Sedimentary fabrics and diagenetic features of the Late Triassic Kingriali Formation, Khisor-Marwat ranges, Pakistan

954-964The Triassic succession of Khisor-Marwat ranges exposed extensively in Pakistan is comprised of the Mianwali, Tredian and Kingriali formations, predominantly deposited in peritidal channels to superatidal zones of peritidal environment with influence of marine and meteoric water. The present research intends to present comprehensive studies on sedimentary fabrics of the upper most Kingriali Formation. Inclusive sedimentological and petrographical investigations were executed on the Late Triassic Kingriali Formation from the Chunda and Paniala area, where it is primarily composed of dolomite interbedded with sandstone. Field observation reveals that the light-grey to light-brown, sugary textured, crinoid dolomites sandy and marly at places whereas the sandstone is brownish at weathered surface, fine- to medium-grained, massive, friable and cross-bedded. The greenish to black colored dolomitic shale in the Chunda section is interbedded with dolomite. Based on lithological characteristics, the Kingriali Formation is classified into four units including; sandy dolomite, dolomitic limestone, thick-bedded dolomite with green shale, and thin-bedded dolomite with black shale. The whole rock analysis of Kingriali dolomite implies that the dolomite has been crystallized in mix water condition, however, re-crystallization and formation occurred in the mid-late diagenetic settings. The analyzed diagenetic features of the rock unit suggest Kingriali Formation as potential reservoir