25 years of mineral exploration and discovery in Indonesia

This paper traces the history of mineral exploration in Indonesia between 1967 and 1992, and discusses various technical aspects, such as area selection, exploration and discovery methods, and significant geologic features of the more important new discoveries.Exploration activity over the past 25 years can be divided into four main phases. Phase 1 (1967–1976) mostly involved investigations of mineral prospects and districts previously identified by the Dutch. These investigations resulted in many discoveries, including: a major copper-gold district (skarn-porphyry copper) in Irian Jaya, where exploration is still in progress (resources identified to date: 28 Mt Cu and 2,700 t Au); large nickel resources in Eastern Indonesia (13 Mt Ni); significant onshore and offshore tin resources in the Sumateran tin belt (0.13 Mt Sn); and large but low grade bauxite deposits in West Kalimantan (300 Mt Al₂O₃). Of the eight Contracts of Work signed between 1967 and 1972, six reached the mining stage. Phase 2 (1970–1975) consisted of an extensive porphyry copper search in the Sunda arc, the western arc of Sulawesi and the central belt of Irian Jaya. Best results were obtained from northern Sulawesi, where follow-up between 1976 and 1982 identified three potentially economic copper-gold deposits (1.7 Mt Cu and 140 t Au) and one subeconomic molybdenum porphyry system (0.8 Mt Mo). During Phase 3 (1981–1988) extensive coal exploration in South and East Kalimantan delineated over 5,000 Mt of coal of varying rank and quality, including 1,500 Mt as measured reserves in 17 deposits, eight of which have been developed to date. Phase 4 (1984–1990) involved a major gold rush, focused primarily on the Cenozoic magmatic belts of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Moluccas and the Sunda arc. Over 80 primary and alluvial gold prospects were drill tested. Five of these were brought into production (two alluvial deposits, two new hard rock discoveries and one Dutch mine), containing approximately 135 tonnes of mineable gold, and several other projects are under development or undergoing feasibility studies. Total geological resources identified to date are estimated to contain about 700 tonnes of gold. Exploration during phase 4 also resulted in several gold-rich porphyry copper discoveries, including a major deposit in Sumbawa (2.7 Mt Cu and 250 t Au). Intermittent exploration for uranium, diamonds and lead/zinc since 1969 has been largely unsuccessful.Exploration is now passing to the next phase, which is likely to be multi-commodity in nature with a strong focus on gold, copper and coal. A number of deposits outlined during earlier phases will be developed.The unprecedented high level of mineral exploration activity over the past 25 years can be attributed to Indonesia's mineral prospectivity and favourable investment climate. Given a continued competitive commercial environment and sustained commodity prices, the next 25 years should see further strong development of the country's mineral resources.     

Groundwater contaminant transport including adsorption and first order decay

This study deals with the transport of a contaminant in groundwater. The contaminant is subject to first order decay or linear adsorption. Its displacement can be modeled by a random walk process in which particles are killed at exponentially distributed times. Dirichlet problems are derived for the rate and mean time at which contaminated particles reach a particular part of the boundary of a certain domain. These Dirichlet problems are solved asymptotically for two types of 2D-flow patterns: flow parallel to the boundary of a domain and arbitrary flow towards a well in an aquifer.     

Floodfan sedimentation and gravitational anomalies in the Salar de Punta Negra,Northern Chile

The Upper Tertiary inter-andean tectonic trough of the Salar de Punta Negra is being filled mainly through sporadic flash-floods by denudation products from the East (Andes). Borehole records up to 430 m deep suggest depositional conditions similar to the actual ones.Block tectonic movements with N-S and NNE-SSW directions from Upper Tertiary through Pleistocene affected the normal morphology of the fans.Gravity survey has corfirmed a tectonic origin of the basin. East of the Salar, a buried graben with an alluvial fill of 550–750 m thickness was found, which may contain a groundwater reservoir.

