of the Singhora-Saraipali area, south-eastern Chattisgarh Basin - fieldi

few kilometres to the north of the Singhora-Saraipali transect. The lithology and
lithological organisation of formation A is identical with that of the Lohardih
Formation. Formation A grades upward to the mud-dominated succession of
formation B, which is physically continuous with the Gomarda Formation of
Patranabis-Deb (2004) and Patranabis-Deb and Chaudhuri (2008). The Saraipali and
Chhuipali Formations of Das et al. (2003) represent the MDS 1 and MDS 2
respectively, whereas the Bhalukona Formation represents the thick sandstone (SS) in
this present study. The high degree of lithological similarity between MDS 1 and MDS
2, and their amalgamation into a single mud dominant succession where the sandstone
(SS) pinches out is a compelling argument to group them into a single formation,
which we designate as the Gomarda Formation. The Bhalukona Formation (SS) of
Das et al. (2003) has been ranked as a member, which occurs as a lens within
Gomarda Formation (NACSN, 1983), similar to the Daihan Sandstone Member
(Patranabis-Deb and Chaudhuri, 2008). The stratigraphical position, lithological
characteristics and the facies assemblages of the formation C are similar to that of the
Kansapathar Formation and designated as the Kansapathar Formation. The
formations D and E conformably overlie the Kansapathar Formation, and are
correlatable with the Charmuria Formation or Sarangarh Formation and Gunderdehi
Shale of the Raipur Group respectively.
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