Geological Study for the Outbreak of Fires Phenomenon in Al-Ruhban Oasis, An-Najaf Al-Ashraf

Abstract

The current study focused on the phenomenon of the outbreak of fires and their causes in Al-Ruhban Oasis in terms of geologically, its economic importance and its environmental dimensions from the point of view of the Oil Exploration Company, depending on geological and geophysical information, laboratory analyzes and geochemical surveys that were carried out at the site of the phenomenon and the surrounding areas.
The region was affected by major fault systems of the usual type that reach the surface, that this type of fault reflects the region’s influence by structural forces represented by the vertical lifting movements of the basement dislocation, in addition to the marking of secondary faults that affected the shallow deflectors, and that these faults The secondary reflects that the region has been affected by other structural forces that have revitalized the old faults.
Laboratory analyzes of soil models at the site of the phenomenon and the surrounding areas indicated a clear discrepancy in the amount of pollution, as the surface models recorded very few percentages compared to the subsurface models that recorded the highest pollution values, where the highest values of hydrocarbon pollution were recorded, which indicates that hydrocarbon emissions have subsurface roots and that they are not only caused by surface pollution factors. Migratory hydrocarbon emissions from effective source rocks in the region or from potential oil and/or gas deposits in the region is one of the most important causes of fires in the Oasis of Al-Ruhban and is a direct indication of hydrocarbon presence.