• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.646-661
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• 2021

The Zagros fold-thrust belt formed from the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates during Cenozoic periods and extends for 2,000 km, from Turkey to the Hormuz Strait, in the northeast-southwest direction. Anticline traps in the front of the Zagros thrust fold hold approximately 8% of the world's petroleum reserves. Middle Cretaceous to Early Miocene petroleum systems of the belt have the largest original oil in place (OOIP). The oil is expelled from Kazhdumi and Pabdeh source rocks, and accumulated in the Asmari and Bangestan (including Sarvak and Ilam formations) reservoir rocks covered by the evaporitic Gachsaran and the marly Gurpi formations. The hydrocarbons trapped in the Asmari and Sarvak reservoirs are mainly charged (more than 90%) by the Kazhdumi Formation whereas the rest are charged by the Pabdeh Formation. In the Dezful Embayment, all the large high-relief anticlines have been drilled into, except in the Asmari, Sarvak and Khami formations, where a few anticlines of smaller size and deeper strata remain unexplored. Therefore, the exploration potential of these regions strengthens our understanding of the Zagros fold-thrust belt's petroleum system.