Palynofacies and Source Rocks Evaluation for Selected Samples of Subba Oil Field, Southern Iraq

This study includes a palynological and organic geochemical evaluation of Nahr Umr, Zubair, and Yamama Formations in the Subba field, Southern Iraq, represented by three wells (Su-14, Su-9 and Su-8). The determination of quantity organic matter showed that the rocks of Nahr Umr Formation had a total organic carbon of 4.76%, indicating very good production of hydrocarbons where type (II) kerogen was dominant, but the rocks were thermally immature. Zubair Formation had a total organic carbon of 1.91% to 2.26%, indicating good to very good production of hydrocarbons where kerogen of types (I) and (II/III) were dominant, with low thermal maturity. Yamama Formation showed a total organic carbon of 1.68%, revealing good production of hydrocarbons where type (I) kerogen was dominant, with low thermal maturity. Facies analysis of Nahr Umr, Zubair and Yamama Formations demonstrated the presence of two facies, namely the distal dysoxic-Oxic shelf and the distal suboxic-Anoxic basin. It is clear that the environment of rock deposition is a marine environment, which is far from the coast.

Draft Genome Sequence from a Putative New Genus and Species in the Family Methanoregulaceae Isolated from the Anoxic Basin of Lake Untersee in East Antarctica

Here, we report the draft genome sequence for a new putative genus and species in the Methanoregulaceae family, whose members are generally slow-growing rod-shaped or coccoid methanogenic archaea. The information on this sediment-dwelling organism sheds light on the prokaryotes inhabiting isolated, deep, and extremely cold methane-rich environments.

The thermal structure of the anoxic trough in Lake Untersee, Antarctica

Lake Untersee is a perennially ice-covered Antarctic lake that consists of two basins. The deepest basin, next to the Anuchin Glacier is aerobic to its maximum depth of 160 m. The shallower basin has a maximum depth of 100 m, is anoxic below 80 m, and is shielded from convective currents. The thermal profile in the anoxic basin is unusual in that the water temperature below 50 m is constant at 4°C but rises to 5°C between 70 m and 80 m depth, then drops to 3.7°C at the bottom. Field measurements were used to conduct a thermal and stability analysis of the anoxic basin. The shape of the thermal maximum implies two discrete locations of energy input, one of 0.11 W m-2 at 71 m depth and one of 0.06 W m-2 at 80 m depth. Heat from microbial activity cannot account for the required amount of energy at either depth. Instead, absorption of solar radiation due to an increase in water opacity at these depths can account for the required energy input. Hence, while microbial metabolism is not an important source of heat, biomass increases opacity in the water column resulting in greater absorption of sunlight.