Cenozoic • Paleogene formation In GSP lexicon

Kohat Formation

Middle Eocene (Lutetian-Bartonian; ~46.66-38.54 Ma)

Cited in 7 sources Last reviewed Aug 20, 2026

Unit summary

Rank: formation
Status: Published
Age: Cenozoic · Paleogene · Middle EoceneMiddle Eocene (Lutetian-Bartonian; ~46.66-38.54 Ma)
Named by: Not recorded
Type locality: Kohat-Khushalgarh Highway section
Thickness: 37-170 m in western Ko-MP, and only as thin slivers in Kalachitta area m
Lithology: Limestone and Claystone. It consists of interbedded nummulitic limestone and shale, and is subdivided into two members:Kaladhand Member: It is composed predominantly of limestone, which is light grey, hard, compact and thin bedded with shale intercalations, particularly in the lower part. It contains abundant diagnostic Early Eocene forams, such as Orbitolites complanatus, Alveolina oblonga, Lind…
Synonyms: Not recorded

Limestone and Claystone. It consists of interbedded nummulitic limestone and shale, and is subdivided into two members:Kaladhand Member: It is composed predominantly of limestone, which is light grey, hard, compact and thin bedded with shale intercalations, particularly in the lower part. It contains abundant diagnostic Early Eocene forams, such as Orbitolites complanatus, Alveolina oblonga, Linderina burgesi and Assilina pustulosa. It is essentially a cliff-forming sequence, but in places becomes more shaly and forms steep slopes.Sadkal Member: It is mainly comprised of greenish grey, calcar…

Fossils

Assilina exponens

Contacts

In the Kohat Basin column

Shale / mudGypsum / evaporiteLimestoneFossils recordedConformable

Band colour = period; texture = dominant rock type. Lines between bands mark the contact type. True scale makes height ∝ recorded thickness; hatched = thickness not recorded. Ages approximate, for ordering.

This unit (highlighted) within its province column; faded ends continue above and below. Line style marks the contact type.

Distribution & setting

Kohat Basin

Basin: Not recorded
Region: Not recorded
Depositional environment: shallow marine
Coordinates: Not recorded

Correlation

Not recorded. Compare this unit against other basins on the correlation panel →

Economic significance

Not recorded

Remarks

Not recorded

Sources (7)

Indian Plate Lexicon (indplex.geolex.org), Geological Society of India and international compilation.
Afzal, J., Williams, M. & Aldridge, R.J. (2009). Revised stratigraphy of the lower Cenozoic succession of the Greater Indus Basin in Pakistan. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 28(1): 7-23.
Shah, S.M.I. (2009). Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Memoir Vol. 22.
Kazmi, A.H. & Jan, M.Q. (1997). Geology and Tectonics of Pakistan. Graphic Publishers, Karachi.
Kazmi, A.H. & Abbasi, I.A. (2008). Stratigraphy and Historical Geology of Pakistan. Department & National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar. 524 pp. ISBN 978-969-9119.
Yaseen, A., Munir, M., Rehman, O. & Mirza, K. (2007). Microfacies Analysis of the Middle Eocene Kohat Formation, Shekhan Nala, Kohat Basin, Pakistan. Geological Bulletin of the Punjab University, 42, 15-24.
Craig, J., Hakhoo, N., Bhat, G.M., Hafiz, M., Khan, M.R., Misra, R., Pandita, S.K., Raina, B.K., Thurow, J., Thusu, B., Ahmed, W. & Khullar, S. (2018). Petroleum systems and hydrocarbon potential of the North-West Himalaya of India and Pakistan. Earth-Science Reviews, 187, 109-185.

Reviewer confidence: high

Every fact on this page is source-cited. This entry is part of the peer-archived Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991, CC‑BY‑4.0).

Lexicon status: Name attested in the Shah (1977/2009) Geological Survey of Pakistan compilation — the national stratigraphic lexicon. This records where the name is documented; it is not an endorsement of the unit’s definition, age or figures.

Cite this unit

APA

Qudsi, L. (2026). Kohat Formation. In Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991

BibTeX

@misc{stratigraphypk_kohatformation,
  author    = {Qudsi, Lareb},
  title     = {{Kohat Formation} --- Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset},
  year      = {2026},
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  doi       = {10.5281/zenodo.21363991},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991}
}

Archived dataset: doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991 (CC‑BY‑4.0) · Direct link to this entry: https://stratigraphy.pk/formation/kohat-formation (accessed September 5, 2026).

Below · older

Kuldana Formation

Paleogene

Above · younger

Murree Formation

Neogene