Suitability of the Carbonate Rocks of the Bekhme Formation Exposed in Shakrook Anticline, Iraqi Kurdistan region, for Cement Industry

Keywords: Bekhme formation, Cement production, Limestone, Geological reserve, Shakrook anticline, Weighted average, Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Abstract

The Bekhme Formation forms almost the bulk of the Shakrook anticline, especially the limbs. The current research deals with studying the exposed beds within the Bekhme Formation at the Shakrook anticline to check the suitability of the exposed rocks at the northeastern limb of the anticline for the cement industry. Twenty rock samples from a section which lies along a deeply cut valley that crosses the northeastern limb of the Shakrook anticline within the Bekhme Formation were collected. The channel sampling method was applied; therefore, each sample represents the concerned sampling interval and to be representative for the thickness of the sampled interval. The total thickness of the sampled section is 110 m with a covered interval of 15 m, totaling to 125 m. The collected 20 samples were prepared at the laboratory of the Koya University and were subjected to XRF test at the Tarbiat Modares University, Iran, to indicate the concentration of the main oxides (CaO, MgO, Al2O3, Fe2O3, Na2O, K2O, and SO3), and Cl and L.O.I. The indicated concentrations at each sample, from both universities, were compared and were found to be almost coinciding. The average concentrations at each sample were changed to weighted averages and the results were compared with the Iraqi standards for cement industry. The results revealed that the sampled rocks are excellent for cement production.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Mohammed J. Hamwandy, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya KOY45, Kurdistan region – F.R. Iraq

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 Kh. Ibrahim, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya KOY45, Kurdistan region – F.R. Iraq

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.

Varoujan K. Sissakian, Natural Resource Engineering and Management Department, University of Kurdistan Hewler, Kurdistan region – F.R. Iraq

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. His major fields of interest are geological mapping, the stratigraphy of the Iraqi territory, site investigation, and geological hazards. He was a Visiting Lecturer in University of Kurdistan, Hewler, since October 2014 and Lecturer since February 2017.

References

Alavi, M., 2004. Regional stratigraphy of the Zagros Fold-thrust belt of Iran and its proforel and evolution. American Journal of Science, 304, pp.1-20.

CONGAL, 2021. Calcium Carbonate. Plastic, Rubber, Paint. Internet data. Available form: https://www.congcal.com/markets/plastics-rubber [Last accessed on 2021 Mar 29].

Fouad, S.F., 2015. Tectonic map of Iraq, scale 1: 1000000. 3rd edition. Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining, 11(1), pp.1-8.

Ghafur, A.A., Sissakian, V.K. and Bapir, A.M., 2020. Industrial assessment of the rocks of the Bekhme formation in Korek mountain, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Carbonates and Evaporates, 36(1), pp.1-10.

Indeed Educational Team, 2021. How to Calculate Weighted Average in 3 Steps (with Example). Internet Data. Available from: https://www.indeed.com/careeradvice/career-development/how-to-calculate-weighted-average [Last accessed on 2021 Aug 12].

Iraqi Standardization and Quality Control, 2016. Iraqi Standards for cement Production, 1984. Internet Data. Available from: http://www.uokufa.edu.iq/qclab/wp-content/uploads/2016/03 [Last accessed on 2016 Aug 31].

JORC, 1999. Australian Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources. Available form: http://www.jorc.org/docs/historical_documents/1999_jorc_code.pdf [Last accessed on 2021 Sep 21].

Mineral Resources of Polland, 2020. Clay Raw Materials for Cement Production. General Information and Occurrence. Internet Data. Available from: http://www.geoportal.pgi.gov.pl/surowce/skalne/ilaste_cement [Last accessed on 2020 Oct 03].

Render, D., Samuel, T., King, H., Vig, M., Jeelani,S., Jayachandra Babu, R. and Rangari, V., 2016. Biomaterial-derived calcium carbonate nanoparticles for enteric drug delivery. Journal of Nanomaterials, 2016, p.3170248.

Shmitt, H., 2012. Gypsum as a Raw Material in the Gypsum and Cement Industry. Global CemTrader conference. Internet Data. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr_kHHl4-IE [Last accessed on 2021 Oct 03].

Sissakian, V.K. and Al-Jiburi, B.M., 2014. Stratigraphy of the high folded zone. Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining, 6, pp.73-16.

Sissakian, V.K. and Fouad, S.F., 2015. Geological map of Iraq, scale 1: 1000 000, 4th edition. Iraqi Bulleting of Geology and Mining, 11(1), pp.9-18.

Sissakian, V.K., 2018. The minerals wealth in Kurdistan region: Acritical review. UKHJSE, 2(2), pp.23-36.

Sissakian, V.K., Ahmed, J.M. and Ibrahem, R.K., 2020. Industrial assessment of the carbonate rocks of the Pila Spi formation at Haibat Sultan Mountain, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. ARO, 8(1), pp.24-30.

Sissakian, V.K., Ghafur, A.A., Ibrahem, F.I., Abdulhaq, H.A., Hamoodi, D.A. and Omer, H.O., 2021. Suitability of the carbonate rocks of the Bekhme formation for cement industry, Hareer Mountain, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Iraqi Geological Journal, 54(C), pp.59-67.

Sissakian, V.K., Hamoudi, D.A., Omer, H.O. and Niazi, S.A., 2019. Assessment of the Carbonate Rocks of the Pila Spi Formation for Cement Industry, in Permam Mountain, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. UKHJSE, 3(1), pp.1-9.

Published
2022-03-25
How to Cite
Hamwandy, M. J., Ibrahim, R. K. and Sissakian, V. K. (2022) “Suitability of the Carbonate Rocks of the Bekhme Formation Exposed in Shakrook Anticline, Iraqi Kurdistan region, for Cement Industry”, ARO-THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF KOYA UNIVERSITY, 10(1), pp. 23-30. doi: 10.14500/aro.10907.