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MINERALIZATION CHARACTERISTICS OF
AJIBARANG GOLD PROSPECT, PURWOKERTO, CENTRAL JAVA:
A CARBONATE BASE METAL-GOLD SYSTEM
Sukmandaru Prihatmoko 1)
Boedi Soesila 2)
1

) PT Cibaliung Sumberdaya, Graha Irama, 3rd Fl, Jl. HR Rasuna Said, Kav. 1-2, Jakarta- 12950
Emails: sukmandaru@austindo.co.id or sdaru@indo.net.id
2

) PT Harlan Bekti Corporation, Jl. Tebet Barat Dalam I No.42, Jakarta - 12810

Abstract
The middle part of Central Java, which is mostly occupied by Quaternary volcanics (plus Recent
volcanoes) and Mio-Pliocene volcanics in the western part is rarely known as the gold
mineralization host rocks. Ajibarang prospect is a new developed gold property that sits on the
area of Mio-Pliocene magmatic arc. This gold prospect is hosted by shallow marine sediments
with some volcanic influences, consisting of interbedded tuffaceous sandstone, siltstone, mudstone,
and diatreme breccias of Halang Formation, Middle-Late Miocene in age. Regionally, from
Landsat TM imagery, the area is bounded by a major east-west structure, while the prospect itself
is represented by a circular feature, probably collapse (caldera) structure.
Gold mineralization occurred in calcite veins and veinlets, trending N120E. The mineralized zones
range from 1 to 20 m with an average density of veins/ veinlets 1 to 6 per meter. The lateral extent
of mineralization is not known yet, but they are confined within a 200 x 500m soil Au anomaly
area. The Au soil anomalies are nearly coincident with As and Sb anomalies. The individual
veins/veinlets are 1 to 8 mm in thickness, and have massive to crustiform banded textures. In
places, the veins and veinlet zones are enveloped by illite-smectite-kaolinite alteration with
disseminated pyrite up to 2%. The veins/ veinlets are partly associated with milled-matrix fluidised
breccias (diatreme).
Base metal minerals are recognized in the forms of sphalerite (Fe-rich), galena, and chalcopyrite,
associated with pyrite. They occurred in association with calcite veins/ veinlet zones and as blebs /
dissemination in the breccia matrix as well. Gold assays range from <0.1 to 16.97 g/t. The high
gold grades are most likely associated with base metal minerals particularly sphalerite and galena
containing up to thousands ppm base metals. In the diatreme breccias, the calcites containing
galena and sphalerite also occurred as clasts or lenses within the breccia matrix.
The mineral assemblage, vein/ veinlet textures, and geochemical element behaviour suggest that
Ajibarang prospect is a carbonate-base metal-gold system. The absence of quartz and igneousrelated host rocks indicate that this system could be quite distal to the volcanic centre and the
phreatomagmatic process resulting in diatreme breccias occurred only in a short period without
producing thick pile of volcanic products. Although, it is uneconomically yet, the discovery of
Ajibarangs carbonate-base metal-gold prospect in the Mio-Pliocene magmatic arc is very
significant, and has widen the exploration target areas in Java.
Key words: gold, mineralization, carbonate-base metal system, Ajibarang.

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1. INTRODUCTION

Ajibarang area is located in Kabupaten Banyumas, Central Java Province, approximately 30

minutes drive from Purwokerto, the capital of Kabupaten Banyumas. Ajibarang itself is a
kecamatan town, located right in the eastern border of the area of interest (Fig. 1). The area of
interest is currently granted as a KP (Kuasa Pertambangan) to PT Harlan Bekti Corporation
(HBC).

