary, showing Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene, Eocene
facies relationships.

two shallow-water carbonate formations ranging Nummulites beaumonti d'Archiac and Haime, and
in age from Paleocene to Eocene, and separated Halkyardia sp.
by the Kashkan Formation, are present. They are Age of formation.—Paleocene to middle Eo-
lithologically similar to, and correlative with, the cene at the type section.
Jahrum Formation of Fars Province. The lower In most of central Lurestan, where the Taleh
formation is called the Taleh Zang, the upper, the Zang is a thin reefal limestone at the top of the
Shahbazan (Figs. 3, 4, 61). Amiran, the fauna is exclusively of Paleocene
The Taleh Zang ranges greatly in thickness age. Similar faunas are found in the basal beds of
from place to place because of its interdigitation the Jahrum Formation in Fars and Khuzestan.
with both the underlying Amiran and the overly-
ing Kashkan. Allison and Slinger (1948, company KASHKAN FORMATION
report) depict the Taleh Zang as a reefal de- Synonym.—Eocene redbeds.
velopment interfingering with terrestrial redbeds References.—Loftus, 19SS; de Boeckh, Lees,
of the Kashkan toward the northeast, and marl and F . D . S. Richardson, 1929; Kent, Slinger,
and marly limestone of the Pabdeh toward the and Thomas, 1951; The British Petroleum Com-
south and southwest (Fig. 60). pany Ltd., 1956.
The Taleh Zang extends into the marl of the Type section.—The type section at Kuh-e Ami-
Pabdeh Formation as a thin-bedded, marly, pelag- ran was measured where the Kashkan River cuts
ic limestone and marl unit which commonly con- through the northeastern flank of the anticline. It
tains chert nodules, fish scales, and glauconite. is composed of 1,125 feet of deep-red-colored
Here it is termed informally the Taleh Zang siltstone, sandstone, and conglomerate which be-
member of the Pabdeh Formation. come coarser upward. The major constituent is
Fossils and age.—At the type section, the chert (Figs. 56, 62,64).
Taleh Zang Formation contains a rich fauna, of The lower contact with the Taleh Zang is
which the more important species, oldest to abrupt. The upper contact exhibits a prominent
youngest, are: Miscellanea sp., Nummulites glo- weathered zone.
bulus Leymerie, GlomalveoUna sp., Opertorbito- Regional aspects.—Deposition of the clastic
lites sp., Orbitolites complanatus Lamarck, Num- Kashkan Formation resulted from orogenic
mulites cf. curvispira d'Archiac and Haime, movements in the area on the northeast. South-
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2223

48' HAMADAN 52
EOCENE-PALEOCENE FACIES MAP
-•''rr-> KERMANSHAH •'^——^ Boundary dividing Eocene - Paleocene
dominantly marl facies from dominantly
••;iiAFi;-t SHAH • limestone facies (Modified from Falcon, 1958J
Tht JAHRUM FORMATION SW, limit of Amiran Formation (Falcon,
S SPLI- INTO THE SHAH- 1958)
BAZAN AND T A L E H ZANG SW. limit of Kashkan Formation (Falcon,
FORMATIONS IN THIS AREA 19581
BY THE KASHKAN FORMATION. Limit of Sacfiun Formation.

Falcon, N.L., 1958, Position of oilfields of

soutfiwest Iran with respect to relevant
Sedimentary basins : Habitat of Oil, Am,
Assoc, Petroleum Geologists, P, 1279-1293.

west of the type section it interfingers with the Taleh Zang and the overlying middle? Eocene
Pabdeh Formation (Fig. 11), and southeastward Kashkan. This hypothesis can not be supported
toward Khuzestan, it is progressively replaced by paleontologically at present.
limestone of the Shahbazan and Taleh Zang (Fig. Age of formation.—Paleocene? to middle Eo-
60). The formation diminishes in both time and
thickness from northeast to southwest.
Chert derived from the radiolarites is the SHAHBAZAN FORMATION

primary constituent. The formation, by virtue of Synonym.—The barren limestone.

its deep red color, is a prominent and important References.—-See Taleh Zang Formation.
marker throughout northeastern Lurestan. Type section.—^The type section was measured
Fossils and age.—The Kashkan Formation has at Tang-e Do, 3 miles southwest of the Taleh
yielded little faunal evidence of its age. At Tang-e Zang railroad station. It consists of 1,110 feet of
Do, the type locality of the Taleh Zang and medium-bedded, white-weathering, porous, sac-
Shahbazan Formations, the non-fossiliferous charoidal dolomite and dolomitic limestone (Figs.
Kashkan is underlain and overlain by limestone 58, 59). A leached brecciated zone which occurs in
of middle Eocene age. In the Amiran area the the upper few feet marks the disconformable con-
Kashkan basal conglomerate directly overlies tact with the overlying Asmari. The basal contact
Paleocene Taleh Zang limestone. In this area, a with the Kashkan is gradational.
hiatus may be present between the Paleocene Regional aspects.—^The Shahbazan is present
2224 (;, \. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

fEEI
0

MIDOtE EOCENE ^••z^n?J^--B;^

PALEOCENE ?
1000

PAtEOCENE

PALEOCENE
TO SACHUN FM.
MAESTRICHTIAN GURPI FM. MAESTRICHTIAN

flG.62. Type section of the Amiran flG.63. Type section of the )ahrum Formation.
and Kashkan formations. N 28°25'53"; E 53°44'47':
N 33°22'I5"; E 47°58'I0" and Haime and Alveolina oblonga d'Orbigny have
been noted near the base of the formation. The
only in northeastern Lurestan (Figs. 3, 4, 61), upper 100 feet of limestone, directly beneath the
where, together with the Asmari, it forms a basal conglomerate of the lower Miocene Asmari,
prominent topographic unit. It is differentiated contains a rich late Eocene fauna of Pellatispira
from the Asmari by an intervening conglomeratic sp., Nummulites cf. fabianii (Prever), Discocy-
leached zone and a change from limestone of the clina sp., and Aktinocyclina sp.
Asmari to dolomite of the Shahbazan. This Age of formation.—Middle to late Eocene at
boundary is commonly difficult to place, thus the type section.
making it necessary to map the two formations as
one unit. When the two formations can not be JAHRUM FORMATION
differentiated, the two names are hyphenated. Synonyms.—Eocene limestone, Gishun Lime-
In southern and southwestern Lurestan the stone.
Shahbazan interfingers with marl of the Pabdeh References.—See Taleh Zang Formation.
Formation. It is progressively replaced toward Type section.-—The type section was measured
the northeast by the Kashkan (Fig. 60). at Tang-e Ab on the northern flank of Kuh-e Jah-
Fossils and age.—Over most of Lurestan, the rum (Figs. 63, 65). The basal 100 feet is mas-
dolomitic limestone of the Shahbazan Formation sive, brown-weathering dolomite which is overlain
contains few fossils. At the type section, how- by 535 feet of medium-bedded, relatively low-
ever, rare Nummulites cf. beaumonti d'Archiac weathering dolomite. The upper 900 feet is mas-