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Zusammenfassung Der jungtertiäre intra-andine Graben des Salars Punta Negra wurde durch sporadische Flutfächer vorwiegend aus dem Osten (Hochkordillere) gefüllt. Bohrungen bis 430 m Tiefe zeigen ähnliche Fanglomerate, wie sie heute entstehen.Verwerfungen mit N-S- und NNE-SSW-Richtungen zwischen Jungtertiär und Pleistozän beeinflussen die Morphologie der Schuttfächer.Gravimetrische Messungen ergaben, daß die Depression tektonisch angelegt ist. Östlich des heutigen Salars liegt ein verschütteter Graben mit einer alluvialen Füllung von mindestens 550–750 m Dicke. Hier könnte ein Grundwasser-Reservoir liegen.

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Resumen El graben intra-andino del Salar de Punta Negra de edad Terciario Superior ha sido esporádicamente rellenado por conos aluviales. Estos vienen principalmente del este desde la Alta Cordillera. Perforaciones que han llegado hasta 430 m de profundidad muestran fanglomerados semejantes a los que se forman actualmente.Una tectónica de bloques de dirección N-S y NNE-SSW entre el Terciario Superior y el Pleistoceno afectan la morfología de los conos aluviales.Mediciones gravimétricas permiten concluir que la depresión tiene origen tectónico. Al oriente del Salar aparece un graben relleno de materiales aluviales con una potencia entre 550–750 m. Este graben puede contener acuíferos profundos de utilidad local.

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Résumé Le graben intra-andin Cénozoïque Supérieur du Salar de Punta Negra se comble par des courants torrentueux sporadiques de produits de dénudation venant surtout de l'Est (Haute Cordillère). Des forages atteignant 430 m de profondeur suggèrent des conditions de dépôt similaires aux actuelles.Des failles N-S et NNE-SSW actives depuis le Cénozoïque Supérieur jusqu'au Pléistocène ont affecté la morphologie des cônes de déjection.Les mesures gravimétriques confirment l'origine tectonique du bassin de Punta Negra. A l'Est du Salar est situé un graben totalement enfoui de dépôts alluviaux d'une puissance d'environ 550–750 m, où des nappes aquifères exploitables sont susceptibles d'exister à grande profondeur.

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- Salars Punta Negra , . 430 , . - -- — -- . , , . Salars , 550–750 . .

     

Metasedimentary “graben” and associated structures in the lagoonal Almere Member (Groningen Formation,The Netherlands)

The lagoonal Almere Member (Holocene) has a high silt content over large areas, which favours the formation of numerous meta- and postsedimentary features. A graben-like structure is described for the first time and the name “gravifossum” is proposed. A similar structure has also been observed in comparable sediments in northern France.Processes, leading to meta- and postsedimentary structures, are supposed to have interacted.     

Mid-tertiary igneous activity in east Greenland — The Kialineq complex

The igneous rocks of the Kialineq area on the East Greenland coast at 67 ° N comprise, gabbro, acid-basic breccia and net-vein complexes, syenite and granite and minor volcanics. Rb-Sr whole-rock and mineral isochrons for the epizonal syenites, granites and acid-basic complexes indicate a consanguineous mantle origin at 35±2 m.y. B.P. in agreement with the age obtained by K-Ar dating of biotites and hornblendes. This igneous activity may be associated with major reorganisation of plate geometry in the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans at this time.     

Search for purines and pyrimidines in the Murchison meteorite

A 1 g interior sample of the Murchison CII meteorite was examined for the presence of purines and pyrimidines by dual-column, ion-exclusion chromatography and ultraviolet spectroscopy. Xanthine, not previously reported in meteorites, was found to be the major purine liberated by extraction with formic acid, with a concentration corresponding to 2.3 μg/g of meteorite. Guanine (0.1 ppm) and hypoxanthine (0.04 ppm) were also tentatively identified. The presence of adenine could not be confirmed. No pyrimidines were detected at concentrations higher than the background level (0.01 ppm) in water, formic acid or strong acid extracts. Silylation of the water extract, however, resulted in the appearance of 4-hydroxypyrimidine, 4-hydroxy-2-methylpyrimidine and 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyrimidine. These compounds are-though to be formed during the silylation procedure from contaminants present in the reagent.