THE KIRKUK ANTICLINE. 43 



At Shorau is a small exposure of sandstone dipping south-west, 

 succeeding vertical and contorted Fars beds. 



At the oil locality the anticline seems to be a little more open. 

 In a traverse from north-east to south-west the dip in the Lower 

 stage of the Kurd series is again seen to diminish from 50° to 25° 

 towards the Fars outcrop, but to steepen abruptly immediately 

 above the latter series. Dips of 50° and 45° characterize the north- 

 eastern limb of the Fars, and a distinct arching over of the beds 

 takes place immediately north-west of the oil seepages, followed by 

 south-westerly dips of 28° and 45°, after which everything is con- 

 cealed by Alluvium. This arch is fairly acute and rises and pitches 

 rapidly producing a succession of small dome-areas, three at least 

 of which can be distinguished north of the oil occurrences. Very 

 little of the south-western limb is to be seen, but it seems probable 

 that the arch described is the crest of the main anticline. Presum- 

 ably steep and probably reversed dips succeed the visible south- 

 westerly dips beneath the Alluvium, but the fold is evidently not 

 quite so tightly pinched as it is to the south-east and the structure 

 a little more favourable for the storage of oil. 



North-westwards beyond the series of domes the south-western 

 limb is perhaps represented by vertical beds, but no certain crest can 

 be seen until the fold pitches at Amshahr ; here westerly and south- 

 westerly dips are observable and beds can be seen swinging round 

 from one flank to the other. Before Amshahr is reached, the anti- 

 cline curves round from a N. W.— S.E. direction towards the W.N.W., 

 then again N.W. to Qush Qair, and again W.N.W. to Amshahr. 

 At Qush Qair the narrow belt of Fars is succeeded on the south- 

 west by almost horizontal red clays and sandstones, so that the 

 anticline is here very compressed and perhaps fold.-faulted at the 

 boundary between the two series' of rocks, the general dip in the 

 Fars being vertical or steep. 



Petroleum. 



Natural Occurrences. — The oil seepages, which are very ancient, 

 occur some 5 miles north-west of Kirkuk, and are exploited by an 

 Arab who is said to get 48 kerosene tins full of oil per day. Many 

 pits have been dug, some 15 to 20 feet deep, some much smaller, 

 and the black tarry oil is skimmed off the surface of the water which 

 collects in them. There is the usual accompaniment of sulphuretted 

 hvdroaen and a small deposition of sulphur. South of the stream 



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