File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎208r] (446/522)

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No. 4.
Prospects of Obtaining Oil in the Jab-al-Qaiyarah
and its continuation, the Jab-al-Najmah.
Maps. —| inch equal to 1 mile; T.C. 171 and T.C. 250.
1 inch equal to 1 mile. Small area at the E. end of the range—
Survey of India.
INTRODUCTION.
The Jab-al-Qaiyarah extends in a general W.N.W. direction from the
rio-ht bank of the Tigris at Qaiyarah military post, 35 miles S. of Mosul and
221 miles N. of Sharqat. It does not reach the river, sinking gradually to
low oround; there is a faint indication of the range- on the left bank. One
or two miles N.W. of the military post some limestone produces some features
of prominence, but the range is not high, and further N.W. becomes a mere
broad belt of high ground—a series of scattered mound-like hills—till some
three miles E.S.E. of Qishlah, where the same limestone commences to rise
again and gives still more conspicuity to the range. This portion of the
rano-e, though of no great altitude above the plain, is fairly well defined and
has-been dissected by broad ravines into bluffs and peaks of some distinction.
It sinks again further W., but another defined portion can be seen using
about five miles W.N.W. of Qishlah.
The structure is that of a simple anticline which, as usual, ioiiows very
closelv the rise and fall of the ground, exposing Lower Ears flanked by the
Red Clay and Sandstone series. .Owing, to the sketchy nature of the maps
available the geological boundaries delineated are somewhat diagramatic,
the only means of locating them being in most cases a compass and watch;
that of the Mesopotamian Alluvium is roughly the limit of Tertiary expo
sures and has no tectonic significance. Exposures along the base of the hills
are obscure.
ROCKS.
Lower Fars .—The lowest beds exposed are the Lower Ears, consisting
of the usual beds of white gyps am, greenish and red clays, and thin bands
of limestone. One of the latter gives conspicuity to the hills above the Uil
Station, but further N.W. sinks into the featureless part of the range to
within three miles of Qishlah, where it again makes itself still more evident
and produces bold blufls and scarps, the highest point of which rises to 1 284
feet above sea-level—about the same height as the. highest point m the Jab-
al-Khanuqah. Not more than 500 feet of this series are exposed at Qishlah
and Qaiyarah, and less than this in the intervening country.
Red Clay and Sandstone Series .—clear exposures of the Red Clays and
Sandstones were noticed on the S.W. flank, which.is much obscured by allu
vium, but there is no doubt that this series underlies the latter deposit along
this base of the rising ground. It is fairly well seen on the N.E. flank, and
consists of the usual red clays with selenite and reddish brown current-
bedded sandstones, the latter increasing and predominating as we
ascend the series. Near the mouth of a large watei-course some
seven miles S.S.W. of the Qaiyarah military post, massive sandstones
in which two distinct local unconformities are seen, belong to the uppermost
horizons of the lower of the two stages into which I have provisionally
divided the series; judging from the thickness of the gravel overlying them,
the Conglomerate stage mentioned in the Jab-al-TLamrin repoit, if not
actually present, is either not far away, or was present in force here at the
time the gravel was formed. The Red Clays and Sandstones correspond to
the “ Upper Ears ” of James, Halse and Brown. .
Mesopotamian Alluvium .—The Mesopotamian Alluvium is more argil
laceous than it is S. of Sharqat, and roads consequently suffer in bad wea
ther. As usual it includes deposits of gravel near the river and especially
above the higher horizons of the Red Clay and Sandstone series.
New Alluvium .—The New Alluvium borders the river and extends up
some of the larger wadis.
STRUCTURE.
The anticline is a simple, resrular, very broad fold, extending in a.gently
^curved line with a general W.N.W.—E.S.E. direction; the curve is that
of a very flat reversed S., the middle portion runningt N.N.W.—S.S.E.

File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎208r] (446/522)

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File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎208r] (446/522)

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