http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/10351 2026-11-08T20:46:05Z 2026-11-08T20:46:05Z Sultan Hisham Sultan Alkatib, 09-262242-020 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21942 2026-10-27T10:17:01Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Unconventional Hydrocarbon Potential of The Ghazij Formation, Southern Indus Basin, Pakistan Sultan Hisham Sultan Alkatib, 09-262242-020 The Ghazij Formation in the Southern Indus Basin, Pakistan, is a shaledominated Eocene sequence containing carbonate-rich limestone intervals whose source rock quality and unconventional reservoir potential remain poorly characterized. This study integrates geochemical and petrographic analysis of the Ghazij Formation in Zamzama-5 and Mehar-1 to evaluate the quantity, quality, and thermal maturity of organic matter and to assess its unconventional hydrocarbon reservoir potential. Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were applied to drill-cutting samples from Zamzama-5. Mehar-1 was evaluated by TOC and visual cutting examination only, as all samples fell below the 0.5 wt.% analytical threshold. XRF and XRD indicate carbonate-dominated limestone at Zamzama-5, ranging from calcareous quartzose limestone at shallow depths to a purer limestone at depth. Clinochlore as the only clay phase (4–5%) and a diagenetic dolomite-to-ankerite transition at the deepest interval. TOC values of 2.71– 5.05 wt.% indicate very good to excellent source rock quality, exceeding the 2% unconventional hydrocarbon threshold throughout. Rock-Eval pyrolysis identifies Type III indigenous gas-prone kerogen (HI: 87–183 mg HC/g TOC), with the production index indicating immature to early mature conditions in the sampled intervals. SEM-EDS identifies five pore types defining a multi-scale pore system, with interparticle pores at shallower depths and more conspicuous natural microfractures at the deepest sample. Mineralogy-based brittleness indices of 29.5–39.6% and 90.3– 96.8% indicate a favourable mineralogical brittleness framework for hydraulic fracture stimulation. However, the sampled Ghazij intervals are currently immature to early mature, representing the principal limitation to their present thermogenic hydrocarbon potential. More thermally mature Ghazij intervals may occur in deeper parts of the Southern Indus Basin and require investigation using samples from more deeply buried wells. At Mehar-1, TOC values of 0.32–0.45 wt.% and mixed shale-limestone cuttings confirm a lean organic-poor facies equivalent. The Ghazij limestone at Zamzama-5 exhibits the principal organic, mineralogical, and pore-system characteristics favourable for an unconventional tight carbonate gas play, but its present immature to early mature thermal state remains the principal limitation. It is therefore proposed as a target for further investigation, particularly in deeper parts of the Southern Indus Basin where more mature intervals may occur. Supervised by Dr. Adeeb Ahmed

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Shoaib Ahmad, 09-262242-017 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21943 2026-10-27T10:27:17Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geochemical Assessment of Dolerite from Oghi, Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Shoaib Ahmad, 09-262242-017 A detailed ICP-MS based trace element geochemical analysis of sixteen dolerite samples (SS1–SS16) from Oghi, Mansehra with the primary objective of identifying and interpreting critical minerals as defined by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals have been conducted. A total of 68 minerals were measured across all samples, with concentrations reported in parts per million (ppm) and qualitative designations of Above Detection Limit (ADL), and Below Detection Limit (BDL). Out of the 60 minerals on the USGS 2025 critical minerals list, 56 are represented by measured elements within this dataset, making this the first systematic critical mineral assessment of mafic intrusions in the Oghi Mansehra region. Palladium was detected in 15 of 16 samples (0.0185–0.1873 ppm), co-occurring with Platinum (11 samples) and Ruthenium/Iridium (6 samples each), indicating a pervasive PGE signature linked to sulfide-phase control (sulfur ADL in 10/16 samples). Copper appears in all samples (mean 0.239 ppm, max 0.5458 ppm), alongside elevated Te, Sb, Ag, and As. REEs show universal Eu, Gd, and Y detection, plus V and Ti. Niobium occurs in 12 samples (up to 0.1292 ppm in SS2), with moderate Ta and BDL Cr. High K (ADL in 10/16 samples), universal Rb (mean 0.251 ppm), and universally ADL P were also observed. Fe, Ca, Na, and S levels confirm a ferro-magnesian mafic composition, while low Th/U in SS1 (Th: 0.0251 ppm, U: 0.4130 ppm) suggests possible secondary uranium mobility. Nonetheless, the findings show that dolerites from Oghi can serve as meaningful repositories of critical elements and provide a baseline for future investigation. Recommended follow-up work includes denser sampling, identification of mineral host phases, sequential extraction, fluid inclusion and isotopic studies, and structural mapping, all of which are necessary before any responsible assessment of resource potential can be made. Supervised by Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Suleman