constituents (14.3– 51.3 %) of the upper and lower members, mainly as degraded “F” “E” and comminuted clasts (Fig. 3; Appendix Table 1). However, some structured terrestrial plant fragments such as cuticle, wood tracheid and cortex tissues are also preserved (Plate 1). Opaques (black debris) are oxidized or carbonized brownish-black to black woody tissues, and are very minor components in the studied interval. AOM comprises all particulate organic components that appear structureless at the scale of light microscopy, including bacterially derived AOM, degraded marine phytoplankton remains, and amorphous diagenetic products of macrophyte tissues (Tyson, 1995). AOM dominates the upper and lower members, and constitutes 94 % of the kerogen assemblage in “G” “F” ≥ these sediments (Fig. 3; Appendix Table 1). An up-section decrease in AOM in the studied interval correlates with an increase in phytoclasts and palynomorphs. Detailed carbon stable isotopic and organic carbon analyses across the C/T boundary in the Razzak #7 well indicate that the profile fluctuations across the δ13Corg upper Abu Roash and basal members correspond well with changes in TOC “G”, “F”, “E” abundance (Fig. 3; Appendix Table 1). A Positive excursion (~2.01 exists in δ13Corg ‰) the basal part of the Abu Roash member, which is also characterized by high TOC values “F” (10.43–24.61 wt. %), and is predominantly organic-rich, black shaly limestone. Palynomorph analysis revealed that the studied interval is poorly fossiliferous, as by previous workers (Ibrahim et al., 2009; Zobaa et al., 2009a; El Beialy et al., 2010). The few palynomorph species recovered in this study are long ranging and did not allow for precise age dating. Moreover, Cenozoic taxa attributed to caving were common, making biostratigraphic analysis very difficult and unreliable. It was evident, however, that well preserved in-situ specimens of the freshwater green alga Pediastrum overwhelmingly
constituents (14.3– 51.3 %) of the upper “F” and lower “E” members, mainly as degraded and comminuted clasts (Fig. 3; Appendix Table 1). However, some structured terrestrial plant fragments such as cuticle, wood tracheid and cortex tissues are also preserved (Plate 1). Opaques (black debris) are oxidized or carbonized brownish-black to black woody tissues, and are very minor components in the studied interval. AOM comprises all particulate organic components that appear structureless at the scale of light microscopy, including bacterially derived AOM, degraded marine phytoplankton remains, and amorphous diagenetic products of macrophyte tissues (Tyson, 1995). AOM dominates the upper “G” and lower “F” members, and constitutes ≥ 94 % of the kerogen assemblage in these sediments (Fig. 3; Appendix Table 1). An up-section decrease in AOM in the studied interval correlates with an increase in phytoclasts and palynomorphs. Detailed carbon stable isotopic and organic carbon analyses across the C/T boundary in the Razzak #7 well indicate that the δ13Corg profile fluctuations across the upper Abu Roash “G”, “F”, and basal “E” members correspond well with changes in TOC abundance (Fig. 3; Appendix Table 1). A Positive δ13Corg excursion (~2.01 ‰) exists in the basal part of the Abu Roash “F” member, which is also characterized by high TOC values (10.43–24.61 wt. %), and is predominantly organic-rich, black shaly limestone. Palynomorph analysis revealed that the studied interval is poorly fossiliferous, as by previous workers (Ibrahim et al., 2009; Zobaa et al., 2009a; El Beialy et al., 2010). The few palynomorph species recovered in this study are long ranging and did not allow for precise age dating. Moreover, Cenozoic taxa attributed to caving were common, making biostratigraphic analysis very difficult and unreliable. It was evident, however, that well preserved in-situ specimens of the freshwater green alga Pediastrum overwhelmingly
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