Revised Biostratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy of the Gadvan, Dariyan and Kazhdumi Formations, SW Iran

A regional sequence stratigraphic model is presented for the Barremian to Lower Albian sedimentary systems of southwest Iran. Illustrated with nine seismic scale outcrop sections, and constrained by new biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic age dating (ammonites, pelagic forams, orbitolinids and carbon and oxygen isotope curves), it proposes a fundamental revision of the geometrical relationships between classically used lithostratigraphic units. The relative influence of both eustatic sea-level fluctuations and regional tectonic control are demonstrated. These new insights have significant implications for both the understanding of the factors controlling sedimentation, as well as the architecture of the mid-Cretaceous petroleum systems in the studied region.