Sakesar Limestone Fm
Type Locality and Naming
Charrat Gr – middle formation in Trans Indus-Potwar Province (TrI-PP). Holotype section: Sakesar Peak in the WSR. Author: E.R. Gee (as in Fermor, 1933, quoted by Shah, 2009). Reference section: None.
Synonym: Sakesar Limestone
Lithology and Thickness
Limestone. The formation consists dominantly of limestone with subordinate marl. The limestone throughout its extent is cream colored to light grey, nodular, and usually massive with considerable development of chert in the upper part that increases towards Surghar Range. The marl is cream colored to light grey and forms a persistent horizon near the top. Near Daud Khel in the Western Salt Range, the limestone grades into white to grey massive gypsum. The formation forms persistent cliffs that generally occupy the highest place along Salt Range and Surghar Range outcrops.
Thickness: 70-300 m. In Salt Range, its thickness varies between 70 m and 150 m. It is 220 m at Chichali Pass and about 300 m in other parts of Surghar Range.
Relationships and Distribution
Lower contact
Conformably underlain by Nammal Fm
Upper contact
Conformably overlain by Chorgali Fm , or unconformably by Miocene rocks in different areas.
Regional extent
Widely exposed in Salt Range and SuR and occurs as cliffs on top of the ranges. It is encountered in oil wells in Potwar and in the Thar-Cholistan Province (T-CP).
GeoJSON
Fossils
Richly fossiliferous. Forams include Assilina leymeriei, A. laminose, Fasciolites oblonga, Flosculina globosa, Lockhartia conditi, L. hunti, Operculina nummulitoides, Sakesaria cotteri and Rotalia trochidiformis.
Age
Depositional setting
Additional Information
EMW: Oil and gas. Gypsum in WSR (Daud Khel).