FIG. 64.—Kashkan Formation; showing poorly sorted, angular nature of Kashkan components. Type section,
Lurestan.
FIG. 65.—Kuh-e Jahrum, northeastern flank; showing massive Jahrum Formation overlain by Asmari.
Interior Fars.
FIG. 66.—Jahrum Formation. Orbitolites sp. (O), Somalina sp. (S), Alveolina sp. (A). Interior Fars. Middle
Eocene, X40.
FIG. 67.—Jahrum Formation; detrital limestone with Discocyclina sp. (D), Nummulites sp. (N), and rare
Globigerina sp. Middle Eocene. X40.
2226 G. A, JAMES AND J. G. WYND

sive, feature-forming, dolomitic limestone with Microfossils, similar to those of the Jahrum
abundant microfauna. Formation, occur in the type section of the time-
The basal contact is apparently conformable. equivalent Taleh Zang and Shahbazan Formations
The top of the unit is placed at a regional discon- of Lurestan (Figs. 66, 67, 68).
formity which is commonly marked by a low- Age of formation.—Paleocene to late Eocene.
weathering zone of rubbly limestone and solution
brecciation. PABDEH FORMATION
Regional aspects.—The Jahrum is the litholog- Synonyms.—The Pabdeh Formation is the
ic and time equivalent of the Radhuma-Dammam Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene part of the unit
Formations of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and previously called the Globigerina marl or Dezak
southeastern Iraq. Its areal extent and facies rela- Marl. Synonyms that have been applied to parts
tion with the Pabdeh Formation are shown in of this unit are: the Eocene blue and purple
Figures 3, 7, 8, and 61. shales. Eocene green and purple marls, lower Eo-
Difficulty is commonly encountered by the field cene marls, upper Eocene marls, Eocene cherty
geologist in separating the Jahrum Formation limestone, mid-Ek)cene limestone. Eocene fissile
from the overlying Asmari. Where this happens limestone, and the Spatangid shales.
the two formations are mapped as one unit and References.—R. K. Richardson, 1924; de
the two names are hyphenated. Boeckh, Lees, and F. D. S. Richardson, 1929;
Fossils and age.—^The Jahrum Formation Kent, Slinger, and Thomas, 1951; The British
yields a rich, shallow-water, benthonic microfau- Petroleum Company Ltd., 1956; Falcon, 1958;
na. The following species, listed oldest to Slinger and Crichton, 1959.
youngest, constitute the more important micro- Type section.—At the Tang-e Pabdeh type sec-
fossils: Miscellanea sp., Sakesaria sp., Disticho- tion on the southeastern end of Kuh-e Pabdeh,
plax biserialis (Dietrich), NummuUtes globosus 2,620 feet of low-weathering gray shale and thin
d'Archiac and Haime, Lockhartia sp., Discocycli- argillaceous limestone were measured (Figs. 48,
na sp., Opertorbitolites sp., Somalina sp., Dictyo- 69, 71). Two informal members are differen-
conus sp., Coskinolina sp., Alveoltna oblonga tiated: the purple shale member at the base
d'Orbigny, Linderina sp., Orbitolites complanatus of the Pabdeh, and the Taleh Zang member. The
Lamarck, NummuUtes beaumonti d'Archiac and former consists of silty to sandy, purple-red-
Haime, and NummuUtes atacicus Leymerie. At gray shale. Thin-bedded argillaceous limestone
the type section, the Jahrum Formation is Paleo- containing fish scales and chert makes up the lat-
cene to middle Eocene in age. ter member (also see Taleh Zang Formation).
In the interior Ears area the Jahrum is no The Taleh Zang member is considered to be the
younger than middle Eocene and is disconform- deeper-water equivalent of the Taleh Zang For-
ably overlain by the Oligo-Miocene Asmari For- mation.
mation. The Pabdeh disconformably overlies the Gurpi
Evidence of the post-middle Eocene break is Formation. The upper contact is transitional with
not seen in coastal areas of Fars where the com- the Asmari Formation.
plete Eocene is represented. The top of the Jah- Regional aspects.—^The Pabdeh Formation is
rum Formation contains a late Eocene fauna of the shale-marl part of the multi-facies Paleocene,
NummuUtes fabianii (Prever), Pellatispira sp., Eocene, and Oligocene. It is best understood by
Ckapmanina sp., and Baculogypsinoides sp. referring to Figures 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 60, and 61.

Fio, 68.—Jahrum Formation; detrital limestone with .Alveoltna and NummuUtes. Interior Fars. Middle
Eocene. X35.
FIG. 69.—Kuh-e Pabdeh; Type section of Pabdeh-Gurpi Formations. Kuh-e Pabdeh, Khuzestan.
Fro. 70.—Pabdeh Formation; typical plankton assemblage with Hantkenina sp. Coastal Fars. Middle
Eocene. X3S.
Fic. 71.—Outcrop of Sarvak-Ilam, Gurpi, Pabdeh, and Asmari Formations, Northeastern flank. Kuh-e
Pabdeh, Khuzestan.
2228 C. A. JAMES AND J. G. VVYND

FEET (Plummer), all forms which date this missing in-

0 GACHSARAN FH.
terval, have not been recorded from Khuzestan
y / A A or Fars.
f 1 1
1 1 In Lurestan the basal purple shale member
LOWER
/ -L 1 ranges from late Paleocene to early Eocene in
1030 FEET
age. The fauna includes Globorotalia velascoensis
MIOCENE ASMARI (Cushman), G. pseudomenardii Bolli, G. rex
FORMATION Martin, G. wilcoxensis Cushman and Ponton, and
•.•.!.•.• •.•:!.•
"Globorotalia" palmerae Cushman and Bermudez.
1000 ( • ' • ' • '

