Industrial Assessment of the Carbonate Rocks of the Pila Spi Formation at Haibat Sultan Mountain, Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Varoujan K. Sissakian; Mohammed J. Hamawandy; Rahel K. Ibrahim

doi:10.14500/aro.10546

Varoujan K. Sissakian Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management, University of Kurdistan Hewler, Erbil, Kurdistan Region http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9840-5422
Mohammed J. Hamawandy Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya KOY45, Kurdistan Region http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9532-5112
Rahel K. Ibrahim Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya KOY45, Kurdistan Region http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1242-747X

Keywords: Pila Spi Formation, Industrial assessment, Cement and Paper industries, Quarrying conditions.

Abstract

The Pila Spi Formation is one of the prominent formations forming continuous ridges in Kurdistan Region. The thickness of the formation ranges from 15 to 110 m, consisting of well-bedded limestone, dolomite, dolomitic limestone, and very rare marl beds. The study area is located about 15 km east of Koya town, next to the abandoned tunnel through a deeply cut valley which has exposed 50 m of the formation. However, the uppermost part of the exposed section may belong to one of the Oligocene formations of Kirkuk Group. The study area was selected within the Pila Spi Formation because the rocks of the same formation and along the same ridge, about 45 km west of the study area showed encouraging results for cement industry. The average CaO is about 51%, whereas the average MgO is 1.8%. Therefore, eight samples were collected at constant thickness from the exposed section. The samples were subjected to X-ray fluorescence (XRF) test to indicate the main oxides in the sampled section. The acquired results from the XRF tests showed that the chemical composition of the exposed rocks within the Pila Spi Formation is suitable for cement industry, also for paper and paint but needs some treatment. Accordingly, another eight samples were collected from the same section to increase the density of sampling, totaling to 16 samples.

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Author Biographies

Varoujan K. Sissakian, Department of Natural Resources Engineering and Management, University of Kurdistan Hewler, Erbil, Kurdistan Region

Varoujan K. Sissakian graduated from University of Baghdad in 1969 with a B.Sc. degree in Geology, and an M.Sc. in Engineering Geological Mapping from I.T.C., the Netherlands in 1982. He joined Iraq Geological Survey (GEOSURV) in 1971 and was nominated as Expert in 2005; he was the Director of Geology Department from May 2004 until October 2012. He has 125 documented reports in GEOSURV's library and 144 published articles in different geological aspects in different geological journals and 20 articles already submitted for publications. He was the Deputy Vice President of the Middle East Subcommission of the Committee of Compilation the Geological Map of the World (CGMW), Paris, from February 2010 until August 2012. Retired on 10 October 2012. His major fields of interest are geological mapping, the stratigraphy of the Iraqi territory, site investigation, and geological hazards. He was Visiting Lecturer in University of Kurdistan, Hewler, since October 2014 and Lecturer since February 2017.

Mohammed J. Hamawandy, Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya KOY45, Kurdistan Region

Mohammed J. Ahmed is a Lecturer at the Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Koya. He got his B.Sc. degree in Geology, Geochemistry from the University of Baghdad in 1980, the M.Sc. in Petrology and Mineralogy from the University of Baghdad in 2002 and the Ph.D. degree in Sedimentology and Mineralogy from the University of Baghdad in 2015. His research interests are in mineralogy, geotechnical engineering and industrial rocks. He is a member of Iraqi Geologists Union and Kurdistan Geology Society, Sulaimany Branch.

Rahel K. Ibrahim, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya KOY45, Kurdistan Region

Rahel K. Ibrahim is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University. He got the B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering from Salahaddin University, the M.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering from EGE UNiversity, Turkey and the Ph.D. degree in Civil and Structural Engineering from UKM, Malaysia. His research interests are in Construction materials and sustainability, nano technology in concrete and fire resistance of concrete. Dr. Rahel is a member of Kurdistan Engineers Union.

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