COALS PETROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

AND DEPOSITIONAL
ENVIRONMENTS BETWEEN SOUTH
SUMATRA-JAMBI BASIN
Wulan Sari Puspita Ningrum
Department of Geology, Universitas Pertamina

Abstract
Tectonic and geologic setting have the important characteristics for determining the genesis of the
coal macerals. Jambi and South Sumatra are the main basin deposited in the back arc zone, which are the
target of coal's exploration and production in Sumatra island. Generally, the coal consists of vitrinite,
liptinite, and also inertinite which is, it depends on the depositional environment from the others. The coal
formed in the Talang Akar formation, Jambi subbasin which has rich vitrinite and inertinite contents and
it’s the extreme phenomena in Sumatran coal. Generally, the range of inertinite content is very low (<5%)
with very high vitrinite content (>80%). It occurs because of the back-arc basin associated with fluvial to
the deltaic environment. Meanwhile, South Sumatra basin have coal seams D (Merapi) and seams E
(Keladi) were deposited in upper delta plain which has high vitrinite and very low inertinite contain. The
analysis of deposit region, based on a degree of preservation of plant tissue (TPI), the degree of Gelification
(GI), the degree of groundwater influence (GWI), and vegetation aspects (VI).
The methods of analysis are carried out by a petrographic analysis which is supported by the vitrinite,
liptinite and inertinite contents for knowing the depositional environment from each other.
Keywords: coal, depositional environment, inertinite, vitrinite

Introduction
The coal is sediment rock which is hydrocarbon fuel. It formed from plants in an oxygen environment
and it is clout by heat and also pressure. Commonly, the coal resides in organic matter, water, and minerals.
It has a level of the classification, from the poor contents of coal is lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and
for the rich enclose of coal is anthracite. Formed of coal start from biochemistry process, then geochemistry
and physics process. The both of these process influence with coal rank. The coal rank has modification
from peat to lignite, bituminous, and final in anthracite. There are three factors for influencing coals formed,
they are temperature, pressure, and time (Indrawan, 2014).
Indonesia is the country which produces and exporter 26% of coal in the world, followed by
Australia. Based on total 104,8 billion tons from the reserve of coal in Indonesia, around 52,4 billion tons
from Sumatera island. Sumatera is located in the west of Sunda trench, in the south of Eurasia plate, and in
the part of the south-west from Sundaland continent. This island is a convergent pathway both Hindia plate
and Australia plate, and occurring subduction along Sunda trench.

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 The coal is deposit in Sumatera is approve that in the island has an abundance of maceral. The contain
of maceral like vitrinite and inertinite contents have high quality each other. The clout of it can determine
the rank of coal. Generally, inertinite contains can be dominated by the composition of the rank in coal.
The coal which has high inertinite, it means having high quality and also high rank in the kind of coal it is.
But, in Muara Enim, South Sumatera, which popular as producer coal in Sumatera, it has lower inertinite
contents than Jambi’s coal. Muara Enim, South Sumatera has vitrinite contents 81,6%-97,4%, 2.03% for
liptinite contents and for inertinite contents, it has 0,6%-16,6%. From the maceral composition, the rank of
coal which occur in Muara Enim is lignite until anthracite. Meanwhile, in Jambi has 56,6%-77,2% vitrinite
contents, 3,09% for liptinite content and followed by 17,2%-30.0% inertinite contents.
The method of preparation, based on kinds of literature included geology setting from each other, the
relation of inertinite and vitrinite contents, and also vitrinite reflectance.

Geology Setting
The subduction along Sunda trench produces a magmatic arc. In the connection of it, it was formed
forc-arc basin and back-arc basin. In the back-arc basin recognize two basins which are the target of
exploration and production of coal in Sumatra, they are South Sumatra and Central Sumatra.

Figure 1 Sedimentary basins and coal distribution in Sumatra Island (Darman & Sidi, 2000)

The South Sumatra basin has experienced orogenesis, either during the era of middle Mesozoic, late
Cretaceous-early tertiary or Pleistocene. Based on the research of (Gafoer et al , 2007) about the
depositional cycle in South Sumatra basin, they concluded that the rock and coal deposit which belongs to
the Muara Enim formation has a regressive cycle. The orogenesis which occurs in Plio-Pleistocene ended
the sedimentation of the basin and it is produced angular unconformity, and then after orogenesis occurs,

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followed by an andesitic intrusion, and it gave very important influence to the rising of coal quality in Bukit
Asam. The intrusive effect is lifting, folding, and fracturing, and it makes coal rank ranges from igniting
until anthracite.

