Reprocessing of Iraq magnetic and gravity data

Abstract

The magnetic data and gravity data have been recovered from magnetic tapes and earlier paper maps for Iraq. The magnetic data belonging to the State Company of Geology and Mining of Iraq (GEOSURV) were recovered by Frontier Processing Company and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from the tapes originally flown by the French firm Compagnie General de Geophysique (CGG) in 1974. GETECH reprocessed the magnetic data using Geosoft and GETECH in‐house micro‐levelling software to its full glory which displays as a comprehensive and high quality dataset and shows fine detail along the profiles. GETECH recovered the legacy gravity data from the original field data sheets archived by IPC (Iraq Petroleum Company). These gravity data have been compiled with more recent GEOSURV sponsored surveys thus allowing for the first time a comprehensive digital and unified national gravity database to be constructed with full principal facts. Figure 1 shows the final aeromagnetic and gravity data coverage of Iraq. The only part of Iraq lacking gravity and aeromagnetic data coverage is the mountainous areas of the Kurdish Region of northeastern Iraq. Joint interpretation of the magnetic and gravity data will help to guide future geophysical investigations by GEOSURV, whose ultimate aim is to discover economical mineral and energy resources.