Gul Khan, 09-262242-019 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21940 2026-10-27T10:03:58Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Physico-Mechanical and Petrographic Analysis of Mansehra Granite, Hazara Basin, Pakistan Suleman Gul Khan, 09-262242-019 The Mansehra Granitic Complex of the Hazara Basin, northern Pakistan, represents a critical lithological unit whose geotechnical properties have direct implications for infrastructure development, slope stability assessment, and rock engineering across the tectonically active Himalayan foreland. This study presents an integrated petrographic and geotechnical characterization of six granite specimens (S1– S6) collected from the complex, correlating modal mineralogy derived from visual estimation of petrography with two primary rock strength parameters; Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) and Schmidt Rebound Hardness (SRH). UCS values across the six samples ranged from 124 MPa (S2) to 150 MPa (S1), while SRH values ranged from 52 MPa to 71 MPa, placing all specimens within the Strong to Very strong and High rock categories as per (GS, 1977, IAEG, 1977 and ISRM, 1978) classifications. Modal analysis revealed quartz contents of 45–66%, cumulative felsic indices (quartz + total feldspar) of 72–88%, and biotite contents of 4–18% across the sample set. Regression analysis demonstrated a strong positive correlation between SRH and UCS (R² = 0.9328), confirming Schmidt hammer reliability as a field strength proxy for this lithology. UCS correlated strongly with the cumulative petrographic index (R² = 0.8276), with higher felsic proportions consistently yielding greater compressive strength. The SRH vs Petrography regression produced a moderate R² of 0.6462, attributable to surface scale effects inherent to the Schmidt hammer test. Specimen dominated by K-feldspar and quartz (notably S1: 88% cumulative felsic, 29% K-feldspar) exhibited the greatest strength, while biotite rich, feldspar depleted specimen (S2: 72% cumulative felsic, 18% biotite) showed the lowest. These findings establish that Mansehra Granite is a very strong rock but due to the sample pool being limited to six (6) samples the correlation and regression analysis must be further validated by increasing the number of samples. Supervised by Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Ali Naqi, 09-262242-012 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21675 2026-09-03T09:15:30Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geochemical Assessment and Resource Potential of the Critical Minerals in Salt Range Formation, Punjab, Pakistan: An Integrated Approach Using AI and Ml for Renewable Energy Resources Ali Naqi, 09-262242-012 The increasing demand for critical minerals required in renewable-energy technologies has encouraged the reassessment of underexplored sedimentary and evaporitic successions. This study evaluates the reconnaissance-level critical-element potential of the Salt Range Formation, Punjab, Pakistan, with emphasis on lithium and associated strategic elements in the Billianwala Salt, Sahwal Marl, and Bandarkas Gypsum members. A total of 23 representative samples were collected from salt, marl, and gypsum lithologies and analyzed through Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS). The results are interpreted as aqua-regia-extractable geochemical concentrations where aqua regia digestion was used, rather than total-rock abundances, because this method mainly dissolves soluble salts, carbonates, sulfides, oxides, organic matter, claybound fractions, and weakly adsorbed phases, but may not completely dissolve resistant silicate minerals. The geochemical dataset was assessed through lithology-wise comparison, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, K-Means clustering, Isolation Forest anomaly detection, and integrated exploration-priority ranking. The results show that critical-element enrichment is not uniformly distributed across the evaporitic succession. Instead, enrichment is mainly controlled by lithology. Marl samples show the strongest relative enrichment in lithium, boron, rare earth elements, uranium, vanadium, and zinc, whereas rock salt and gypsum display more selective evaporite-related signatures, particularly for strontium, barium, and potassium. The highest aqua-regia-extractable lithium value is recorded in Marl-7, followed by other marl-dominated samples, indicating localized enrichment within fine-grained reactive facies rather than broad enrichment throughout the formation. The AI/ML component was used as an exploratory decision-support tool, not as definitive proof of mineralization. Because the dataset is limited and lacks independent mineralization labels, supervised model accuracy is not emphasized. Instead, multivariate and anomalydetection methods are used to recognize geochemical patterns and identify priority samples for follow-up work. The results do not establish an economically viable criticalmineral deposit. Future work should include denser sampling, total digestion, XRD, SEM-EDS, petrography, and mineral-host validation to assess the true resource significance of the identified anomalies Supervised by Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z