Samana Suk Fm

Broach Gr - upper formation: Holotype section: Shinawari village in Samana Range. Author: L.M. Davies, 1930. Reference section: None.

Limestone. In the type locality, the formation consists of grey to dark grey, medium to thick-bedded limestone with subordinate marl and calcareous shale intercalations. The limestone is oolitic, and has some shelly beds. In Salt Range, Surghar Range and Shaikh Budin Hill the limestone is lighter in color, medium to thin bedded, and marly, and shaly in the lower part. In Hazara, Kalachitta Range and eastern Kohat it is thin to thick bedded, and includes some dolomitic and ferruginous, sandy, oolitic beds; in Kohat Pass section upper part of limestone contains chert beds, which constitutes a distinct member.

Thickness: 66-366 m. In the type locality the thickness is 186 m, further southeast in Darsamand section it is 170 m but thickens eastward in eastern Kohat, Nizampur, Kalachitta and Hazara where the thickness varies from 190 m (Chak Dalla section) to 366 m (Bagnotar section). It thins out in eastern Surghar Range (66 m in Chichali Pass section) and Western Salt Range, and is absent from Eastern Salt Range. However, in Broach Nallah of Surghar Range the thickness is 136 m increasing to 242 m towards southwest in the Shaikh Budin Hill section.

Fatmi (as in Shah, 2009) reported Callovian fauna from its upper most beds in Surghar Range.

The formation was deposited in very shallow marine coastal environment.