oa Hydrocarbon Potential of the Upper Permian Chia Zairi Formation in Northwest Iraq

In Iraq the Upper Permian Chia Zairi Formation, together with the overlying Lower Triassic Mirga Mir Formation, forms the chronostratigraphic equivalent for the Khuff Formation of eastern Arabia and the Dalan and Kangan formations of Iran. The Chia Zairi Formation extends from upper-north Ora outcrops near the Turkish border to southern Iraq (wells West Kifil-1 and Diwan-1), thus covering central and eastern parts of the country. It is absent in the far western deserts at the Jordanian border and some areas near the Syrian border (i.e. Khelsia High region and south of Jabal Sinjar) due either to non-deposition or erosion. Lithologically, the Chia Zairi Formation is composed of both carbonates and siliciclastics, and the carbonate proportion increases northward and eastward. However, the formation is deeply buried in most regions except from the northwestern and potentially southwestern region too, where, based on seismic, it is estimated to be around 3–5 km deep.