Geology of Bangladesh

Bangladesh, having mostly a recent alluvial landscape, received little attention of the Geological Survey of India during the British period with regard to geological mapping. The Geological Survey of Pakistan concentrated on extensive search for mineral deposits. The same trend continues in Bangladesh. Although the search for mineral deposit has paid rich dividend in terms of discovery of large deposits of peat, white pottery clay, limestone, coal, glass sand, precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks, a number of gas fields, and one oil field, the country, however, remains largely unmapped. Absence of any geological map and lack of adequate geological information make writing of any comprehensive account of the Geology of Bangladesh an extremely difficult task. This book on the Geology of Bangladesh with special reference to hydrocarbons and deep aquifers is, therefore, presented for the first time to serve both as a textbook for students and as a reference for further research on the basis of limited mapping and data obtained from drilling and geophysical investigations for mineral deposits. The first part of the book deals mainly with the physical geology, stratigraphy, structure, tectonic evolution, and mineral deposits of Bangladesh. The second part discusses variouis geological aspects of hydrocarbons like source and reservoir rock, traps, correlation of well sections with the measured exposed sections and prospects of finding hydrocarbons in Bangladesh. The third part gives a bried description of the deep aquifers and emphasizes their immediate exploration for development to ease the water problem of the country.