This paper is to document the new gold property in Central Java particularly with respect to its
mineralization style. Most of the data presented here is the property of HBC in which the authors
had an access for review (both desk and field reviews), evaluation, and interpretation.
N

50m

JAVA SEA

7 S

Semarang

WEST JAVA

AJIBARANG AREA
CENTRAL JAVA
Purwokerto
EAST JAVA
Yogyakarta
8 S

DI. YOGYAKARTA

111 E

110 E

109 E

INDIAN OCEAN

Figure 1. Location map of area of interest

2. EXPLORATION HISTORY

Gold in Ajibarang area was first discovered and reported in 1996 by prospectors in K. Arus
(Petrominer, 1997). Traditional mining activities using pump and sluicing and panning methods
increased a few years thence up to around 2000. They are concentrated in two areas namely

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Gancang and Larangan. Moreover, a KUD (Village Cooperation) had taken place in running the
mining activities. Later, it was known that Gancang and Larangan are alluvial gold prospects.

Figure 2. Geology of the area of interest and gold prospects

PROCEEDINGS JOINT CONVENTION JAKARTA 2003 IAGI-HAGI

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In 1997, a KP Exploration, 29,620ha was officially granted to HBC. The KP area is shown in
Fig.2. During the gold boom days, up to 1998, the property was a subject of joint venture with
Mango Resources Ltd and Hyder Gold Inc. of Canada in which Hyder Gold was the project
operator. The exploration work conducted comprise:
Stream sediment prospecting. In 1997, a total 185 stream sediment samples of 20# were
collected covering about 30% of the KP area. The samples were analyzed for Au, Pb, Zn, As,
and Sb. This prospecting, combined with geological mapping had identified a gold prospect,
namely Karangalang. This prospect is located upstream, about 0.5 to 1km of Larangan and
Gancang alluvial prospects. In 2000, stream sediment prospecting been continued collecting 80# sediment samples, in which 54 samples were taken. This program had confirmed the
Karangalang gold anomaly and also identified another gold anomaly to the north called as
Cilurung. The prospect localitions are shown in Fig. 2.
Geological mapping. This program was carried out regionally covering the entirely KP area,
and defined that Karangalang is the best prospect to be followed up.
Soil sampling in Karangalang. Grid soil sampling was conducted covering an area of 2.25 x
1.25 sq km with 50 m line spacing and 25 m sample interval. Gold soil anomalies were outlined
in the area of 600 x 300 m @ >0.2 g/t Au. Sb and As anomalies were defined coincidently each
others (Fig. 3).
Trenching in Karangalang. 20 trenches had been dug over the soil anomalies in Karangalang
prospect (Fig. 3). Channel rock samples were collected along these trenches, 1 to 2 m interval.
The rock gold anomalies (>0.5 g/t Au) are coincident with the soil anomalies. The best gold
assay from the trench is 20m @ 3.669 g/t Au, including 4 m @ 12.9 g/t Au.
Diamond drilling in Karangalang. Drilling was conducted in 6 holes totalling 1,029.75 m. Core
samples was analysed for Au, Pb, Zn, As, and Sb. The best assay is 29.85m @ 2.45 g/t Au.
Petrographic study. This study was done at some selective samples including cores in the
Laboratoy of Universitas Pembangunan Veteran, Yogyakarta.

Currently, the property is still being held as a KP Exploration by HBC, eventhough the exploration
activities are slowed down.

3. REGIONAL GEOLOGY

The regional geology is illustrated in Fig. 2. The area of interest is underline by calcareous
sandstone, which formed the Rambatan Formation, Middle Miocene in age (refer to Djuri, 1975

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and Kastowo, 1975). This rock formation is uncorformably overline by turbidite type sediments of
Halang Formation, which are in interfingering relationship with andesitic volcanic breccias of
Kumbang Formation. Both Halang and Kumbang Formations are Middle-Late Miocene in ages.

The Halang Formation, which covers about 60% of the area of interest comprise an interbedded of
tuffaceous sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, and claystone, in some instance are calcareous. Coarsegrained, greenish sandstone units could be mapped comparable above the Halang Formation which
is comparable to Tapak Formation, Upper Miocene Pliocene in ages.

The eastern part of the area of interest is occupied by Quaternary volcanics that could be devided
into two major units. They are older older volcanic breccias, lava, and tuff, all andesitic in
composition, while the younger one is lahar and recent volcanic deposits of G. Slamet products.

