The Kirkuk region hosts some of the largest oil fields in the Middle East, accounting for almost 12% of Iraq proven oil reserves. Vertical migration and entrapment of the oil were enabled by the ongoing evolution of the Zagros belt creating several anticline structures of which the most prominent one is the Kirkuk anticline with the Baba dome oil field. Seepage of crude oil and oil field brines is, therefore, a common observation in the anticline axes and contamination of shallow groundwater resources is a major concern. Thus, the aims of the project are:
- To distinguish and to classify the crude oil types depending on the differences in the physical, chemical properties by using the spectral analyses of samples;
- To determine the contamination level in the soil by using remote sensing techniques;
- To characterize crude oil from selected boreholes and surface crude oil seeps by using the geochemistry, organic chemistry and isotope methods, as well as the geology information of rock layers and thus, to explain the potential sources of the hydrocarbons in groundwater and surface water;
- To understand the processes behind the formation of groundwater quality by using the hydrochemical and isotope methods, to evaluate the range of the effect of hydrocarbon systems to a groundwater quality.
Country, Continent: Iraq, Asia
Funding agency: DAAD, and personal funding
Years of activity: 2011- 2018
Responsible person: Layth Yahya Sahib
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Macro oil seeps close to urban area in Qaiyarah area- North of Iraq (Sahib et al., in progress). -
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Natural methane seeps. It is known in Iraq by Kirkuk Eternal fire (Sahib et al., in progress) -
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Schematic model of Kirkuk anticline explaining the hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical connection between two basins (Sahib et al., 2016).
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