A tentative upper Guadalupian–Lopingian (Middle–Upper Permian) palynozonation for the Arabian Peninsula and Levant

The Middle and Upper Permian is an important succession in the Arabian Peninsula due to its economic value, with it containing oilfields, the supergiant Khuff gas reservoir and new carbon dioxide storage opportunities. Until now this succession has had no public domain palynostratigraphic scheme. The Oman and Saudi Arabia Palynological Zonation (OSPZ) scheme for the Cisuralian and Guadalupian was established in 2003 but its six zones terminated within the Guadalupian because in central and southern Arabia the succession above is carbonate-dominated with poor palynomorph preservation. The Lopingian clastic-dominated succession of the Levant now provides further palynostratigraphic information to allow a tentative interval palynozonation. Thus, the base of the new OSPZ7 interval biozone is defined at the first appearance datum (FAD) of Protohaploxypinus uttingii ; the base of OSPZ8 by the FAD of Falcisporites stabilis ; and OSPZ9 by the FAD of Pretricolpipollenites bharadwajii . Foraminiferal dates from the marine parts of the Saad, Arqov and Sheizaf formations in boreholes in Israel allow tentative ages to be suggested: OSPZ8 mid-Wuchiapingian and OSPZ9 late Wuchiapingian–Changhsingian. Correlation with Australian, South American and Chinese successions broadly supports these ages. Marine units in Jordan contain foraminifera and conodonts that give an upper age limit of early Induan for OSPZ9.