Regionally, in Landsat TM imagery, a major E-W fault, supposed to be accretionary structures can
be outlined crossing the area of interest. Other structures (strike slip, normal, and thrust) are
oriented N-S, NE-SW, and NW-SE, could be transfer structures. Traces of bedding are obviously
identified in Landsat TM forming fold structures. Detailed mapping confirmed that synforms and
antiforms are commonly identified in E-W, ENE-WSW, and WNW-ESE axis (Fig. 2).

Something interesting is the appearance of circular features in Landsat TM in at least five

localities. Four circular features are in the area of Karangalang, Larangan, and Gancang prospects,
and even one of them coincides with the Karangalang prospect. These circular features could
represent collapse structures, probably related to the volcanism or geothermal systems (caldera?).
Another big circular feature (3 x 3 km) is identified in the northern part of the area of interest in
Paguyangan area. A hot spring, namely Cingebul is situated at the eastern edge of the Paguyangan
circular structure. Again, this indicates that a geothermal system is probably related to this
structure.

4. GOLD MINERALIZATION

Although, until this paper is written, there are at least 4 prospects/ anomalies, i.e. Karangalang,
Gancang, Larangan, and Cilurung (Fig. 2), only Karangalang has been considered as a primary
gold prospect so far. Gancang and Larangan were known as alluvial gold prospects, while
Cilurung is a stream sediment anomaly, which has not been well followed up. Therefore, this

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chapter describes gold mineralization characteristics over the Karangalang prospect where more
exploration work has been done and more data are available.

Host rocks in Karangalang prospect are composed of a shallow marine sediment sequence with
some volcanic influences. They consist of an interbedded of tuffaceous sandstone, siltstone,
claystone, and mudstone in which in some instances are calcareous. Slump structures are
commonly observed indicating mass flow deposition.

Milled matrix fluidized breccias were identified in at least three localities around this prospect and
in the drill cores. They are milled-, matrix supported-, polymictic- breccias, with pebbly rounded
fragments of sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, and andesite within the rock flour- muddy matrix.
Sandy fluidized layers can be identified in the breccia matrix, obviously seen in the drill cores.
This rock unit is most likely phreantomagmatic (diatreme) breccias.

Gold soil anomalies (>200 ppb) confine in a main zone of 500 x 200 m, called as Igir Salak with
some other smaller scattered zones (Fig. 3). As and Sb anomalies appear to the north and
northwest of the main gold anomaly.

18

17

Au

250m

Scale
13

Sb

14
As

DH-6

DH-5 DH-4 11

12
DH-3

Road

DH-2

15
4

9
S. P

LEGEND
Au in soil ( >200ppb)

10
anu
b

ara
n

20

19
6

1
3

5
7

DH-6

Drill hole with ID

Anomalous As

Trench with ID

Anomalous Sb

KARANGALANG
PROSPECT

10

Figure 3. Soil anomalies and trench drill hole locations

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Mineralization occurred in association with calcite veins / veinlet zones. The main zone coincides
with the soil anomaly extending about N120E. The thickness of the mineralized zones can be
estimeted in the drill holes, ranging from 1 to 20 m with an average density of 1 to 6 per meter.
The individual veins are 1 to 8 mm in thickness, massive to crustiform textures. In places, the
veins and veinlet zones are enveloped by illite-smectite-kaolinite alteration with disseminated
pyrite up to 2%.

Base metal minerals are recognized in the forms of sphalerite (Fe-rich), galena, and chalcopyrite,
associated with pyrite. They occurred in association with calcite vein/ veinlet zones and as blebs/
dissemination in the breccia matrix as well. In drill hole DDH-03 at 84.00m depth, sphaleritepyrite developed as crustiform banding in association with calcite, filling the middle of the
veinlets.

