Depositional environment, sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the Gurpi formation in Fars zone, Zagros Basin (SW Iran)

To study the Gurpi Formation deposits in Fars area, 230 thin-sections which belong to Well No. 43 have been studied. The Gurpi Formation is 155 m in thickness. Lithology of the Gurpi Formation is mainly composed of thin to medium limestone, argillaceous limestone and shale. Lower boundary of the Gurpi Formation with the Ilam Formation is continuous and its upper boundary with the Pabdeh Formation is disconformity. In biostratigraphy analysis, 14 species belonging to 31 genera of planktonic and benthic foraminifers were identified, and 6 biozones were recognized based on planktonic foraminifera as follow: (1) Globotruncanita elevata Partial range Zone, (2) Globotruncana ventricosa Interval Zone, (3) Radotruncana calcarata Total range Zone, (4) Globotruncanella havanensis Partial range Zone, (5) Globotruncana aegyptiaca Interval range Zone, (6) Gansserina gansseri Interval range Zone. Based on the fossil contents and the identified biozones, the relative age of the Gurpi Formation is Early Campanian–Maastrichtian. Petrographic studies of the Gurpi Formation led to recognition of six facies including five carbonate facies and one shale facies. All facies of the Gurpi Formation belong to the open marine environment, which are deposited in a shelf model. Based on facies analysis and sea level curves, three depositional sequences along with four sequence boundaries due to discontinuities and relative levels of sea level falling were identified. The sequence boundaries at the lower boundary and in the middle part of the Gurpi Formation are type II sequence boundary (SB2). Only the upper boundary of depositional sequence 3 (the boundary between the Gurpi and Pabdeh formations) due to exposure and presence of erosion effects is revealed as a type I sequence boundary (SB1).