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Arabian-Iranian sedimentary basin

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The Arabian-Iranian sedimentary basin is a vast geological formation primarily located in the Middle East, encompassing regions of Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. This basin is predominantly composed of sedimentary rock and is renowned for containing a significant number of supergiant oil fields, more than any other basin globally.1

The Arabian Peninsula itself features two main geological regions: the ancient Arabian platform in the west and sedimentary rock layers in the east. It was between 30 and 20 million years ago that Arabia began to split from Africa, leading to geological activity that created extensive fault systems and eventually the formation of oceanic crust in the Red Sea. This geological history has resulted in the Arabian-Iranian basin being the world's richest petroleum-producing region. Countries like Iraq, Kuwait, and Iran hold substantial oil reserves within this basin. The Persian Gulf, a shallow marginal sea, is situated between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula and is part of this geologically rich area.234

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