Executive Summary
The Neogene Aquifer System (South-East) represents the northern extension of the Neogene Aquifers, which overlie the Paleogene Formations in the north-east of the Arabian Platform. The aquifer system is located mainly within the boundaries of the Dibdibba Delta basin, which is formed by the Wadi ar Rimah- Wadi al Batin that extends from the Arabian Shield in the west to the mouth of Shatt al Arab.
The basin stretches across three countries and comprises three aquiferous formations, known as Dibdibba, Lower Fars and Ghar Formations in Iraq and Kuwait, and Hofuf, Dam and Hadrukh Formations in Saudi Arabia. Groundwater has traditionally been abstracted mainly from the Upper Dibdibba Formation in southern Iraq and Kuwait or the Lower Hadrukh Formation in Saudi Arabia, which are mainly sands and gravels of continental origin. In recent years, abstraction of groundwater from these aquifers seems to be limited by two main factors: dewatering of the Dibdibba Formation, which has become largely unsaturated in several areas, and inversion of downward groundwater flow from the Neogene to the Paleogene Formations in heavy abstraction areas.
-
Khor al Zubair port, Basrah, Iraq, 2012. Source: Earth & Marine Environmental Consultants. -
Hafr al Batin area, Saudi Arabia, 2007. Source: Drh104. -
Hafr al Batin area, Saudi Arabia, 2007. Source: Drh104. -
Kuwait, 2011. Source: Cajetan Barretto.
Basin Facts
| Riparian Countries | Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| Alternative Names | Ad Dibdibba Stony Desert, Ad Dibdibba Alluvial Fan, Dibdibba Plain, Kuwait Plain |
| Renewability | Very low to low (0-20 mm/yr) |
| Hydraulic Linkage with Surface Water | Medium |
| Rock Type | Porous |
| Aquifer Type | Unconfined (central areas), Confined (coastal areas) |
| Extent | 153,000 km2 |
| Age | Cenozoic |
| Lithology | Predominantly sands and gravel |
| Thickness | 30-200 m (common range) Max.: 550 m |
| Average Annual Abstraction | Iraq: ~370 MCM Kuwait: 88 MCM |
|---|---|
| Storage | Iraq: 1.26 BCM |
| Water Quality | Brackish to saline (2,500 mg/L to 15,000 mg/L TDS) |
| Water Use | Mainly agricultural |
| Agreements | -- |
| Sustainability | Water level decline and inversion of vertical flow due to over-exploitation |