There is no faunal or physical evidence of a

X,!^- -.A:
1 •:.•••{: break in deposition between the basal Pabdeh and
>w— — -- the underlying Gurpi. The planktonic faunas of
OLIGOCENE
V
flG.72. Type section of the Asmari Formation.
—_ PABDEH f M . the Maestrichtian and Paleocene are fully repre-
sented in Lurestan.
In all areas the succeeding Eocene units of the
N 3r43'09"; E 49°34'29" Pabdeh contain faunas which occur in the same
zonation used by Bolli (1957, p. 1S9) for the Eo-
These show the marl of the Pabdeh Formation of
cene Navet Formation of Trinidad. The Eocene
Lurestan and Khuzestan passing into carbonates
fauna of the Pabdeh includes: "Globorotalia"
toward Iraq, Kuwait, and Arabia, and into elas-
palmerae Cushman and Bermudez, Globorotalia
tics and carbonates toward the northeast.
aragonensis Nuttall, G. rex Martin, G. spinulosa
In Pars Province the Pabdeh is developed along
Cushman, G. lekneri Cushman and Jarvis, Hant-
only part of the coast (Fig. 61). Toward the in-
kenina sp., Truncorotaloides sp., Porticulasphaera
terior it passes into a mixed Jahrum-Pabdeh fa-
cf. mexicana (Cushman), Globorotalia centralis
des, and then into carbonates of the Jahrum For-
Cushman and Bermudez, Globigerapsis semi-invo-
mation. On the south and southeast toward Ara-
luta (Keijzer), Cribrohantkenina sp., and Glo-
bia, the marl of the Pabdeh is replaced by car-
borotalia cerro-azulensis Cole (Fig. 70).
bonate (Fig. 8).
The planktonic faunas occurring above the last
Throughout Lurestan and Khuzestan the base
definite Eocene species are at present considered
of the Pabdeh is placed at the bottom of the pur-
to be of Eocene-Oligocene age. Non-diagnostic
ple shale member. In Fars, however, the purple
Nonion, Uvigerina, and Textulariidae occur in
shale generally is not present. The lower
this interval. Haplophragmium slingeri Thomas,
boundary is placed at the bottom of a cherty
Zeauvigerina khuzestanica Thomas, and the echi-
limestone unit where phosphate nodules, shark
noids Schizaster and Hemiaster also occur. At the
teeth, glauconite, and in some places pebble con-
Pabdeh type section, the marl with Haplophrag-
glomerate with detrital bitumen, lie at the post-
mium and Zeauvigerina is interbedded with Olig-
Cretaceous disconformity.
ocene basal Asmari-type limestone containing
Fossils and age.—The Pabdeh Formation
Nummulites intermedius d'Archiac.
throughout the entire Agreement Area contains a
At Kabir Kuh in Lurestan, the uppermost Pab-
rich planktonic fauna. In Khuzestan and Fars, the
deh marl beds contain a globigerinid fauna with
entire basal purple shale member, where present,
Globigerinoides cf. triloba (Reuss). This occur-
is late Paleocene, with rich occurrences of Globor-
rence indicates that the youngest Pabdeh is of
otalia velascoensis (Cushman) and Globorotalia
early Miocene age in Lurestan.
pseudomenardii Belli. This fauna overlies directly
the Globotruncana ganwerf-bearing marl of the Age of formation.—Late Paleocene to Oligo-
Gurpi Formation. The glauconitic-phosphatic bed cene in Khuzestan and Fars Provinces; late Pale-
which separates the Pabdeh from the Gurpi ocene to Miocene in Lurestan Province.
represents a period of non-deposition from the
AsMAKi FORMATION
late Maestrichtian until the end of the early
Paleocene. Abathomphalus mayaroensis (Bolli), Synonyms.—Euphrates Limestone, Kalhur
Globigerina daubjergensis Bronnimann, Globoro- Limestone, Khamir Limestone.
talia uncinata Bolli, and Globorotalia compressa Thomas (1950) defined the Asmari in sensu
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AOREEMENT AREA 2220

lato and sensu stricto units. The latter was re- Ahwaz Sandstone Member. It is correlated as the
stricted essentially to the oil fields area and ex- wedge-edge of the Ghar Formation of Kuwait
cluded the Euphrates Limestone of Lurestan and and southeastern Iraq (Figs. 4, 9, 10).
the Khamir Limestone of Ears. His sensu lato The interval, 8,056-8,756 feet, in the Ahwaz 6
Asmari included these two lithologic equivalents well is the type section for the Ahwaz Sandstone
as well as the Brissopsis shales and basal anhy- Member (Fig. 76). Here sandstone directly over-
drite which occur beneath the limestone body in lies the Pabdeh, and at Mansuri, just south of
parts of Khuzestan. Ahwaz, limestone is found both above and below
The Asmari as now defined includes the synony- the Ahwaz Member (Fig. 10).
mous Euphrates and Khamir Limestones. In The Ahwaz Sandstone Member ranges in age
Khuzestan, the base of the formation is placed at from Oligocene to early Miocene. At Ahwaz well
the bottom of the limestone succession. The un- 5 the sandstone overlies Oligocene lower Asmari
derlying Brissopsis shales and the basal anyhydrite containing Nummulites intermedins d'Archiac. At
are included in the Pabdeh Formation. Two mem- Ahwaz well 6, the underlying Pabdeh marls with
bers, the Ahwaz Sandstone Member and the Kal- Haplophragmium slingeri Thomas are also of Oli-
hur Member (previously Kalhur Anhydrite gocene age. The sandstone is succeeded by, and
Formation of Lurestan), are included within the interfingers with, middle Asmari limestone bear-
Asmari. ing Austrotrillina howchini (Schlumberger) and
References.—Pilgrim, 1908, 1924; Busk and Peneroplis evolutiis Henson of early Miocene age.
Mayo, 1918; R. K. Richardson, 1924; Douglas, Kalhur Member.—The Kalhur Member of the
1927-1928; de Boeckh, Lees, and F. D. S. Rich- Asmari Formation was previously treated as a
ardson, 1929; Lees, 1933, 1934, 1938, 19S0, 19S1, formation called the Kalhur Anhydrite or Kalhur
1953; Reichel, 1936-37; Henson, 1950; Kent, Gypsum.
Slinger, and Thomas, 1951; Thomas, 1950; Ion, The type section was measured on the southern
Elder, and Redder, 1951; The British Petroleum flank of Kuh-e Anaran, 2 miles southeast of
Company Ltd., 1956; Falcon, 1958; Slinger and where the road passing along the southwestern
Crichton, 1959. flank of Kuh-e Anaran crosses the Changuleh
Type section.—The type section as designated River. It is composed of three units: a basal gyp-
by R. K. Richardson (company report) is at sum IS feet thick, 140 feet of marl and thin-bed-
Tang-e Gel-e Tursh (Valley of Sour Earth) on ded marly limestone, and 270 feet of massive
the southwestern flank of the Kuh-e Asmari an- gypsum (Fig. 77).
ticline where the formation forms the breached The member conformably overlies marl of the
carapace of the structure (Fig. 73). Pabdeh Formation and is conformably overlain
Thomas (1950) has described the type section by limestone of the Asmari. Elsewhere, the mem-
in detail. It consists of 1,030 feet of resistant, fea- ber may be present as a tongue within the Asmari
ture-forming, cream to brown-weathering, well- Formation limestone.
jointed limestone with shelly intercalations (Fig. The Kalhur Member is present only in south-
72). Contacts with the overlying Gachsaran and western Lurestan. Toward the northeast it
underlying Pabdeh are conformable. interfingers with limestone of the middle part of
Only the upper and middle parts of the Asmari the Asmari Formation (Figs. 3, 11).
are present in the type section; the lower Asmari The planktonic faunas of the underlying Pab-
interval is represented by the laterally equivalent deh have a strong Miocene aspect but the details
shale of the Pabdeh Formation. of this fauna still have to be studied. Laterally,
In spite of being such a prolific oil reservoir in the Kalhur is probably the time equivalent of the
nearby oil fields, virtually no trace of oil remains middle Asmari limestone. The overlying upper
in the exposed rock at Kuh-e Asmari and in other Asmari limestone containing Neoalveolina melo
similar outcrops. curdica Reichel and Miogypsina sp. is of definite
Ahwaz Sandstone Member.—In the Ahwaz and early Miocene age. The Kalhur Member is con-
Mansuri oil fields the basal few hundred feet of sidered to be of early Miocene age.
the ./Vsmari is a sequence of calcareous sandstone, Regional aspects.—The Asmari serves as a res-
sandy limestone, and minor shale named the ervoir for the vast proportion of the oil produced
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2231

