Bacterial Shrimp Disease in Iraqi Marine Waters

A sample of 116 shrimps Metapenaeus affinis (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837) were collected from local fish markets in Basrah Province, Southern Iraq. Height, weight, and pathological signs of the shrimps were recorded. Both morphological and biochemical examination by VITEK identification system were undertaken. Pathological infections were seen on the cuticle of abdominal segments in addition to a severe infection in uropod (tail segment), rostrum and pleopods (walking legs). Results of biochemical identification showed the presence of Aeromonas sobria and A. salmonicida from the infected organs and this study is considered as the first record of this bacterial infection in shrimps in Iraq.

Regularized ridge regression models to estimate static elastic moduli from wireline measurements: case study from Southern Iraq

Elastic moduli such as Young’s modulus (E), Poisson’s ratio (v), and bulk modulus (K) are vital to creating geomechanical models for wellbore stability, hydraulic fracturing, sand production, etc. Due to the difficulty of obtaining core samples and performing rock testing, alternatively, wireline measurements can be used to estimate dynamic moduli. However, dynamic moduli are significantly different from elastic moduli due to many factors. In this paper, correlations for three zones (Nahr Umr shale, Zubair shale, and Zubair sandstone) located in southern Iraq were created to estimate static E, K, and ν from dynamic data. Core plugs from the aforementioned three zones alongside wireline measurements for the same sections were acquired. Single-stage triaxial (SST) tests with CT scans were executed for the core plugs. The data were separated into two parts; training (70%), and testing (30%) to ensure the models can be generalized to new data. Regularized ridge regression models were created to estimate static E, K, and ν from dynamic data (wireline measurements). The shrinkage parameter (α) was selected for each model based on an iterative process, where the goal is to ensure having the smallest error. The results showed that all models had testing R2 ranging between 0.92 and 0.997 and consistent with the training results. All models of E, K, and ν were linear besides ν for the Zubair sandstone and shale which were second-degree polynomial. Furthermore, root means squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) were utilized to assess the error of the models. Both RMSE and MAE were consistently low in training and testing without a large discrepancy. Thus, with the regularization of ridge regression and consistent low error during the training and testing, it can be concluded that the proposed models can be generalized to new data and no overfitting can be observed. The proposed models for Nahr Umr shale, Zubair shale, and Zubair sandstone can be utilized to estimate E, K, and ν based on readily available dynamic data which can contribute to creating robust geomechanical models for hydraulic fracturing, sand production, wellbore stability, etc.

Structural Study of Faihaa Oil Field in Basra South of Iraq

This study used structural contour maps to carry out the geometrical analysis for Faihaa structure in Basra southern Iraq. The study used row data of well logs and structural maps while Softwares were Didger 4, Stereonet v.11 and Petrel 2017 Faihaa Oil Field is located at an eastern part of the Mesopotamian Zone within the Zubair Subzone, characterized by subsurface geological structures covered by Quaternary sediments. These structures are oriented in the NW-SE direction in the eastern part of the band and the N-S direction in the southern region, and some in the direction NE-SW. The Faihaa Oil Field shows that is an Anticline structure. The average dip value of an axial surface is 89.7° while the plunge of hinge line between 4–4.2 in North-West direction referred to that Faihaa Structure is upright and gentle fold. Based on the Thickness ratio and axial angle, the Faihaa Structure is thickened Fold. The eastern limb of the fold is longer than the western limb, so Faihaa Oil Field is an asymmetrical structure. The difference in dimensions (5<Length / Width < 2) confirmed the brachy fold of the Faihaa structure.

Evaluation of Mishrif Reservoir in Abu Amood Oil Field, Southern Iraq

The main goal of this study is to evaluate Mishrif Reservoir in Abu Amood oil field, southern Iraq, using the available well logs. The sets of logs were acquired for wells AAm-1, AAm-2, AAm-3, AAm-4, and AAm-5. The evaluation included the identification of the reservoir units and the calculation of their petrophysical properties using the Techlog software. Total porosity was calculated using the neutron-density method and the values were corrected from the volume of shale in order to calculate the effective porosity. Computer processed interpretation (CPI) was accomplished for the five wells. The results show that Mishrif Formation in Abu Amood field consists of three reservoir units with various percentages of hydrocarbons that were concentrated in all of the three units, but in different wells. All of the units have high porosity, especially unit two, although it is saturated with water.

How the Uruk Potters Used the Wheel. New Data on Modalities and Conditions of Emergence of the Potter’s Wheel in the Uruk World

The phase and the ceramic materials that, in Southern Mesopotamia, go under the label of “Uruk” (after the toponym of the site in southern Iraq) have traditionally been considered the origin for the development of the potter’s wheel in the Near East, according to a perspective that associated the emergence of the potter’s wheel, the “mass” production of the so-called bevelled-rim bowls and first urbanization. According to recent excavations and ceramic studies it is now clear that this was a narrative based on a priori convictions. However, even if under very different socio-technical conditions, it is true that the potter’s wheel made an early appearance in Southern Mesopotamia within the Uruk cultural sphere, and then developed in a widespread and discontinuous way in the Uruk network. Based on recent ongoing fieldwork data from Syria (Tell Feres) and Iraqi Kurdistan (Logardan and Girdi Qala), ceramic analyses have taken into account new criteria to identify the use of the potter’s wheel. This paper outlines the chronological and socio-technical scenario behind the adoption of the potter’s wheel in the Uruk world, picturing the peculiarities of this cultural environment, as well as the parallels with the emergence conditions of the potter’s wheel in northern Mesopotamia and other areas of the Near East.

The Seismic Interpretation for (X) Oil Field Depending on 3D Seismic Data of Nearby Oil Field, Southern Iraq

This research focused on using seismic data to review the structure of the (X) Oil Field, located 40 km SW of Basrah, Southern Iraq. The study utilises a 3D seismic survey conducted during 2011-2012, covering the (Y) Oil Field 2 km to the west, and with partial coverage across (X), to map the Top Zubair reflector. Seismic rock properties analysis was conducted on key (X) Oil Field wells and used to tie the Top Zubair reflector on (X) Oil Field. The reflector was mapped within the time domain using DecisionSpace Software, and then converted to depth using a velocity model. The depth structure map was then compared to the original oil water contact (OOWC) across the fields to understand the potential structural closure of the Top Zubair reservoir in both fields.

FIRST PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDS AND NEW DISTRIBUTION RANGE OF THE ENDANGERED LONG-TAILED NESOKIA NESOKIA BUNNII (KHAJURIA, 1981)

In the 1970s, the world knew the long-tailed nesokia Nesokia bunnii (Khajuria, 1981) (Rodentia, Muridae) from the Mesopotamian marshes of Garden of Eden in Southern Iraq. This distinct rodent was known from only five voucher specimens collected at the confluence of Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in southern Iraq while its occurrence in Southwestern Iran had never been reported. In the 1990s, a large extent of its natural habitat was catastrophically desiccated and the animal was last seen in the 1970s. Since then, the status of this elusive rodent was shrouded in mystery. In 2007, an extraordinary photograph of a carcass of this species came to the light from Hawizeh Marsh which was interpreted as concrete evidence of the species’ persistence in the marshes of southern Iraq after the desiccation in the last century. In 2021, after more than 40 years, exclusive photographic records of living N. bunnii were obtained for the first time from Central Marshes in southern Iraq and from Edhe’am Marsh in southwestern Iran. The new distribution range is highlighted in this note. Furthermore, the first photographs of living N. bunnii are provided along with notes on its ecology and behavior.