The high gold grades are definitely associated with the base metal minerals in particular sphalerite
and galena. A selective sample taken in the sphalerite-galena rich veinlet zone in DDH-03 (74.7075.10m depth) yielded 16.97 g/t Au, 3.37% Zn, 0.62% Pb, and 487ppm Cu (Fig 4). In the diatreme
breccias, the calcite with galena and sphalerite inclusions also occurred as breccia clasts. A
selective sample of the diatreme clast (rich in sphalerite and galena) was returned at 3.25 g/t Au,
0.17% Zn, 18% Pb, and 352ppm Cu. Several selective samples were also collected at calcite
veinlet zones only (without sphalerite and galena), and yielded low gold and base metal values.

5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The occurrences of gold and base metal mineralization in the Mio-Pliocene volcanic arc are very
rare particularly in Central Java. The discovery of Ajibarang gold area, especially Karangalang
gold prospect has significant implications in updating the knowledge of mineralization-related
Mio-Pliocene volcanic arc.

Karangalangs gold- base metal mineralization has distinctive characteristics, compared to that of
known mineralised system in West Java Banten, such as Gunung Pongkor, Cikotok District,
Cibaliung, etc. Most of the known prospects in West Java are of typical low-sulfidation (plus few
high-sulfidation) epithermal systems, while Karangalang has different characteristics in the sense
of:

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Gold and base metal are associated with calcite veins/ veinlets, and without quartz.

High-grade of gold is associated with base metal sulfide in particular sphalerite and galena.

Calcite vein/ veinlet zones have intimate relationship with diatreme breccias, mostlikely
syngenetic. In some instances, the veins/ veinlets cross cut the breccia host rocks, but in other
places, the calcite veins (with sphalerite-galena associations) occurred as breccia fragments.

Smectite-illite-kaolinite alteration that envelops the mineralzed veins/ veinlets indicates

relatively shallow temperature system at the epithermal ranges.

Figure 4. Drill cross section of DH-03, Karangalang prospect

All the above distinctive characteristics suggest that the mineralized system is probably of a
carbonate base metal- gold type (refer to Corbett and Leach, 1998). The absence of quartz and
igneous-related host rocks indicate that this system could be quite distal to the volcanic centre and
the phreatomagmatic process resulting in diatreme breccias occurred only in a short period without
producing thick pile of volcanic products.

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The mineralised zones are confined in the calcite vein/ veinlet zones as well as in the breccias
(diatreme). It is quite similar to what have been known as the carbonate- base metal gold
system such as Kelian in Kalimantan where mineralization is also associated with breccias (Van
Leeuwen et al, 1990).

Although, it is uneconomically yet, the discovery of Karangalangs carbonate-base metal-gold

prospect in the Mio-Pliocene magmatic arc is very significant, and has widen the exploration target
areas for gold in Java.

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENT

An acknowledgment is extended to the management of PT Harlan Bekti Corporation who gave the
permission to publish the data of their property. Constructive review by Terry Leach is very much
appreciated. A special thank is also forwarded to the draughting team of PT Cibaliung
Sumberdaya, Daniel Mokalu and Supriyadi who have prepared excellent diagrams for this paper.

7. REFERENCES

Corbett, G.J. and Leach, T.M., 1998. Southwest Pacific rim gold-copper systems: Structure,
alteration and mineralization. SEG Bull, Spec. Pub. No.6., 237pp.
Djuri, M., 1975. Geology of the Purwokerto and Tegal Quadrangles, Java. Geol. Res. and Dev.
Centre, Bandung.
Kastowo, 1975. Geology of the Majenang Quadrangle, Java. Geol. Res. and Dev. Centre,
Bandung.
Petrominer, Apr 1997. PT Harlan Bekti obtains gold mining licence. Petrominer No.4, Vol.XXIV,
p.45.
Prihatmoko, S., 2000. Evaluation Report of the Ajibarang Gold Property, PT Harlan Bekti
Corporation, Central Java. An internal report of PT Austindo Mining Corporation,
May 2000, 7pp.
Van Leeuwen, T.M., Leach, T., Hawke, A.A., and Hawke, M.M., 1990. The Kelian disseminated
gold deposit, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. J. Geochem. Explor. 35, p.1-61.