FEET 4- + + FEET
A A GACHSARAN FM. 0
0
A A A
1 1 J*

LOWER
» I
IX
3»- ni rc
MIOCENE
^
1 1 ± ~ S
A

A
A
A

A
A
A

A
A
A

A
A
A

A
425 FEET
KALHUR
s
i
° S MBR.

? ? 7 ?_ AHWAZ ^ -
::-.M'-.:-.M;. 11000
1000 SST. MBR.
l ; .• •.•(.• •,.•
_
o
_ PABDEH FM.
^ ^ • ^ FIG.77. Type section of the
OLIGOCENE
Kalhur Member, Asmari Formation.
PABDEH fM,
I3^T£I=£ N 33°0I'47"; E 46°36'27"

flG.76 . Type section of the disappears as a result of interfingering with Ara-

Ahwaz Sandstone Member, Asmari formation. bian shield sandstones and because of the im-
portant post-Eocene disconformity (Figs. 8, 9,
N 3n2'34" ; E 48°56'56'.
10). A somewhat similar relation holds in the
in the Agreement Area. An average well in the Agreement Area; where the Jahrum or Shahbazan
better fields produces about 25,000 barrels of oil Formations are well developed, the Asmari in
per day, amply justifying the formation's fame as many places is poorly represented (Figs. 7, 8, 11).
one of the world's most prolific reservoirs. The Throughout Lurestan and Khuzestan the As-
high rate of production is attributable to a promi- mari-Gachsaran contact apparently remains at a
nent system of fracturing which makes accessible relatively constant time horizon. In Fars Prov-
large volumes of the reservoir to intersecting well ince, however, the Gachsaran progressively re-
bores. places the top of the Asmari from northwest to
The formation is present through most of the southeast (Fig. 3). Conversely, in Fars, the base
Agreement Area as a prominent limestone unit. It of the Asmari generally is found at a fairly con-
commonly forms the resistant carapace of the stant horizon, whereas in Lurestan and Khuzes-
long, anticlinal mountains characteristic of the Za- tan it is of different ages in different places (Fig.
gros foothills area. An evaporite wedge, the Kal- 3).
hur Member, replaces the limestone of the mid- In the southeastern end of the Agreement Area
dle part of the Asmari in southwestern Lurestan the Asmari grades into marl of the Pabdeh For-
(Figs. 3, 11). In southwestern Khuzestan, sand- mation in wells on Qeshm Island (Fig. 7).
stone of the Ahwaz Member, derived from the Fossils and age.—The formation is divided into
Arabian shield, interfingers with limestone of the lower, middle, and upper Asmari, each containing
middle and lower parts of the Asmari (Figs. 3, 4, a diagnostic microfauna; these are summarized as
9, 10). Near Bandar Abbas in southeastern Fars follows.
Province, the Asmari passes into marl of the Lower Asmari (Fig. 74).—Nummulites inter-
Pabdeh toward the southeast (Fig. 7). medins d'Archiac. Nummulites vascits Joly and
Southwest of the Agreement Area, where the Leymerie, Archaias operculiniformis Henson,
thick Paleocene-Eocene limestones of Iraq, Ku- Austrotrillina paucialveolata Grimsdale, Penero-
wait, and Saudi Arabia are developed, the Asmari plis tkomasi Henson, Eulepidina dilatata Miche-

FTO. 73.—Type section of Asmari Formation. Kuh-e Asmari, Khuzestan.

FIG. 74.—Lower Asmari limestone. Nummulites intermedius d'Archiac. Khuzestanfl Oligocene. X20.
FIG. 75.—Middle Asmari limestone. Peneroplis evolutus Henson (Pe), PeneropUs thomasi Henson (Pt),
and Austrotrillina howchini (Schlumberger) (A). Khuzestan. Early Miocene. XIS.
iin C. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYNU

lotti, and Praerhapydionina delicala Henson. This Joly and Leymerie, N. cf. incrassatus (de la
fauna indicates an Oligocene age for the lower Harpe), Cycloclypeus, Heterostegina, Rotalia
Asmari, and has been correlated with the Rupeli- viennoti Greig, Eulepidina dilatata Michelotti,
an to Chattian stages by Eames et al. (1962, p. Nummulites cf. fichteli Michelotti, Archaias
12). operculiniformis Henson, and Praerhapydionina
Middle Asmari (Fig. 75).—Austrotrillina delicata Henson.
howchini (Schlumberger), Peneroplis evolutus In Fars Province the upper Asmari with Neoal-
Henson, P. thomasi Henson, Archaias sp., Mean- veolina melo curdica is absent, the limestone
dropsina anahensis Henson, and Miogypsina sp. grading laterally into the Gachsaran or Razak
Upper Asmari (Fig. 78)—Neoalveolina melo Formations. In Lurestan the Asmari overlying
curdica Reichel, Taberina malabarica (Carter), the Kalhur Member is restricted to the upper
Meandropsina iranica Henson, and Ostrea lati- part of the formation with Neoalveolina melo
marginata Vredenberg. curdica Reichel.
The middle to upper Asmari is early Miocene Age of formation.—Oligocene to early Mio-
in age. At the type section, the upper Asmari is cene.
represented by 750 feet of Neoalveolina melo
cwrdjca-bearing limestone with associated Mean- EARS GROUP
dropsina iranica Henson and Dendritina rangi In 1908, Pilgrim applied the name Fars series
d'Orbigny. In the same section 70 feet of sandy to a thick sequence of largely Miocene deposits
limestone with Miogypsina sp. forms the base of cropping out in Fars Province. He divided this
the upper Asmari. into a basal gypseous group, Ostrea virleti beds,
The middle Asmari consists of 210 feet of and Pecten vasseli beds. Boundaries, however,
shelly and miliolid limestone forming the base of were obscure. Later, near Masjed-e Suleyman,
the type section. The microfauna is not typical of S. L. James and G. VV. Halse (company report)
the rich middle Asmari peneroplid-miliolid facies divided the Fars into lower, middle, and upper
of other parts of Iran, e.g., Gachsaran. The lime- Fars. These names have been used for many
stone is much recrystallized, but miliolids and years in the oil fields area.
Dendritina rangi d'Orbigny are common. A speci- The term Ears is now given group status and
men of Austrotrillina howchini (Schlumberger) divided into the Gachsaran Formation (formerly
has been recorded in the upper part (Thomas, lower Fars), the Mishan Formation (formerly
1950, p. 39). middle Fars), and the Agha Jari Formation
The rich nummulitic-lepidocycline limestone of (formerly upper Fars). The Razak Formation of
the lower Asmari is not present at the type sec- interior Fars, which is a non-evaporitic redbed
tion. This part of the section may be represented equivalent of the evaporitic Gachsaran Forma-
by the alternating shale and thin limestone of the tion, is also included within the group.
Oligocene Brissopsis beds which are now included References.—Loftus, 1855; Pilgrim, 1908;
in the Pabdeh Formation. Harrison, 1924; R. K. Richardson, 1924; Doug-
The typical microfauna of the lower Asmari is las, 1928; Busk, 1929; de Boeckh, Lees, and
well developed at the Gachsaran oil field, 120 F. D. S. Richardson, 1929; Strong, 1937; Lees,
miles southeast of the Kuh-e Asmari type section. 1938, 1953; Lees and F. D. S. Richardson, 1940;
Thomas (1950, p. 40) recorded the following Oli- O'Brien, 1948, 1953, 1957; Thomas, 1948, 1950;
gocene microfauna from stages 1 and 2 (lower Ion, Elder, and Pedder, 1951; Kent, Slinger, and
Asmari) at Gachsaran: Nummulites cf. vasciis Thomas, 1951; The British Petroleum Company

