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File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [136r] (286/522)
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.
At Raniach the base of the Upper Pars is exposed, and to the east along the road to Fallujah
higher beds in the succession come in very gradually.
(b) Fallujah-Hillah.
Eight miles N.-E. of Musaiyib (23 miles N.-N.-W. of Hillah) at Khan Iskandariyah (spelt also
Khan Iskandanc), on the N.-E. side of the Iskandariyah canal a ridge of higher ground rises out of
the alluvium and runs in a N.-W. direction. The ridge is composed of secondary gypsum, and there
is strong reason to suppose that it here overlies an anticline.
South of the canal the solid rock is obscured by cultivation, but north of the point where the
canal meets the Euphrates the gypsum ridge is flanked on its S.-W. side by Upper Pars beds. At
one point in these beds we found a dip of 4-5 degrees to the S.-W.
The gypsum ridge continues up to Sadr Latifiyah, where it disappears below the Upper Pars
beds, whose outcrops swing round to an E.-W. direction.
North of this, on the left bank of the river, no outcrops occur till four miles south of Fallujah.
Here the Upper Pars cover a large area, and are apparently horizontal, but the determination of
dips is made extremely difficult by false bedding.
At Fallujah itself we found isolated small exposures of white limestone and marl insufficient to
determine dip or horizon, but, since to the east of the town secondary gypsum is found over a large
area, we think it likely that the Iskandariyah anticline is continued through to the east of Failujah
and is rising again at this point.
On the right bank of the Euphrates from Fallujah to near Musaiyib, Upper Pars beds crop out
where not obscured by alluvium or cultivation. Reliable dips were very hard to find, but in two
places in the Muwailihah hills (Safah, where the river cuts into the hills and Abul Qasaib) evidence
was obtained of a low N.-E. dip. It therefore seems probable that in this area the Euphrates is
flowing in a syncline between two low anticlines.
Between Musaiyib and Karbala we found that the top beds of the Lower Pars were exposed
over a large area.
(c) Conclusions on the Structure of the whole Area.
We have been informed that springs of the Kubaisah type, flowing strongly, and impregnated
with sulphur without bitumen, exist along a N.-W.—S.-E. line through Kubaisah to rhumail, Rahali-
yah and Shitatha.
We conclude from this that the Euphrates Limestone crops out along this line. See genetal
geblogical map, scale miles.
East of this line, w'e believe that the area contains two anticlines and two synclines.
{a) Anticline Iskandariyah-Fallujah with two crest maxima ; one at Iskandariyah and the
other to the east of Faliujah.
{ b ) Syncline Euphrates Valley to Dhibban.
(c) Anticline Naphata-Ramadi.
(d) Syncline.
(6) PROSPECTS OF THE DISTRICTS.
(а) Hit and Neighbourhood.
Erosion has entirely exposed the main oil-bearing horizons in this area, and we believe that the
two thick beds of asphalt present in the Lower Pars represent those hoiizons.
The presence of oil in synclines and in the limestone band, at the top of the Euphrates Lime
stone, we believe to be an indication that as erosion of the oil-bearing strata took place with escape
of the water, the more liquid portions of the oil migrated into local synclmes and that there is now
no persistent oil-bearing horizon in the district, unless a still lower untapped horizon exists in the
Euphrates Limestone. Of this we have no evidence.
We therefore conclude that there is very small likelihood of obtaining oil in any quantity by
drilling at Hit.
(б) Naphata-Ramadi.
(a) Presence of oil-bearing beds. The large numbers of seepages at Hit, and the presence in
that area of two bands of asphalt, in the base of the Lower Pars, extending over at least 30 sq. miles
of country, is strong evidence that the Lower Pars was at one time oil-bearing. The seepage of oil
at Ain an Nafat shows that oil is still present m this area.
(ft) Cap rock. Only the top beds of the Lower Pars are exposed, there should therefore be
sufficient cap rock.
(c) Geological Structure. An anticline exists running between Ainan Nafat and Ramadi.
It is plunging to the S.-E. and also probably to the N.-W. Its lateral extent is obscured by alluvium
The dips, wherever observed, are very low and we conclude the presence of a very flat, broad
anticline, plunging at either end.
We are of opinion that the structure is favourable for the accumulation of oil, and that con
sidering the presence of a true oil seepage near the crest of the anticline, detailed work should be
carried out in the area with a view to testing for oil.
(c) Iskandariyah.
( a ) Presence of oil-bearim£ beds. Over very wide areas in Mesopotamia and Persia the Lower
Pars has been proved to be oil-bearing. Though the Lower Pars are not exposed actually in the
Iskandariyah ridge, they crop out a few miles to the'west of it and there is every reason to suppose
that they are present below the Upper bars, which do occm on the Hanks ot the ndge.
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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- IOR/L/PS/10/815
- Title
- File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’
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- 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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- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
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