Zechstein

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Zechstein (German either from mine stone or tough stone) is a geological formation of Late Permian (Guadalupian and Lopingian) age located in the European Permian Basin which stretches from the East Coast of England to Northern Poland. It was formerly referred to as the Zechstein epoch of the Permian Age, although this is now obsolete.

The Zechstein consists of five cycles of evaporite rocks, (Halite, Anhydrite, Dolomite and shales) labelled Z1 to Z5 respectively. The zechstein has significant economic importance in the North Sea Oil province. In the Southern gas basin it forms the main cap rock to the gas fields with Rotliegend reservoirs. It also forms a reservoir in the Auk oilfield in the Central North Sea. Further north the zechstein salt becomes diapric forming sal domes which form the structure for several oil fields such as Machar. Zechstein dolomites outcrop near the coast of County Durham, England where they are known as the Magnesian Limestone.

Together with the Rotliegendes, the Zechstein makes up the Permian.