FIG. 78.—Upper Asmari limestone. Neoalveolina melo curdica Reichel (N). Khuzestan. Early Miocene. X60.
FIG. 79.—Gachsaran Formation, bryozoan-algal, detrital limestone with Peneroplis farsensis Henson. Coastal
Fars. Early Miocene. X35.
FIG. 80.—Outcrop of Gachsaran, Mishan-Agha Jari, and Bakhtyari Formations. Khuzestan.
FIG. 81.—Gachsaran, Mishan-Agha Jari, and Balchtyari outcrop north of Masjed-e Suleyman. Bakhtyari type
section in right-center of photograph.
2234 G. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

FEET MISHAN m . mented in 1948 by F. C. P. Slinger who, while

A A' A IT
0 resident geologist at the Agha Jari oil field,
542 FEET
MEMBER 7 worked out a sequence of key beds of the forma-
^ tion. This has served for many years as a guide
A A A A
947 FEET to drilling progress within this complex, variable
1000 MEMBER 6 evaporitic sequence. Micropetrographic work by
{TdT/TA Strong (1937) has also aided in defining correla-
., A , <^
,A,-
A_VXL.A tive units of the Gachsaran Formation.
1063 FEET The type section is a composite of intervals
A A A MEMBER 5 compiled by S, E. Watson from wells of the
;A3:
, A A A
Gachsaran oil field (1960, company report). It
4E ar*—:t—i should be borne in mind, however, that the Gach-
T^^
saran Formation is highly subject to solution and
also responsive to differential pressures exerted
A ^ 1 A
upon it; consequently, one seldom finds elsewhere
FATA-I-A- 2782 FEET
~A A A _
a sequence that is similar to the type section
MEMBER 4 (Fig. 82).
In the oil fields area the Gachsaran has been
divided into seven informal members. Members 6
and 7 are the same as stages 2 and 3 referred to
in previous publications. Members 1 through 5
t + are subdivisions of stage 1.
rr^t: 753 FEET The type section members are described in as-
MEMBER 3
cending order.
Member 1 (GS 25, 7,875-7,745 feet).—The "Cap
379 FEET
+.i^ MEMBER 2 Rock" conformably overlies the Asmari. It con-
+H
•A A sists of 130 feet of alternating thick-bedded anhy-
w m. I
ASHARI FM. drite and thin-bedded limestone associated with
bituminous shale. It is an important unit sepa-
FIG.82. Type section of the Gachsaran Formation.
rating high pressures in the Gachsaran Formation
from the lower pressures of the Asmari.
Ltd., 19S6; Falcon, 19S8; Slinger and Crichton,
Member 2 (GS 21, 7,713-7,334 feet) .—Member 2
1959.
is made up of thick salt units with intervening
GACHSARAN FOEMATION
anhydrite and thin limestone.
Synonym.—Lower Fars. Member 3 (GS 27, 4,947-4,194 feet).—Member 3
References.-—See Fars Group. consists of thick anhydrite beds with subordinate
In Fars Province the Gachsaran is divided into salt in the lower half, and alternating anhydrite,
the Chehel, Champeh, and Mol Members. Syno- thin-bedded limestone, and marl in the upper
nyms for the Chehel Member are gypsum series, half.
basal gypsum beds, and Chel Anhydrite. Syno-
nyms for the Champeh Member are Gypsina Member 4 (GS 21, 5,175-2,393 feet).—Thick salt
limestone and lower limestone. The Mol Member beds alternate with intervening gray marl, lime-
was previously called the redbeds. stone, or anhydrite.
Type section.—A complete section of the Member 5 (GS 20, 3,913-2,850 feet).—Member 5
Gachsaran Formation is found in very few wells is composed of marly anhydrite alternating with
or surface outcrops because of its mobile and sa- limestone and red to gray marl.
liferous nature (O'Brien, 1948). In 1946, F. D. S. Member 6 (GS 18, 4,490-3,553 feet).—The basal
Richardson, by virtue of a detailed study of the 340 feet consists of alternating anhydrite, red
sequence near the Gachsaran oil field, was the marl, and limestone. The middle part is alternat-
first worker successfully to reduce to order the ing salt and anhydrite, and the upper 200 feet is
complexities of the formation. This was supple- anhydrite with minor red to gray marl.
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2235

Member 7 (GS 14, 3,068-2,610 feet).—Member 7

is alternating anhydrite and gray marl or marly MISHAN FH.
limestone. It is conformably overlain by the
MOt MBR. 175 H . c^
Mishan Formation.
Regional aspects (Figs. 80, 81).—The Gachsa- 360 FEET
ran Formation which forms the all-important seal CHAMPEH MBR.
over Asmari oil accumulations was deposited in a
northwest-southeast-trending asymmetric trough.
The steep side of the trough was toward the
northeast and the axis trended through the Gach- 970 FEET
saran, Masjed-e Suleyman, and Lali oil fields CHEHEt ANHYDRITE
(O'Brien, 1948; Falcon, 1958). Figures 8-10 are
MBR.
cross-sectional views of part of this basin showing
the marked northeastward thickening of the for-
mation, approximately coinciding with the south-
western border of the Agreement Area. OtlGOCENE ASMARI FM.

