Geology of the Arabian Peninsula; Kuwait

Kuwait has a desert topography of low to moderate relief. Only in the Jal-Az-Zor escarpment can the relief be termed bold. Bocks ranging in age from early Miocene to Recent are exposed within the boundaries of Kuwait. Low dips and similarity of lithology make correlation of formations difficult. Maximum thicknesses of 3,200 feet of Eocene beds, 10,000 feet of Cretaceous beds, and 4,500 feet of Jurassic beds have been penetrated by the drill, and one well was drilled 427 feet into beds of Triassic age. Gentle folds are present within Kuwait, and apparently these folds, with the exception of those in eastern Kuwait arising from the Zagros orogeny, have been steadily growing since at least middle Cretaceous time. Oil and gas seeps are present at Bahra, bitumen at Burgan, and gas at Magwa. Relatively little potable water has been discovered within the State, but large volumes of brackish water are available.