THE METAMORPHIC ROCK-HOSTED GOLD MINERALIZATION

AT BOMBANA, SOUTHEAST SULAWESI:

A NEW EXPLORATION TARGET IN INDONESIA
Arifudin Idrus*1, I Wayan Warmada1, Irzal Nur2, Fadlin3,
Franz Michael Meyer4 & Sukmandaru Prihatmoko5
1Department

of Geological Engineering
Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, INDONESIA
2Hasanuddin University, 3STTNas, 4RWTH Aachen University,
Germany & 5AGC Indonesia (Ivanhoe Mines Ltd)
*E-mail addresss: arifidrus@ugm.ac.id
The 34th IGC Brisbane, Australia, 5-10 August 2012

Presentation Outline
Introduction
Geological framework
The Langkowala Placer/paleoplacer Gold
The Characteristics of Primary Au Deposit
Host rock petrology
Gold-bearing quartz vein characteristics
Hydrothermal Alteration
Ore mineral and chemistry
Mineralizing fluid characteristics
Concluding Remarks

INTRODUCTION-1
Currently, in Indonesia gold has mostly been
mined from volcanic-hosted hydrothermal
deposits. In Sulawesi, gold mineralization is
also dominantly related to volcanic rocks,
which is extended along the western and
northern Neogene magmatic arcs
However, some metamorphic-hosted
deposits e.g. Poboya (Epithermal), Awak Mas
(Mesothermal) are also discovered. These
deposit styles become to be new target for
exploration in the future.

INTRODUCTION-2
Placer/paleoplacer gold has been discovered in
Langkowala plain (Bombana Regency), Southeast
Sulawesi.
Local geological framework indicates that the
placer gold is not related to volcanic rock-related
hydrothermal systems.
This study is aimed to identify and characterize
the primary gold deposit type as a source of the
Langkowala (Bombana) placer gold.

Traditional gold
mining in Bombana

2009

2011

GEOLOGY OF INDONESIA

Study area

GEOLOGY OF THE STUDY AREA

Sulawesi Island, Indonesia
(Hamilton, 1979; Carlile et al., 1990)

Three major tectonic units:

1.
2.
3.

Study area

Western magmatic arc

Central metamorphic belt
Eastern ophiolite complex

LOCAL GEOLOGY & STRUCTURAL CONTROL

Langkowala plain
Outcropped
quartz vein
location

Rumbia mountain range

PLACER/PALEOPLACER GOLD IN LANGKOWALA

Gold grain is present in stream sediment of the
present-day active rivers and in Mio-Pliocene
sediments of Langkowala Formation.
Gold grains seems to be not so far transported from
its primary source. This is consistent with
subrounded-angular form of gold grains panned.
Abundance of gold grain decreases as its distance
from the metamorphic mountain range increases.
Gold is also found in the colluvial materials along
Wumbubangka mountain slope and isolated valley
of the mountain range.

Placer gold not far transported

Placer gold

Primary deposit

Company office
Gold>>

Colluvial deposit

Isolated valley

PLACER/PALEOPLACER GOLD IN LANGKOWALA

Sub-angular gold

Gold & cinnabar

SOME KEY GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS

MICA
SCHIST

Brecciated, crystalline
quartz vein (~2 m) in mica
schist

Silicified
metasediments

1. Host rock petrology

Mica Schist
Phyllite, meta sediment
(meta sandstone)

Mica schist
petrography

Chl
Mus

Muscovite, chlorite
Actinolite, albite, epidote &
sericite & opaque minerals

Qtz

Greenschist
facies (Yardley, 1989)
Mus

2. Quartz Vein Characteristics

At least three generations of gold-bearing
quartz veins:
1. Parallel to the foliation
(first generation)
2. Crosscut to the foliation
(second generation)
3. Deformed laminated quartz+calcite veins
(third/late generation)

1. First generation quartz vein: parallel to the

foliation of mica schist (N 300E/60)

Segmented/sigmoidal
structures of quartz veins
hosted by mica schist
Massive, crystalline quartz
vein (up to 2 m width),
parallel to the mica schist
foliation

Deformed/sigmoidal
quartz vein (parallel
to the foliation)

Claysilica
alteration

2. Second generation quartz vein:

crosscutting the foliation
3. Third generation quartz vein:
Laminated quartz+calcite veins

Highly oxidized/mineralized
deformed quartz vein

3. Hydrothermal Alteration

Silicification
Claysilica (argillic) alteration
Chlorite-Carbonate alteration
Carbonization

1. Silicification
2. Claysilica
(argillic)
alteration

Quartz+(clay) vein

3. Chlorite-carbonate alteration
Carbonate

4. Carbonization
Chlorite

Carbonate

Carbon
(graphite?)