In Khuzestan the Gachsaran-Asmari boundary FIG.83.Type section of the Chehel, Champeh

is sharp, and generally considered to be isochro-
and Mol Members of the Gachsaran Formation,
nous. The base of the Gachsaran in Fars Prov-
Fars Province. N 26°54'04"; E 54°05'22"
ince, however, progressively replaces the upper
part of the Asmari from northwest to southeast
(Fig. 3). The Mol Member is a prominent marker unit
Toward the interior of Fars Province the evap- in Fars Province because of its predominantly
orites of the Gachsaran pass into the redbeds red color. It consists of red to gray, gypseous
and thin beds of limestone of the Razak Forma- marl and thin, gypseous limestone. In the type
tion (Figs. 7, 8). section it is 175 feet thick, which is an average
thickness for southeastern Fars Province (Fig.
Three members, the Chehel, Champeh, and
83).
Mol, are differentiated within the Gachsaran For-
mation of Fars Province. These were originally Fossils and age.—In Khuzestan the Gachsaran
designated as formations by L. E. T. Parker Formation contains a predominantly brackish-
(1959, company report). Their type section (Fig. water microfauna of ostracods, bryozoans, and
83) is Tang-e Chehel, in the central part of the rotaliids. Thin beds of limestone contain swarms
southern flank of Kuh-e Gachestan, also called of small miliolids and chilostomellids with associ-
Kuh-e Namaki, about 40 miles northeast of the ated Peneroplis farsensis Henson, Dendritina
Fars port of Lengeh, and 2 miles north of the vil- rangi d'Orbigny, rare Miogypsina sp., and charo-
lage of Rustami. phyta (Fig. 79). Similar microfossils occur in the
Gachsaran Formation of Lurestan.
The Chehel Member is a prominent anhydrite
or gypsum unit, 970 feet thick, which makes up The microfaunas of the Chehel, Champeh, and
the basal part of the Gachsaran Formation in Mol Members of the coastal Fars area are sum-
southeastern Fars (Fig. 83). From the type sec- marized as follows.
tion the Chehel becomes thinner west and north, Chehel Member.—Thin beds of limestone within
and thickens east and southeast. the gypsum sequence contain rich occurrences of
In its type section the Champeh Member con- polymorphinids, miliolids, and small peneroplids.
sists of 360 feet of gray to red, gypseous marl, Associated marl beds contain ostracods, radiolari-
chalky-gypseous limestone or dolomite, and nodu- ans, and small globigerinids. Austrotrillina kowchi-
lar to massive gypsum (Fig. 83). It is character- ni (Schlumberger) and Peneroplis evolutus Hen-
istically higher-weathering than either the under- son have been recorded from marl which occurs
lying Chehel Member or overlying Mol Member. locally at the base of the Chehel Member.
Limestone and dolomite within the Champeh are Champeh Member.—^The limestone and marl of
correlatives of the upper part of the Asmari For- the Champeh contain the following microfauna:
mation in Khuzestan. Taberina malabarica (Carter), Sphaerogypsina
2236 G. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

sp., Peneroplis farsensis Henson, Dendritina FEET

rangi d'Orbigny, Miogypsina sp., Flosciilinella sp., 0
MISHAN FM.
NeoalevoUna (Borelis) melo (Fichtel and Moll)
with associated Elphidium sp., rotaliids, and
bryozoans. The succeeding Mol Member contains
1000
a similar, but less rich, fauna.
In interior Fars, limestone in the lower part of
the Gachsaran Formation contains an early Mio-
cene microfauna which includes: Neoalveolina
melo curdica Reichel, Taberina malabarica (Car-
ter), Meandropsina anahensis Henson, and Pener-
oplis farsensis Henson. This fauna is also typical
of the upper Asmari limestone. Basal Gachsaran
limestone and marl of interior Fars yield a poor
MHARI FM.
peneroplid-miliolid fauna which includes Penero-
plis evolutus Henson and Austrotrillina howchini
(Schlumberger). flG.84. Type section of the Razak formation.
The megafauna of the Gachsaran Formation N 28°33'00"; E 53°50'39"
includes Ostrea latimarginata Vredenburg, Antigo-
na granosa (Sowerby), dementia papyracea Limestone Member of the Mishan Formation.
(Gray), and Ostrea praevirleti (Douglas). The Razak is considered to be in part equivalent
Throughout Khuzestan and Lurestan the Gach- to the upper red formation of central Iran.
saran Formation overlies the upper Asmari and is Fossils and age.—^The Razak Formation con-
late early Miocene in age. In interior Fars the tains a fauna similar to that of the laterally
lower part of the formation is the time equiva- equivalent Gachsaran Formation. The microfos-
lent of the upper Asmari and probably part of sils from the marl include ostracods, rotaliids, El-
the middle Asmari of Khuzestan. phidium sp., and charophyta. The thin silty lime-
Age of formation.—Early Miocene. stone contains the following microfossils: Mio-
gypsina sp., Taberina sp., Neoalveolina (Borelis)
RAZAK FORMATION melo (Fichtel and Moll), Dendritina rangi d'Or-
Synonyms.—Previously the Razak has been in- bigny, and Tubucellaria sp. This fauna is also
cluded within the lower Fars or described as the found in the Champeh Member of the Gachsaran
central Iran facies (company report). Formation. Flosculinella cf. bontangensis (Rut-
Type section.—The type section is located on ten) has been recorded from a thin limestone 480
the northern flank of Kuh-e Jahrum, 23 miles feet above the base of the formation. Rare plank-
southeast of the city of Jahrum, and 0.5 mile tonic Foraminifera, which occur near the base of
southeast of the village of Chah Tiz. The succes- the Razak, include: Globigerinoides cf. rubra
sion consists of 2,540 feet of low-weathering, silty, (d'Orbigny), G. bispherica Todd, G. triloba trilo-
red to green to gray marl with subordinate silty ba (Reuss), G. triloba immatura LeRoy, and G.
limestone (Fig. 84). It forms a broad, low, multi- triloba sacculifera (Brady). Reworked Oligocene
colored outcrop area between the resistant As- fossils are common in the base of the formation
mari-Jahrum and the Guri Limestone Member of in the interior Fars area.
the Mishan Formation. Age of formation.—Early Miocene.
Both lower and upper contacts are gradational
and conformable. MISHAN FORMATION

Regional aspects.—The Razak interfingers to- Synonyms.—The formation previously called

ward the south and southwest with the Gachsaran middle Fars is now termed the Mishan Forma-
Formation (Figs. 3, 7, 85). This interfingering tion. Its usage is also extended into Fars Prov-
approximately coincides with the southwestern ince, thus replacing the names argillaceous group
limit of the Sachun and Tarbur Formations as and Anguru Marl.
well as with the thick development of the Guri References.—See Fars Group.
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2237

48 .HAMADAN OUM 52= 56°

KERMANSHAHi MAP SHOWING LIMITS OF
\ •
J\ THE GACHSARAN AND RAZAK
SHAH
'\, FORMATIONS, AND AREA OF
THICK DEVELOPMENT OF THE
' K h u r ramabad
GURI MBR. OF THE MISHAN
FORMATION.