Figure 2 Regional geological map of the Regional Research(Gafoer et al., 2007)

Jambi subbasin is a part of the South Sumatra basin, a Tertiary back-arc basin formed by the collision
between the Sundaland and Indian plate (Darman & Sidi, 2000) (figure 3). The subbasin is situated to the
east of the Barisan Mountains and extends into the offshore areas to the northeast. It was formed during
east-west extension at the end of the pre-Tertiary to the beginning of the tertiary age(Daly, Cooper, Wilson,
Smith, & Hooper, 1991). The coals were significantly formed in the Talangakar formation, which was
deposited in the unstable and moveable subbasin and was formed by block faulting resulting in horst and
graben (Heryanto, 2006).
The area of coal deposit is found in the Talangakar formation. These coals are frequently found as
interbeds within carbonaceous claystone. The presence of coals is dull to bright lithotypes with a variable
thickness from 25 cm to 100 cm (figure 4).

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 Figure 3 Locality map of the studied area in the Jambi Subbasin (Darman & Sidi, 2000)

Figure 4 Outcrop of coal seam of 1 m thick in the studied area showing bright and dull lithotypes (Ningrum & Santoso, 2009)

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 Data
The rank classification of coal depending on the vitrinite reflectance of each coal, the contain of
vitrinite, inertinite contains, ash, sulfur, and also based on the deposited environment from each other,
which include from the temperature, pressure, and time of each region. Vitrinite and inertinite contain are
maceral groups in coal. There are three types of maceral group of coal, they are vitrinite, inertinite, and
liptinite contain. The group is divided based on the morphology of maceral, size, relief, structures,
chemistry composition, reflection colors, reflection intensity, and also based on the level of coal process.
Vitrinite contain is formed by plants which contain woody tissue like the tree, root, branches, and
also leaves. Commonly, vitrinite is the first framer of coal which has rank more than 50%. The highest
quality of coal can identify from the color of maceral that it has. There are two ways, to know the color of
vitrinite. The first, the observe of color can determine from reflection microscope. In reflection microscope,
the vitrinite group can observe by grey color. The lightest of color, it means the coal has the highest rank.
And the second observation can observe by refraction microscope. In refraction microscope, the vitrinite
group can observe by brown color which has the highest rank. The dark of color means the lowest rank of
coal rank (Gonzaga, n.d.).
Then, for liptinite contain, it is formed by plants organ (algae, spore, cuticula, resin, and pollen).
Liptinite group has much hydrogen contain and less carbon contain then the others maceral group. In
reflection microscope, it shows reflection color which the color is grey until dark. Liptinite has also low
reflective and high fluorescence.
Meanwhile, inertinite formed by plants which buried (charcoal) and it occurs because of the oxidation
process from the other maceral or decarboxylation process which caused by bacteria. Inertinite has high
oxygen content, low hydrogen contains, and have higher ratio o/c than vitrinite and liptinite group. Inertinite
group has higher reflection value both of the other maceral. From reflection microscope, inertinite show
grey color, but in ultraviolet, it does not show fluorescence.
Coal in Muara Enim formation was deposit in Miocene-Pliocene (figure 5). For this formation, there
are three categories which divided based on the quality of coal, the first is steam coal which has high volatile
bituminous coal, and the second is low volatile bituminous coal and anthracite. The coal’s area is also
divided into normal coalification coal and heat affected coal. For normal coalification, coal has 0,40%-
0,50% range of RV max sub-bituminous, ash contains it 4,95%-7,88% and for heat affected, coal has
0,60%-2,60% RV max bituminous-anthracite, the range of ash in coal is 4,95%-7,88% and it is included
very low content of the coal deposit, the liptinite contain is 2.03%with inertinite contain 7,64%, also
vitrinite contain 84,87%, and it has 0,42% sulfur contain which from the area affected by intrusion of
igneous. The area of coal was deposit in upper delta plain area (Asep & Ningrum, 2012).
Coal in South Sumatra basin, especially in Muara Enim formation of Miocene until Pliocene (figure
5). In Plio until Pleistocene orogenesis ended this sedimentation in the basin, which followed by andesite
intrusion affecting the increase of coal rank in the region.

