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File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [10v] (25/522)
The record is made up of 1 volume (244 folios). It was created in 1 Dec 1917-26 Jun 1922. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
GEOLOGICAL REPORT, MESOPOTAMIA No. 8
THE SULAIMANIYAH DISTRICT.
Introduction.
The geological examination of the Sulaimaniyah district was made at the icquest of the Civil
Commissioner. The held work was carried out during January 1920, partly by means of car and
partly by horse. The area covered by the report is approximately from a few miles to the west
of the high range of hills, called the Sagirmah Dagh, which forms the western limit of the Qarah
Dag district, from the neighbourhood of Chamchamal in the north to the Aq Su River in the south,
to about fifteen miles east of the town of Sulaimaniyah. Work further to the east was impossible
owing to deep snow, Rain, snow and mist hampered our work consideiabfy at times.
Our thanks are due to Mafor Soane, P. O., Sulaimaniyah for much kind assistance and
valuable information.
•(1) MAPS.
Some of the area has been surveyed on the scale of | inch to the mile, but a large area is only
mapped on the t inch to mile scale, and unfortunately the latter is very inaccurate. Before
detailed work can be done in this area, it will be necessary to map the portions not covered by the
^ inch by
plane table
A basic surveying technique using an alidade attached to a horizontally mounted drawing board.
.
The following maps were used :—
Scale i inch to 1 mile—2 A/NE & SE
2 E/SE
2 E/NE
Scale t inch to 1 mile—T. C. 230.
A general geological map has been prepared as far as possible from these on the J inch scale
only the important topographical features have been drawn, in order that the geological data
should not be obscured.
(2) PREVIOUS WORK IN THE DISTRICT.
The only geological work of which we have any record is that of Ainsworth who in 1838
made a journey across Southern Kurdistan into Persia. His description of the formations is
accurate, but he has failed to show their relationship in his sections.
(3) GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS.
East of the Sagirmah Dagh formations older than those exposed in Mesopotamia crop out..
Starting with the oldest they are :—
Cretaceous Limestone.
A hard white limestone with some shaly partings the upper part is not very fossiliferous, but
in bands in the lower part many Ammonites were found together with some Belemnites and
Gasteropods. Portions of what appeared to be uncoiled forms of Ammonites occur and lead us to
place this limestone in the Upper Cretaceous. The fossils will be sent to the Geological Survey of
India for identification. In almost every case the Cretaceous Limestone forms hills and mountains
and is contorted, in consequence of which the rock is much crushed.
Eocene Shale Series.
Above the Cretaceous Limestone and apparaently conformable to it is a very thick series of
shales, sandstones and conglomerates. The thickness is very difficult to estimate, but between the
Asmir Dagh and the hills on which the Eocene limestone cross out to the east, one passes over
their outcrop for more than 5 miles, the dip being uniformly to the north-east at an average angle
of about 30 degrees. This gives the enormous thickness of at least 8,000 feet for the series. In
the Sulaimaniyah valley there is probably less, but their outcrop is obscured by recent deposits.
The lowest part of the formation consists of black and green shales—this occupies one quarter
to one third of the thickness. The shales are succeeded by a thick sandstone series very similar
in appearance to the Upper Ears sandstones: some of them are pebbly. Above them comes a
mixture of conglomerates and shales and the top part of the series consists of dark coloured shales..
The conglomerates are not seen in the Sulaimaniyah valley.
All doubt as to the age of these beds was set at rest by finding Nummulites in a sandy lime
stone about the middle of the formation.
The most interesting fact about this formation is that it is apparently oil-bearing. In two
places east of the Asmir Dagh solid asphalt (Manjak) has been found and in the Sagirmah Dagh
a seepage of light oil. These will be fully described in the section on “Indications of oil.”
Eocene Limestone.
The Eocene Limestone formation which overlies the Shale series conformably can be divided
into two parts :—
Lower.
• .
Nummulitic Limestone about 1,000 feet thick. The limestone is a yellowish colour and is
packed with Nummulites. Two sizes are present, which may represent two generations. Specimens
will be sent to the Geological Survey of India for identification.
About this item
- Content
This volume contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, telegrams and maps and geological drawings, regarding the geological examination of regions in Mesopotamia and the prospect of petroleum [oil] in these areas.
