Unravel Hot Spring Phenomenon at KM 38 NE Balikpapan Town and
Analysing its Potential Resources
Prayoga Wahyu P, STT MIGAS BALIKPAPAN
Asriadi, STT MIGAS BALIKPAPAN
Ikhsansyah Putra P, Borneo Earth Research Group
Ridjvandra Ranjani, Borneo Earth Research Group
Zakaria Yahya, Borneo Earth Research Group
Lisa Helnasi, Borneo Earth Research Group
Fadel Muhammad, Borneo Earth Research Group
Rizky Putra Pratama, Borneo Earth Research Group
This paper was prepared for presentation at the
Integrated Petroleum Exhibiton and Conference,
Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Minyak dan Gas Bumi
Balikpapan, 19-21 November 2015
ABSTRACT
A few years ago, citizen found hot springs located in
km 38 NE Balikpapan Bay. They found a pool boiling
that release gas and bubles, it has a smell like sulfur. We
analyze the prosess happens of that phenomenon by
doing surface mapping. it's caused by geothermal
system, overburden temperature, Biogenic gas, CBM or
Clinkers?. And we also analyze if there's any potential
energy reserves which could be developed in NE
Balikpapan Town
INTRODUCTION
Energy demand has increasing trough time. The
production of conventional energy such as oil and gas
was decline and the other hand discovery is not yet
success. New strategy are needed to solve energy crisis
for now and future. National Energy Committee (KEN)
has arrange to develop unconventional energy like
Biogenic gas, Coal bed Methane, Tight gas, and Shale
gas/oil for next year. Balikpapan is became their
concern with biogenic potential. For that, this study was
conduct to searching new potential with early survey to
contribute KEN program to increase energy reserve.
KM 38 NE Balikpapan become main focus in this
study (figure 1). It has manifestation as boiling pool
around that area (figure 2). Geological analysis are
needed to determine what potential down there trough
rock layer and its distribution in Balikpapan area.
METHODOLOGY
The analysis of this study comprises:
A. Area Obervation (geological mapping, meassuring
section)
B. Data analysis (compare with regional condition and
analysis potential)
All data were combined to determine kind of potential
and the geological process of this phenomenon.
REGIONAL GEOLOGY
The Kutai Basin is bounded by the Paternoster
platform, Barito Basin, and the Meratus Mountains to
the south, by Schwaner Block to the southwest, the
Mangkalihat high to the north - northeast, and the
Central Kalimantan Mountains to the west and north
(Moss and Chambers, 1999). Kutei Basin has a complex
history (Moss et al., 1997), and is one of the only
Indonesian basins to have evolved from a rifted internal
fracture/foreland basin into a marginal-sag. Much of the
early basin fill in the Kutei Basin has been inverted and
exposed (Satyana et al., 1999)
The basement uplift of meratus high and inversion
from southern borneo and cental kalimantan high
contributes erosional debris from previous sediment,
accumulating thick progradational deltaic system to
East direction of Balikpapan bay. Oligocene subsidence
and sag were followed by inversion of the early Kutai
Basin fill along its initial boundary faults in the early
Miocene, resulting in the erosion of several thousand
meters of the synrift sequence. Peloogeography analysis
of Balikpapan has been conducted by Huffco in 1985
ruslting middle miocene deposit in Balikpapan Area
(Etty s Nuay et al.,1985) (Figure 3)
The structural pattern of South Kutai Basin is
characterized by the presence of NW-SE fault trends
that are almost perpendicular to the central Kutei Basin
structural trend. On the offshore SE Balikpapan Three
 Wahyu Pratama, Asriadi
major faults (from SW to NE and from the oldest to the
youngest) are Maruat, Tunan, Sesumpu-Jumelai and
Sepinggan Faults (Syarifuddin et al., 2008). On the
onshore of Balikpapan bay the similar fault has been
found and analyse. This fault longwise to KM 38 area
observation (Figure 4). All that fault happened due
rifting process the impact of Pacific Plate subduction at
the beginning forming dextral and sinistral fault and
expansion the basin. At the end of Patenosfer
subduction at south of Borneo resulting Meratus
complexes as known as syninversion process. This
compression force made oblique structure at Balikpapan
area (Satyana et al., 1994) (figure 5)
SEDIMENTOLOGY ANALYSIS
Several outcrop has been analysing around boiling
water manifestation and combine into one stratigraphy
unit. From sedimentology characteristic, showing two
depositional type deltaic deposition and shallow marine
barrier sand (figure 6).
Shallow marine Barrier sand
At the bottom is dominated by massive sandstone,
clean, fine grain, very well sorted, and dominated by
quartz. The thickness is very large between 20-30
meters. It is hard to find sediment structure because
sand body covered by alteration mineral and just few
outcrop showing cross bedding structure. The sands are
repeat at the top of stratigraphy unit because
progradation.
Deltaic sequences
Lithology is changing to the top with sharp base
contact and deposit massive claystone dark colour. It is
observed as marine deposit which suspension process.
lithology unit is coarsening up changing gradational
into siltstone with light grey colour, fine gain and
sandstone, brown colour, lamination clay with thickness
around 1-3 meters. The sediment structure dominated in
