Stratigraphic Evolution and Geochemistry of the Neogene Surma Group, Surma Basin, Sylhet, Bangladesh
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STRATIGRAPHIC EVOLUTION ABDUL AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE MANNAN NEOGENE SURMA GROUP, Department of Geology, SURMA BASIN, SYLHET, University of Oulu BANGLADESH OULU 2002 ABDUL MANNAN STRATIGRAPHIC EVOLUTION AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE NEOGENE SURMA GROUP, SURMA BASIN, SYLHET, BANGLADESH Academic Dissertation to be presented with the assent of the Faculty of Science, University of Oulu, for public discussion in Auditorium GO 101, Linnanmaa, on June 15th, 2002, at 12 noon. OULUN YLIOPISTO, OULU 2002 Copyright © 2002 University of Oulu, 2002 Reviewed by Docent Kari Strand Doctor Kalle Kirsimäe ISBN 951-42-6711-7 (URL: http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514267117/) ALSO AVAILABLE IN PRINTED FORMAT Acta Univ. Oul. A 383, 2002 ISBN 951-42-6710-9 ISSN 0355-3191 (URL: http://herkules.oulu.fi/issn03553191/) OULU UNIVERSITY PRESS OULU 2002 Mannan, Abdul, Stratigraphic evolution and geochemistry of the Neogene Surma Group, Surma Basin, Sylhet, Bangladesh Department of Geology, University of Oulu, P.O.Box 3000, FIN-90014 University of Oulu, Finland Oulu, Finland 2002 Abstract The Surma basin is a part of the Bengal Basin situated in northeastern Bangladesh. The presence of eight gas fields and one oil field makes this an area that is interesting both economically and geologically. In spite of detailed geological and geophysical investigations, information available on palynostratigraphy and geochemistry for the area is scanty. The aim of the present work was to investigate the palynological assemblages, mineralogy and geochemistry of the Surma Group (SG) sequences in Surma Basin, Bangladesh. Core samples (n = 188) were gathered from the wells following: Patharia well-5, Rashidpur well-1, Atgram well- IX, Habiganj well-1, Kailastila well-1 and Fenchuganj well-2. They were provided by BAPEX (Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company). X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS), Loss of Ignition (LOI), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used for geochemical and mineralogical study of shale samples. In the palynological study, the distributions of pollens and spores were determined. For data analysis, SPSS computer programme was used. Palynological assemblages of the Surma Group of sedimentary sequence of Bangladesh include taxa range in age from the lower Miocene to the Upper Miocene which can be potentially used in dating and correlation. The Lower Miocene interval is correlated with the Simsang Palynological Zone IV of Meghalaya, India and the Bengal Palynological Zone (BPZ) V. The Upper Miocene is correlated with the Simsang Palynological Zone IV of Meghalaya, India and the BPZ Zone V of Bengal. They were deposited in two types of paleoenvironments ranging from the brackish type to shallow marine to brackish. The sequence contains reworked palynomorphs of BPZ IV and III namely Meyeripollies naharkotensis, Polypodiesporites Oligocenecus, Palmepollenities Eocencus and ornamented Tricolpate pollen of the Eocene-Oligocene age which are mainly encountered in the lower Miocene sediments indicative of increased tectonic activity in the area. Geochemical ratios (SiO2/Al2O3, Cu/Zn, Maturity = K2O+ Al2O3/Na2O+MgO, Rb/K2O, K2O/Na2O, Cr/Rb, Zr/Rb, V/ Rb, Th/U etc.) were useful for determining grain size, maturity, tectonics and environment of deposition. High Ba enrichment was detected in the Patharia well-5 and showed high surface water productivity and diagenetic mobilisation. Tectonic descrimination was achieved using SiO2 and K2O/ Na2O ratio. XRD analysis revealed the minerals kaolinite, illite, chlorite, illite/smectite (I/S) and kaolinite/smectite (K/S) mixed layers. Kaolinite/Smectite here reported for the first time in Bangladesh. Clay mineral analyses provided evidence for diagenesis. Smectite diagenesis and dehydration have contributed to the generation of overpressure in the Bhuban Formation in the Patharia well-5. Geochemical ratios of the present study from the Surma Basin is undoubtedly a powerful technique and can be applied to any sedimentary basin analysis to infer the palaeoenvironment, palaeoclimate and palaeotectonics. Keywords: palynostratigraphy, geochemistry, Surma Basin, Kaolinite-Smectite, Illite- Smectite, diagenesis, geochemical ratios, Bangladesh In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful Dedicated to: my parents and my wife “And it is He Who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and flowing rivers: and fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two he draweth the night as a veil over the day. Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who consider” Holy Quran (13:3). “The world is sweet and verdant green, and Allah appoints you to be His regents in it, and will see how you acquit yourselves…” one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Acknowledgements Thanks to God and may His peace and blessings be upon all his prophets for granting me the chance and the ability to successfully complete this study. I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisors Prof. Risto Aario and Prof. Vesa Peuraniemi for their valuable advice and guidance of this work. Special thanks and gratitude to Prof. Vesa Peuraniemi for his genuine support, valuable advice and sincere comments which helped me a lot to finish this study. The Institute of Geosciences and Astronomy, at the University of Oulu, Finland provided support, including field, laboratory and office work as well as analyses of samples. This study was partially financed by the University of Oulu through a post-graduate grant. I am very grateful to the authority of the University of Oulu. I am also grateful to the authority of the University of Rajshahi, Bangldesh for allowing me to undertake the present work. I also want to express my gratitude to the official referees of my dissertation work Dr. Kari Strand (University of Oulu) and Dr. Kalle Kirsimäe (University of Tartu, Estonia) whose comments and criticism were helpful in refining the draft version of the dissertation into its final form. I also want to express my thanks to Dr. Seppo Gehör (University of Oulu) for checking a major portion of the thesis and for his valuable comments and criticism during the preparation of the manuscript. I wish to thank Prof. Kauko Laajoki, who regularly gave his time to encourage me, especially during late night research sessions when he was the only companion during coffee breaks at the department. I also wish to thank Prof. Tuomo Alapieti, Director of the Institute of Geosciences and Astronomy, University of Oulu for providing scientific and other facilities of the department to my disposal. My sincere thanks are due to the opponent of this thesis, Prof. Raimo Uusinoka (University of Tampere), for giving his valuable time, despite of his tight schedules. I am grateful to the authority of the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Corporation (BAPEX) for providing the core samples for this study. I am grateful to Mr. Lutfor Rahman Chowdhury, General Manager, BAPEX for his valuable collaboration and practical assistance in palynological laboratory analysis. My sincere thanks to all my friends and collegues in BAPEX who co-operated nicely during the collection of core- samples and laboratory work. My sincere thanks to my friend Prof. Sifatul Qader Chowdhury, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh for his nice suggestions towards the planning of this research work. I am also thankful to the numerous individuals who have directly or indirectly contributed to the completion of this work. Out of them at least two names should be mentioned here whom are my beloved students Prof. Badrul Islam, department of geology and mining, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh and Dr. M. Riajul Islam, University of Idaho, Moscow, Id. USA. I am deeply indebted to my friend Dr. Nuruddin Ashammakhi, Docent, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, whose assistance and encouragement made this work possible towards the end. I cannot forget the sleepless nights he spent before the submission of the thesis and was helping me like a guide. I am also indebted to Prof. Mohammad Hassan, Head of the department of Geochemistry, Al-Azhar University, Egypt for giving suggestions and co-operation in the geochemical and mineralogical part of the thesis. Special thanks are due to the staff of the Institute of Electron Optics at the University of Oulu, and particularly to Mr. Olavi Taikina-Aho for their assistance with the microanalyses. I wish to express my gratitude to Mr. Brayan Dopp, Language Center, University of Oulu, for revising the English language of the manuscript. Also, I give my deep felt regards to Mrs. Kristiina Karjalainen, who has drawn many of the figures and has taken care of the electronic forms of them, Mrs. Ulla Paakkola, for preparing most of the thin sections and Mrs. Riitta Kontio, who co-operated in the geochemical laboratory works for this study. My heartful thanks to all of them. My sincere thanks to all of those who have co-operated both in Finland and in Bangladesh. Finally, I am particularly grateful to my wife, Syeda Wahida Akter, for helping and assisting me in all the stages of this work. Without her help this study would never have been possible. Her constant and continuous co-operation starting from laboratory analyses (cutting, crushing, seiving etc.) to the end of the work – a long way’s journey, proves her love and support during the whole course of this work. Special thanks to my daughter, Noor-E Sadia, for typing the major portion