Structural modeling of the southern Kohat Basin and Frontal Ranges; implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon play

More recently Kohat's fold-thrust belt, including the Karak area has emerged as an important hydrocarbon fertile region of the western Himalayan orogenic system. The Eocene and Paleocene strata, including mechanical weak Eocene units representing a shallow decollement have a noticeable contribu...

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Main Authors: Nazir-ur- Rehman, Sajjad Ahmad, Shah Faisal, Shuja Ullah, Mumtaz Ali Khan, Fakhrul Islam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-06-01
Series:Solid Earth Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451912X24000035
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author Nazir-ur- Rehman
Sajjad Ahmad
Shah Faisal
Shuja Ullah
Mumtaz Ali Khan
Fakhrul Islam
author_facet Nazir-ur- Rehman
Sajjad Ahmad
Shah Faisal
Shuja Ullah
Mumtaz Ali Khan
Fakhrul Islam
author_sort Nazir-ur- Rehman
collection DOAJ
description More recently Kohat's fold-thrust belt, including the Karak area has emerged as an important hydrocarbon fertile region of the western Himalayan orogenic system. The Eocene and Paleocene strata, including mechanical weak Eocene units representing a shallow decollement have a noticeable contribution to the deformation style and petroleum system of the area. In the present study, surface mapping is integrated with seismic information to elucidate the structural style of the Karak area, the data reveal that there are two different structural entities, separated by Karak Fault Zone. The northern domain portrays salt diapiric structures representing doubly plunging and complexity overturned, and fault bounded folds' geometries. However, in the subsurface below the Eocene sequence, the deformation is characterized by south-directed imbricate thrust system. In contrast, because of the absence of Eocene salt horizon, the southern domain of the Karak area illustrates a brittle style of deformation, mimicking fault propagation folding. In addition, an array of south-verging imbricate system from a regional basal decollement translates rock as old as Permian along the Surghar range frontal thrust. It can be observed that fault geometry and fold styles in the north and south of Karak Fault Zone are entirely different. Restored cross-sections across the area indicate 35% of shortening has been accommodated in the area. Moreover, from the present study it has been concluded that in the purlieu of Karak Fault Zone, possibly occupy auspicious structural traps at top Paleocene Lockhart level.
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spelling doaj.art-f0627a821f314c1089e89e2757d936642024-03-09T09:29:12ZengElsevierSolid Earth Sciences2451-912X2024-06-0192100165Structural modeling of the southern Kohat Basin and Frontal Ranges; implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon playNazir-ur- Rehman0Sajjad Ahmad1Shah Faisal2Shuja Ullah3Mumtaz Ali Khan4Fakhrul Islam5Department of Geology, Khushal Khan Khattak University, Karak, Pakistan; National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, PakistanDepartment of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, PakistanNational Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, PakistanNational Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, PakistanDepartment of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan; Corresponding author. Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Bahria University, H-11/4, Islamabad, Pakistan.Department of Geology, Khushal Khan Khattak University, Karak, PakistanMore recently Kohat's fold-thrust belt, including the Karak area has emerged as an important hydrocarbon fertile region of the western Himalayan orogenic system. The Eocene and Paleocene strata, including mechanical weak Eocene units representing a shallow decollement have a noticeable contribution to the deformation style and petroleum system of the area. In the present study, surface mapping is integrated with seismic information to elucidate the structural style of the Karak area, the data reveal that there are two different structural entities, separated by Karak Fault Zone. The northern domain portrays salt diapiric structures representing doubly plunging and complexity overturned, and fault bounded folds' geometries. However, in the subsurface below the Eocene sequence, the deformation is characterized by south-directed imbricate thrust system. In contrast, because of the absence of Eocene salt horizon, the southern domain of the Karak area illustrates a brittle style of deformation, mimicking fault propagation folding. In addition, an array of south-verging imbricate system from a regional basal decollement translates rock as old as Permian along the Surghar range frontal thrust. It can be observed that fault geometry and fold styles in the north and south of Karak Fault Zone are entirely different. Restored cross-sections across the area indicate 35% of shortening has been accommodated in the area. Moreover, from the present study it has been concluded that in the purlieu of Karak Fault Zone, possibly occupy auspicious structural traps at top Paleocene Lockhart level.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451912X24000035Southern Kohat BasinFrontal RangesHydrocarbon reservoirKarak fault zoneKarak troughMitha Khel Fault and Surghar Fault
spellingShingle Nazir-ur- Rehman
Sajjad Ahmad
Shah Faisal
Shuja Ullah
Mumtaz Ali Khan
Fakhrul Islam
Structural modeling of the southern Kohat Basin and Frontal Ranges; implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon play
Solid Earth Sciences
Southern Kohat Basin
Frontal Ranges
Hydrocarbon reservoir
Karak fault zone
Karak trough
Mitha Khel Fault and Surghar Fault
title Structural modeling of the southern Kohat Basin and Frontal Ranges; implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon play
title_full Structural modeling of the southern Kohat Basin and Frontal Ranges; implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon play
title_fullStr Structural modeling of the southern Kohat Basin and Frontal Ranges; implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon play
title_full_unstemmed Structural modeling of the southern Kohat Basin and Frontal Ranges; implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon play
title_short Structural modeling of the southern Kohat Basin and Frontal Ranges; implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon play
title_sort structural modeling of the southern kohat basin and frontal ranges implications for tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon play
topic Southern Kohat Basin
Frontal Ranges
Hydrocarbon reservoir
Karak fault zone
Karak trough
Mitha Khel Fault and Surghar Fault
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451912X24000035
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