Type section.—^The type section was measured called the Operculina limestone or the Guri For-
along the "Golden Staircase" road on the south- mation (company reports).
western flank of the Gachsaran oil field where The Guri Member type section is just east of
approximately 2,330 feet of Mishan is present the salt plug on Kuh-e Gach, 18 miles southeast
(Fig. 86). It consists of low-weathering gray marl of the city of Lar and 11 miles east-southeast of
and ridge-forming ribs of shelly limestone with the village of Nimeh. It consists of 370 feet of
abundant microfauna (Fig. 87). cream, hard, feature-forming, brown-weathering,
The basal 200 feet is made up of alternating fossiferous limestone with thin bands of marl-
shelly, "worm bed" limestone and marl which stone.
may change abruptly along strike to massive reef Both the upper contact with the marl of the
limestone (Fig. 88). Mishan and the lower contact with the gypseous
The sharp basal contact with the gypsum of red marl of the Gachsaran are sharp and con-
the Gachsaran Formation is accompanied by a formable.
minor amount of ferruginous staining. The upper In an east-west-trending belt in the central part
contact is gradational. of the southeastern end of Pars Province (Figs.
Guri Limestone Member.—Through most of 7, 85) the Guri Member changes to a massive
the Agreement Area the basal part of the Mishan reef development, in many places exceeding 2,000
is a limestone facies named here the Guri Lime- feet in thickness. This buildup is approximately
stone Member. Previously this unit has been coincident with the southern and southwestern
2238 C. A. JAMES AND J. G. WYND

FEET Fossils and age.—The Mishan Formation

abounds in rich occurrences of shallow-water ma-
AGHA jARI FM,
rine faunas which include: Ostrea virleti (Des-
hayes), Ostrea digitata Eichwald, Chlamys senato-
ria (Gmelin), Chlamys pusio (Linne), Lithopha-
ga lithophaga (Linne), dementia papyracea
(Gray), Antigona granosa (Sowerby), Echino-
lampas jacquemonti (d'Archiac and Haime), Tur-
ritella sp., Conus sp., Natica sp., and Anadara sp.
1000
The rubbly, reef limestones of the Mishan, in
particular the basal Guri Limestone Member,
contain abundant Foraminifera (Fig. 89). The
identified microfauna includes Operculina compla-
nata Defrance, Nephrolepidina sp., Miogypsina
sp., Flosculinella bontangensis (Rutten), Dendri-
tina cf. rangi d'Orbigny, Taberina malabarica
(Carter), and Neoalveolina (Borelis) melo (Fich-
tel and Moll). The bryozoan Tubucellaria and
many forms of algae also occur.
Planktonic Foraminifera have been identified
from a few marl zones in Fars Province: Globig-
erinoides triloba triloba (Reuss), G. triloba sac-
GACHSARAN FM.
culifera (Brady), G. cf. rubra (d'Orbigny), Orbu-
FIG, 86. Type section of the Hishan Formation. lina universa d'Orbigny, Hastigerina cf. aequila-
teralis (Brady), and Sphaeroidinellopsis sp.
N 30°I3'08"; E 50°45'34"
Age of formation.—Early to middle Miocene.
limits of the Sachun, Tarbur, and Razak Forma-
tions. AGHA JARI FORMATION

Regional aspects.—^The marine conditions in Synonyms.—The name Agha Jari Formation

which Mishan sedimentation took place existed replaces the term upper Fars. The transition beds
for a shorter length of time in the northwest than of southwestern Khuzestan and Lurestan, which
the southeast. Consequently, the formation in- referred to transitional sediments between the ar-
creases toward the southeast in time span and gillaceous middle Fars and clastic upper Fars, are
thickness (Fig. 3). From the oil fields area to- now included in the Agha Jari Formation. The
ward Lurestan, southeastern Iraq, Kuwait, and Lahbari Member of the Agha Jari Formation is a
Saudi Arabia the Mishan is replaced by elastics term now applied to deposits which are essential-
of the Agha Jari Formation (Figs. 8-10). The ly the same as those heretofore called lower Bakh-
formation therefore appears to consist of the tyari.
deposits of a linear, southeast-to-northwest-trend- References.—See Fars Group.
ing, marine transgressive sea situated dominantly Type section (Figs. 93, 94).—^The type section
within what is now the Agreement Area. Erosion was measured along the road crossing the central
in the northeastern part of the Agreement Area part of the Agha Jari oil field (Fig. 91). It con-
has obscured the position of the northeastern sists of 9,730 feet of feature-forming, brown to
limit of Mishan deposition. gray, calcareous sandstone and low-weathering.

77m r

FIG. 87.—^Light-colored Mishan marl with ribs of resistant, shelly, rubby limestone. Near Gachsaran,
FIG, 88.—Surface of "worm bed" limestone in basal Mishan Formation, Type section, near Gachsaran.
FIG. 89.—Mishan Formation, basal Guri Limestone Member showing typical assemblage of Operculina (0),
Nephrolepidina (N), and Miogypsina (M). Interior Fars. Early Miocene. X35.
FIG. 90,—Agha Jari oil field frontal thrust. Mishan Formation thrust over Agha Jari.
^
^
2240 C. A. J.AMES .AND J. G. WYND

FEET
0 BAKHTYARI f M .

FIG.92. Type section of the

Lahbari Member, Agha Jari Formation.
N 3t°28'23"; E 49°37'33"
MISHAN FM.
lowest pebble conglomerate bed. The Lahbari is
fl6.9l. Type section of the Agha Jari Formation. separated from the main body of the Agha Jari
N 30°48'42"; E 49°47'29" on the bases of its low-weathering profile, buff
color, and less consolidated nature, in sharp con-
gypsum-veined, red marl and siltstone. Chert is trast to the rest of the Agha Jari, with its red
one of the most common sandstone constituents. color and well-cemented, prominent-weathering
Local developments of thin, discontinuous, gyp- sandstone.
.sum beds are common. The type section of the Lahbari Member was
The Agha Jari transitionally overlies the Mi- measured at Tang-e Tukab on the northeastern
shan Formation and is unconformably overlain by flank of the Haft Kel anticline, 6 miles northeast
conglomerate of the Bakhtyari. The basal contact of Haft Kel along the road to Malamir. The
is defined as the top of the highest gray, marine name is derived from the Lahbari syncline which
marl of the Mishan Formation. separates the Masjed-e Suleyman and Kuh-e As-
Lahbari Member of Agha Jari Formation.— mari structures from the Haft Kel and Naft
The Lahbari Member refers to a rock unit that is Safid anticlines. The type succession consists of
essentially the same as the one previously called 5,170 feet of low-lying, gypsum-veined, buff-col-
the lower Bakhtyari. Different criteria are used, ored siltstone, silty marl, and subordinate sand-
however, in defining the Lahbari Member from stone and gypsum beds (Fig. 92). The grade of
those used to define the lower Bakhtyari. deposit becomes coarser upward.
The latter was a formation differentiated from The Lahbari overlies the more prominent-
the underlying upper Fars on the basis of the weathering part of the Agha Jari and is uncon-