sandstone like ripple mark and well known as deltaic
bar or delta front. From clay to sand it is regressive
product which deposit coarser grain to the top with
progradation process.
After regression sea level goes up and all deposit going
landward. With this condition the grain size which
deposit is going fine like claystone. Because it is going
to landward, there are many plant growing around it and
trough time became coal layer. It is typically delta plain
or swamp. In this layer the organic material very rich
especially vegetal matter, covered all body of claystone
and coal layer at the top. In this outcrop, coal layer is
immature, dominated peak form and few thin layer in
lignit.
The character of all this outcrop same Balikpapan Bay
indicated the depositional distributed all over
Balikpapan area (Pratama et al., 2014)
STUCTURAL ANALYSIS
Geological structure are found around manifestation
area with NE-SW direction. By following the river,
every spot of several manifestation that has been found
in this trend. It is indicate there are something leaking
form the bottom of rock layer. Structural identification
has been conduct, and result the tectonic locally that has
been happened. This structure is form by extensional
phase on synrift process and then compressional regime
at syninversion process made oblique structure. (Figure
7 and 8)
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL RESERVE
This study, kind of potential energy of KM38 can be
determine. Balikpapan located far from ring of fire path
and there is none of subduction process happened at this
time. It is obviously not geothermal system. Previous
study not found any overburden thermal and its needed
extra sediment burden to do that. CBM and Clinker is
not qualified, because the coal that has been found is
immature and the coal layer it is not thick. The highest
possibilities candidate is Biogenic Gas.
Balikpapan has high potential of biogenic gas, it is
proven by well that accidently breaktrough the biogenic
gas accumulation at Manggar area. This location has
been observed and has same lithology characteristic as
KM 38. Peleogeography Ett S nuay 1985 has given
same conclusion (figure 3). The deltaic are deposit from
North to South East Balikpapan area and covered
barrier sand at the bottom. Because it controlled by sea
level, barrier sand accumulation has found again at the
top. It is repeat until the margin of Balikpapan land
same as now.
Because there is lot of organic material at deltaic
deposit especially delta plain, anaerobic bacteria has
growing in this layer, multiplying and degreed organic
material into methane (CH4). The methane gas are
accumulated in sandstone (barrier sand) same as
conventional conceptual. The limitation of this study
only determine by geological analysis the character of
this bacteria are not yet understand.
The gas is leaking by oblique fault structure and
going to surface making hot pool. Detailed structural
analysis is still ongoing process study.
CONCLUSSION AND SUGESSTION
Base on this study we conclude :
Hot spring phenomenon on KM 38 it is
because biogenic gas that has been leaking to
surface because oblique fault as migration
 Wahyu Pratama, Asriadi
pathway. The biogenic source is from organic
material at delta plain deposit that has been
degreed by anaerobic bacteria.
Base on earlier study, Balikpapan has big
potential for Biogenic gas. It is distribute in
large scale from North to East Balikpapan
same like paleogeography regional. At the
north proven by this hot spring and at the east
proven by well.
There is required advanced study geophysic to
find spot which contain gas accumulation
Determine of bacteria characteristic is needed
and it is become our concern next project.
AKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author would like to say many thanks to Mrs Afrida
Sitompul Ph.D for give us suggestion and to Borneo
Earth Research Group for their help to complete this
project
REFERENCE
Marshall, A.J and Schumann, H.O., 1981. Stratigraphy
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Moss, S.J., Chambers, J.L.C., Cloke, I.R., Satria, D.,
Ali, J.R., Baker, S., Milsom, J. and Carter. A. 1997.
New Observation on the sedimentary and tectonic
evolution of the Tertiary Kutei Basin, East Kalimantan.
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Petroleum Geology of South Asia, Special Publication
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Moss, S.J., and J.L.C. Chambers., 1999, Tertiary facies
architecture in the Kutai Basin, Kalimantan, Indonesia:
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Nuay, E.S., Astarita, A.M., Edwards, K., 1985, Early
Middle Miocene Deltaic Progradation In The Southern
Kutai Basin: Proceeding IPA 1985
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Figure 1. Administrative map of area observation at the red box
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Figure 3. Paleogeography map in middle Miocene and study area in red box (Nuay.,
Figure 4. Geological structure in Balikpapan area same as study area, indicated structure longwise
through study area (Bachtiar 1999)
Figure 5. Tectonic regional development of East and south Borneo (Satyana 1994)

Figure 6. Sedimentology of study area

Figure 7. Structural evidence of area observation

Figure 8. Structural evolution model and concept