Microfacies Analysis and Depositional Environments of the Khurmala Formation in Selected Sections, Kurdistan Region, North of Iraq

This study examines the strata of the Paleocene-Early Eocene Khurmala Formation, focusing on the Gali Zanta and Sheikh Abdulaziz (Ancient Aqra) sections from the Aqra area, Kurdistan Region, North of Iraq. Petrographic analysis of 120 samples indicate a carbonate-dominant succession comprising limestone, marly limestone, and marl intercalations. Petrographic analysis shows that the matrix is mostly made up of micrite, and sparite through crystallization. The skeletal remains show a lot of different types of skeletal forms. The fossil assemblage, composed mainly of benthic foraminifera (which consist of Miliolids, Discocyclina, and Rotaliids), along with pieces of corals, bryozoans, and calcareous algae, indicates a shallow-marine depositional environment characterized by moderate-to-low energy conditions. Six different submicrofacies were discovered, including bioclastic mudstone, benthic foraminiferal wackestone, and miliolid packstone. These microfacies associations constitute a complex deposited system that includes lagoonal and peritidal settings, as well as localized patch reefs.