Included in the volume are the following reports:
- ‘MESOPOTAMIA GEOLOGICAL REPORTS No. 7-11’ (‘No. 7’ is crossed out and replaced with ‘No. 8’), 1920 (ff 9-22)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL REPORT (Mesopotamia) No. 7 NOTES ON THE UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES OF NORTHEN MESOPOTAMIA’, 1920 (ff 25-31)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL REPORT (Mesopotamia) No. 6 NOTES ON ZAKHO AND DOHUK [Duhok]’, 1920 (ff 41-44)
- ‘MESOPOTAMIA GEOLOGICAL REPORT 1919’, 1920 (ff 57-109)
- ‘REPORT OF THE BITUMINOUS DEPOSIT NEAR KIFRI’, 1919 (f 114)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL REPORT (Mesopotamia) No 5. THE KIFRI DISTRICT’ (ff 115-116)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL REPORT (Mesopotamia) No 4. RECONNAISSANCE REPORT ON THE COUNTRY ON THE RIGHT BANK OF THE RIVER TIGRIS BETWEEN BAIJI AND MOSUL’, 1919 (ff 122-129)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL REPORT (Mesopotamia) No 3. RECONNAISSANCE REPORT ON THE EUPHRATES VALLEY BETWEEN HILLAH AND HIT’, 1919 (ff 131-143)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL REPORT (Mesopotamia) No 2. PRELIMINARY NOTES ON THE JABAL HAMRIN’, 1919 (f 143)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL REPORT (Mesopotamia) No 1 ON THE DISTRICT OF QAIYARAH [Al Qayyarah]’, 1919 (ff 146-151)
- ‘APPENDIX. Translation of a Captured Document. Report of a Tour to the Coal Area and Petroleum Springs in the Zone of the Sixth L. of C. Inspectorate’, 1919 (ff 156-158)
- ‘No 13. Notes on the Jabal Gilabat [Qilabat] between Chinchal-al-Kabir and Qarah Tappah’, 1919 (f 164)
- ‘No 14. Notes on the Jabal Hamrin between Qarah Tappah and Table Mountain’, 1919 (ff 164v-167)
- ‘No. 10. Notes on the Geology of the Country between Tazah Khurmatu and Tauq [Tukhama Khulu]’, 1919 (ff 182-185)
- ‘REPORTS ON THE PROSPECTS OF PETROLEUM IN THE BAGHDAD WILAYAT [Vilayet]’, 1918 (ff 187-201)
- ‘Report No 9. Oil in the Kirkuk Anticline’, 1919 (ff 204-205)
- ‘No 3. Report on the Prospects of Obtaining Oil in the Jab-al-Khanuqah, S.E. of Sharqat [Ash Sharqat]’, 1918 (f 207)
- ‘No 4. Prospects of Obtaining Oil in the Jab-al-Qaiyarah and its continuation, the Jab-al-Najmah’, 1919 (ff 208-209)
- ‘No 5. Possibilities of Obtaining Oil in the Jab-al-Mishrak [Al Mishraq] and Country West of Hammam Ali [Hammam al Ali]’, 1919 (ff 210-211)
- ‘No 6. The Country between Mosul and Quwair [Al Kuwayr] on the Greater Zab, and its Prospects as Oil-producing Territory’, 1919 (ff 211v-212)
- ‘Report No 7. Sulphur near the Confluence of the Greater Zab with the Tigris’, 1919 (f 213)
- ‘No 8. Prospects of Obtaining Oil in the Quwair Dome’, 1919 (ff 213-214)
- ‘Appendix to Report No. 4, on the Jab-al-Qaiyarah Oil-field’, 1919 (f 214v)
- ‘Report on the prospects of obtaining Oil in the Jabal-Hamrin and Jabal- Makhul between Tikrit and Sharqat’, 1918 (ff 217-218)
- ‘Odd Notes on the Country between Tikrit and the Jabal-Hamrin and Jabal Makhul’, 1918 (ff 219-220)
- ‘PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE PROSPECTS OF PETROLEUM IN THE BAGHDAD WILAYAT’, 1918 (ff 233-236).
Also included in the volume are the following maps and geological drawings:
- ‘TO ACCOMPANY GEOLOGICAL REPORT MESOPOTAMIA No 8’, 1920 (f 20)
- ‘To ACCOMPANY GEOLOGICAL REPORT MESOPOTAMIA No 8 ON THE SULAIMANIYAH DISTRICT’, 1920 (f 21)
- ‘TO ACCOMPANY GEOLOGICAL REPORT MESOPOTAMIA No: 7a. THE WATER RESOURCES OF THE MANDALI-BADRAH DISTRICT’, 1920 (f 30)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL REPORT (MESOPOTAMIA) No 7 NOTES ON THE UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES OF NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA’, 1920 (f 31)
- ‘TO ACCOMPANY GEOLOGICAL REPORT No 6’, 1920 (f 44)
- ‘TRANSVERSE SECTION. JABAL HAMRIN’ (f 88)
- ‘Diagrammatic Section across Jabal Hamrine [Hamrin] in the Table mountain area, shewing [showing] relationship of Pos Tertray [Post-Tertiary] Gravel to the Tertainis [Tertiaries]’ (f 168)
- ‘Red Clay & Sandstone Series Transverse section across Jabal Gilbat’ (f 169)
- ‘QĀRAH TAPPAH’, 1918 (f 170)
- ‘CHINCHĀL-TALISHĀN’, 1918 (f 172)
- ‘SHAHRABĀN’, 1917 (f 174)
- ‘MANSURĪYAH AL JABAL’, 1918 (f 176)
- ‘1 Diagrammatic Section N[orth]. of the Tuz Khurmatu’ (f 183)
- ‘2 Diagrammatic Section oposite [ sic ] Sulaiman Beg, just N[orth]. of the stream’ (f 183)
- ‘3 Diagrammatic Section oposite [ sic ] Sulaiman Beg just S[outh]. of the Stream’ (f 183v)
- ‘Transverse Section across Jabal Nasaz near Gil’ (f 185)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL MAP OF NAFT KHANA DISTRICT OF MESOPOTAMIA’ (f 198)
- ‘THE PETROLEUM DEPOSITS OF HIT’ (f 199)
- ‘GEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE IN N.E. MESOPOTAMIA’ (f 200)
- ‘SECTION FROM SHAHRABAN TO CHAH SURKH [Chiya Surkh]’ (f 201)
- Transverse Section Maps of Jabal Hamrin and Jabal Makhul (f 220).
The volume comprises internal correspondence between British officials of different departments. The principal correspondents are: the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad; the Under-Secretary of State, India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. ; the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Baghdad; officers of the Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau; and officers from the Petroleum Department.
The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (244 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 246; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Title
- File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:19v, 22r:29v, 32r:43v, 45r:87v, 89r:167v, 177r:182v, 184r:184v, 186r:197v, 202r:219v, 221r:245v, back-i
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