Microfacies Analysis of Kometan Formation (Late Turonian-Early Campanian) from Dokan and Qallat Sections in Sulaymania Governorate, Northeastern Iraq

The Kometan Formation is studied in two exposed sections, the first is Dokan section, with a thickness of up to 118 m, and the second is Qallat section, where the formation is exposed with about 88 m thick. The formation is composed of limestone and dolomitic limestone having chert nodules. The lower contact of the formation with Gulneri Formation and the upper contact with Shiranish Formation are both unconformable. The current study relied on examining 80 thin sections that show the presence of planktonic foraminifera and a little benthonic foraminifer. Three main microfacies are identified, which are later divided into six submicrofacies. Based on the facies analysis, it is found that the environment deposition of the formation in Dokan section was marine represented by the toe of slope at the lower part, then retreated to toe of slope/slope environment, and finally slope environment at the top of the formation. While in Qallat section, the deposition of the formation was in the toe of slope/slope at the lower part of the formation, then retreated to toe of slope environment, and finally toe of slope/slope environment at the top of the formation. This means that the lower part of the formation in Dokan section resembles the middle part of the formation in Qallat section, and the middle part of the formation in Dokan section resembles the upper part of the formation in Qallat section, which means that the depositional environment of the formation in Qallat section was deeper than that in Dokan section.