Ftc. 93.—Massive, cross-bedded sandstone. Agha Jari Formation. Type section at Agha Jari oil field.
FIG. 94.—Outcrop of Agha Jari Formation silty marl at Agha Jari oil field.
FIG. 95.—Type section of Lahbari Member of Agha Jari Formation, overlain unconformably by Bakhtyari
Formation. North of Haft Kel.
FIG. 96—Type section of Bakhtyari, showing Bakhtyari overlying Agha Jari Formation. Godar Landar water
pumping station in foreground. North of Masjed-e Suleyman.
i
2242 G. A, JAMES AND J. G. WYND

formably overlain by the Bakhtyari Formation At Qeshm Island and on the adjoining main-
(Fig. 9S). land, the uppermost siltstone and sandstone of
The Lahbari Member is a diachronous unit the Agha Jari Formation contain a rich marine
which intergrades both laterally and vertically megafauna: Pecten vasseli Fuchs, Chlamys proto-
with the main body of the Agha Jari Formation. tranquebarica (Vredenburg), Minnivola pascoei
It is developed in parts of the Khuzestan plains (Cox), M. ishtakensis Fames and Cox, Indopla-
area and possibly in southwesternmost Lurestan cuna iranica (Vredenburg), Ostrea protoimbricata
and Fars Provinces. Toward the northeast it Vredenburg, and Temnopleurus latidunensis
interfingers with, and becomes indistinguishable Clegg. A Pliocene age has been assigned to this
from, the rest of the Agha Jari. fauna.
Regional aspects (Figs. 80, 81, 90).—The Agha The Lahbari Member of the Agha Jari Forma-
Jari Formation ranges from about 2,000 to tion contains a shallow, brackish- to fresh-water
10,000 feet in thickness. In Lurestan and Khuzes- microfauna consisting of Rotalia, Elphidium, and
tan it is an estuarine and lacustrine deposit, but Eponides with associated ostracods and charo-
is partly marine in Fars Province. It is extremely phytes. Harrison (1932, company report) records
diachronous throughout the Agreement Area, be- remains of the Pliocene horse Hipparion from the
coming younger from northwest to southeast and Lahbari of Khuzestan.
northeast to southwest. Age of formation.—Late Miocene to Pliocene.
The lower contact is customarily selected as
the top of the first prominent gray marine marl BAKHTYARI FORMATION
of the Mishan; however, it is preferable in some The name Bakhtyari is derived from the Bakh-
places, particularly in Fars, to place the boundary tyari tribe of Khuzestan which has played a
at the base of the lowest significant red marl. prominent role in the history of Iranian oil opera-
The elastics of the Agha Jari were derived tions. It was first applied to chert and limestone
from the northeast. Although erosion has ob- conglomerate and sandstone unconformably over-
scured the picture, it is probable that the thickest lying the Fars sediments of Lurestan, Khuzestan,
accumulation was in a northwest-southeast trough and the Bakhtyari Mountains (Pilgrim, 1908).
trending through the center of what is now the Later Anglo-Persian Oil Company geologists ex-
Agreement Area. tended its usage to include underlying sandstone,
Toward Kuwait and Arabia the Agha Jari thins siltstone, and thin conglomerate which they called
and merges with the Dibdibba and Hofuf Forma- lower Bakhtyari.
tions. The area of provenance for the latter two Bakhtyari is now restricted to the rock unit
formations probably was the Arabian shield. originally designated by Pilgrim. It is also ex-
Fossils and age.—The Agha Jari Formation tended to include homotaxial conglomerates of
contains a predominantly brackish- to fresh-water Fars Province.
fauna with a few marine intercalations in the Synonyms.—Upper Bakhtyari and Dardam
basal part of the unit. The microfauna is com- Conglomerate.
posed mainly of Elphidium-Rotalia-Nonion as- References.—Loftus, 1855; Pilgrim, 1908;
semblages associated with numerous ostracods Busk and Mayo, 1918, 1929; de Boeckh, Lees,
and charophytes. The microfauna includes: El- and F. D. S. Richardson, 1929; Lees, 1953; Ion,
phidium hauerinum (Cushman), Rotalia beccarii Elder, and Pedder, 1951; The British Petroleum
(Linne), R. beccarii (Linne) var. dentatus Company Ltd., 1956; Falcon, 1958; Slinger and
Parker and Jones, R. stacki Asano, R. takanaben- Crichton, 1959.
sis (Ishizaki), Nonion incisum (Cushman), and Type section (Figs. 81, 96).—^The type section
the ostracods Trachyleberis exanathemata (Ulrich was measured at Godar Landar just north of
and Bassler), Cytheridea sp., and Bairdiocypsis Masjed-e Suleyman where the Karun River
sp. emerges from a gorge cut through the resistant
The megafauna of the Agha Jari includes Cras- Bakhtyari. Approximately 1,800 feet is present in
sostrea gryphoides (Schlotheim) var. cuneata the type succession (Fig. 97). The lower third
Douglas, Temnopleurus iranicus Douglas, T. consists of alternating massive, resistant conglom-
toreumaticus (Leske), Chlamys sp., and crusta- erate, and relatively low-weathering, strongly lens-
cean remains. ing, conglomeratic sandstone and gritstone. The
 IRANIAN OIL CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT AREA 2243

FEET m ^
0

3 V
^ ^ ^ ^ ^

MOOO

AGHA JARI FM.

flG.97. Type section of the Bakhtyari formation.

N 3 0 ° 0 I ' 5 7 ' ; E 49°23'59"

upper two-thirds consist of massive, cliff-forming

conglomerate with a thin central unit of less re-
sistant gritstone.
Constituents are rounded pebbles and cobbles
of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous limestones
and cherts firmly held in a matrix of sand, grit,
and calcareous cement (Fig. 98). The chert gen- FIG. 98.—Typical Bakhtyari pebble conglomerate.
erally is dark ferruginous brown. Conglomeratic Khuzestan.
material from the Fars Group is notably absent.
The basal contact with the Agha Jari Forma- formation is considered to be late Pliocene or
tion was obscured at the type locality, but could younger in age.
be seen nearby where an angular unconformity is
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