4. Ore Mineralization
Native gold
Cinnabar (HgS)
Stibnite (Sb3S5) & tripuhyite
(FeSbO4)
Arsenopyrite (FeAsS2)
Pyrite (FeS2)

Native gold (Au)

Gold

Qtz
Gold

Gold

Cinnabar (HgS)

Cinnabar in
metasediment
layers
Stibnite-cinnabarmineralized rock

Stibnite commonly as vein & disseminated

Stibnite

Stibnite
Qtz vein

Stibnite microscopy

Tripuhyite (EDS)

Stream sediment & ore chemistry (AAS)

(Prihatmoko et al., 2010)

No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

SS samples

Au
0.009
0.014
0.007
0.005
0.008
0.008
0.007
0.006
0.008
0.006
0.008
0.033
0.012
0.014
0.007
0.007
0.014
0.005

No. Rock/vein
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Au
0.006
0.01
0.006
0.009
0.036
0.012
0.012
0.016
0.036
5.3
0.228
84
8.66
0.107

Variable: 0.005 - 84 g/t Au

Ore chemistry (FA-AAS)

Sample
Codes
WB-01-B
WB-02C1
WB-02C2
WB-03
WB-04
WB-06-A
WB-11-A
WB-11-B
BVAL-01

Au
0.02
2.52

Cu
13
23

Elements (ppm)
Pb
Zn Ag
Hg
34
27 <1 1.59
8
10 <1 0.11

1.06

11

16

11

<1

2.79

177

2030

0.94
1.31
0.10
0.04
<0.005
134

10
33
9
12
<2
na

<4
11
5
5
6
na

30
47
3
101
18
na

<1
<1
<1
<1
<1
na

0.11
0.30
0.05
1.58
0.10
na

428
727
23
241
<1
na

212
231
7
417
<1
na

As
85
212

Sb
198
76

Variable: bdl to 2.52 g/t Au; single analysis: 134 g/t Au

Mineralizing fluid characteristics

Temperature of homogenization (Th) of the first
generation of quartz vein varies from 185 to 245 C,
with relatively higher salinity ranging from 5.3 to 9.1
wt.% NaCl eq.
The second generation of quartz veins, is formed in
moderate temperatures of 132 to 283 C (mean 158
to 209 C) and salinity of 3.6-5.9 wt.% NCl eq.
The latest/third generation stage of veining was
originated at the lowest temperature of 114-176 C
and salinity of 0.4 to 4.0 wt.% NaCl eq.

Fluid characteristics
First quartz veins:
The evidences of the
contribution of metamorphic CO2-vapour?
fluid, hydrothermal magmatic
fluids and meteoric water
forming quartz veins are
represented by H2O-NaCl-CO2
fluids.
CO2-rich fluid, however, is
present in very small portion
(< 4% CO2) (personal
communication, Richard J.
Goldfarb, 2011).

H2O-NaCl-CO2 fluid
system

Second quartz vein

(H2O-NaCl+/-CO2)

Third quartz+calcite vein

(H2O-NaCl+/-CO2)

H2O-NaCl-CO2 fluid
Goldfarb, 2009

Bombana

Hydrothermal fluid evolution of three

generations of gold-bearing quartz veins
300

Quartz vein paralel to foliation (N=36)

Quartz vein crossing foliation (N=120)
Calcite+quartz vein (N=12)

250

2
200

First vein
1

Th ( C)

150

Second vein
100

Third vein
50

0
0

Salinity (wt % NaCl eq.)

10

15

Shepherd et al. (1985).

Miniralizing fluid evolution

The first quartz vein generation underwent an
isothermal mixing with fluids of contrasting
salinity. It is interpreted that the vein is
dominantly originated from hydrothermal
magmatic fluid mixing with metamorphic fluids.
During the mixing, the temperature change is
minor or relatively iso(thermal), but the salinity
decreases significantly.
The second and third quartz vein generations
are likely formed from mixing of the magmatic
and metamorphic fluids, and with cooler less
saline meteoric water.

The Bombana orogenic deposit

CONCLUDING REMARKS-1
Geology: Host-rock: greenschist facies type
of metamorphic facies mostly hosts the
orogenic gold deposits (Gebre-Mariam et
al., 1995; Goldfarb, 2009).
The quartz veins textures: massive and
crystalline, brecciated, drussy and
pseudomorph bladed carbonate textures. Vein
structures: deformed, occasionally sigmoidal
Hydrothermal alteration:
silicification, claysilica (argillic), chloritecarbonate alteration, carbonization.

CONCLUDING REMARKS-2

Typical minerals: cinnabar, stibnite, tripuhyite

& arsenopyrite: genetically indicates that the
orogenic gold deposit transition between
epizonal and mesozonal (cf. Groves et al.,
1998, 2003; Goldfarb, 2009).
CO2-rich fluid inclusion is present in very small
portion the Bombana gold-bearing quartz
vein is situated at shallow level, in which the
pressure condition may not be sufficient to
preserve CO2 in the hydrothermal fluids and it
may escape up to the surface (personal
communication, Volker Lueders, 2003).

CONCLUDING REMARKS-3
By considering all key features discussed
above, the primary metamorphic-hosted gold
mineralization type at Bombana tends to meet
the criteria of orogenic gold type (cf. Groves et
al., 1998; 2003; Goldfarb, 2009). The primary
deposit is the source of the placer/paleoplacer
gold in the area.
The discovery of the metamorphic-hosted gold
deposit in the area has opened up more targets
and challenges for gold exploration in the
region, and other terrains in Indonesia that have
identical geological setting.

METAMORPHIC ROCK-HOSTED GOLD DEPOSITS:

A New Exploration Target in Indonesia?

Buru Island

Study area

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
AGC Indonesia (Ivanhoe Mines Ltd), Jakarta
Panca Logam Makmur (National Private
Company)
RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Dr. Richard J. Goldfarb (USGS)