46 PASCOE: GEOLOGICAL NOTES ON MESOPOTAMIA. 



of the surface crest at which to bore. It might require one or 

 two trials along a N.E. — S.W. line across one of the domes, before 

 the correct " lie " of the pool is found, but I should be inclined 

 to commence, say 50 yards north-east of a small stone cairn I built 

 about half a mile north-west of the stream above which the 

 seepages occur. This cairn is situated on the north-eastern flank 

 of a low hill forming one amongst the first line of hills overlooking 

 the plain, and constituting one of the small domes mentioned. 

 The prospects and risks may, I think, be summarised as follows : — 



(i) That the chances of striking remunerative oil-pools are not 



remote. 

 (tt) That these pools will not be excessively large, and that the 



yield, if substantial at the beginning, will decline rapidly. 

 (in) That the field will be very narrow, and that there will be 



danger of wasting any profits made in proving its width. 

 {iv) That the prospects of the field extending either south-east 



of the stream, or more than about a mile north-west of 



it, are unknown. 

 (v) That it will probably not be possible to tap more than one 



or two horizons by a single boring, it being necessary to 



commence a new boring further from the surface crest in 



order to reach deeper pools. 

 (vi) Difficulty in keeping the hole straight is to be expected in 



drilling. 



Any company exploiting this area should employ expert advice 

 during their operations and must be prepared to face indifferent 

 success or failure. 



26th February, 1919. 



REPORT No. io.— NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY 

 BETWEEN TAZAH KHURMATU AND TAUQ. 



Maps.— 1 inch =s 1 mile. ; PI. 6. 



Tazah Khurmatu Area. 



Very bad weather and the consequent death of two camels 

 delayed work in this area. East of Tazah Khurmatu an anticline 

 pitching gently in a N.N.W. direction is seen, exposing the Kurd 

 series only. Both Upper and Lower stages are present and the 