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 Figure 5 Stratigraphy of the studied area (Daranin, 1995)

Meanwhile, for Jambi subbasin, especially in Talang Akar formation was deposit in Oligocene
(figure 6). The content of coal is sub-bituminous for vitrinite reflectance, 56,6%-77,2% of vitrinite contain,
3,5% for ash and followed by sulfur content is <1%-<3%, the contain of liptinite is 3,09% and it was deposit
in fluvial to deltaic (Ningrum & Santoso, 2009).

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 Figure 6 Stratigraphy of the Jambi Subbasin (Heryanto, 2006)

Based on the data above, it can compare each other by age, vitrinite reflectance, environment, ash
contains, inertinite content, vitrinite content, liptinite content and also followed by sulfur contain.

Table 1 The compare of Muara Enim Formation and Talang Akar formation (Ningrum & Santoso, 2009) and (Asep & Ningrum,
2012)

Data Muara Enim Formation Talang Akar formation

Age Pliocene Oligocene
Ash 4,95%-7,88% 3,5%
Environment Upper delta Fluvial to deltaic
Inertinite 7,64% 17,2%-36,0%
Sulfur contain 0,42% <1%-<3%
Vitrinite Contain 56,6%-77,2% 56,6%-77,2%
Vitrinite Reflectance High volatile bituminous Sub-bituminous
Liptinite 2.03% 3,09%

Discussion
The coals of Talang Akar formation were formed in a Tertiary back arc Jambi subbasin in fluvial to
the deltaic environment (Heryanto, 2006). This formation contains deposit very coarse-grained sediments
that characterize channel deposit at the lower part of the sequence. Floodplain condition is signed by
mudstone parallel lamination. At the middle part of the sequence, the changed of environment occur being
floodplain associated with the swampy area, and it indicated by claystone with coal interbeds. In the part
of the sequence, the environment changed to be delta which dominated by conglomerate sandstone and
claystone with parallel lamination.
The macerals contain in coal-dominated by vitrinite and inertinite contain. The fluvial environment
dominated by coarse-grained sediment in association with the dry swamp conditions results in the coals
with duller lithotypes that are rich in inertinite content (Diessel, n.d.), the other influence of inertinite
contains also depend on oxygen contain, generally inertinite contain can form in the high oxide place. And
the other condition, the vitrinite contain formed in the deltaic environment which dominated by fine grain
sediments in association with the wet swamp condition and has characterized brighter lithotypes.

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 In the other hand, Muara Enim formation was formed in upper delta, which has four parameters used
in the interpretations of depositional environment of coal is the value (Tissue Preservation Index, TPI), and
(Gelification Index, GI), groundwater influence (GWI), and vegetation index (VI). TPI shows the network
structure that has been decomposed, and also indicate the level of peat humification in the process coal
forming. GI is the ratio of gelificated components to fusinite components and also associated with peat
conditions continuity below water. And for GWI and VI have the function to determine the type of peat
(rheotropic, mesotrophic, and ombrotrophic), which have indirectly reflects the humidity factor, hydrogen
ion concentration, food supply and activity of bacteria in the peat bog.
Muara Enim formation has high vitrinite and low inertinite maceral’s contained, can assume that the
depositional environment of it in poor oxygen, and also generally have acidic (poor pH) and so differences
with Talang Akar formation which have rich oxygen in the depositional environment.

Conclusion

The content coal consists of maceral group and mineral matter. For maceral group, it is divided into
three types, they are vitrinite, liptinite, and inertinite content. The maceral group can occur depend on the
condition of the depositional environment. Overall, they located based on temperature, pressure, and time.
The existence of maceral group is not always in the same rank. High or low of composition the content can
sign the quality of coal.

The causes of rich inertinite contain is depend on oxygen content in the depositional area. Muara
Enim formation which deposited in the upper delta have high vitrinite (56,6%-77,2%) and poor inertinite
(7,64%), it has the poor condition of oxygen and generally has poor pH, too. For the vitrinite reflectance of
this formation, it contains High volatile bituminous. Meanwhile, Talang Akar formation which deposits in
fluvial to a deltaic environment which has Sub-bituminous vitrinite reflectance, have high vitrinite (56,6%-
77,2%) and followed by inertinite contain (17,2%-36,0%), too.

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List of References

Asep, B., & Ningrum, N. S. (2012). Petrographic Characteristics And Depositional Environment Of Coal
Seams D (Merapi) And E (Keladi), Muara Enim Formation, South Sumatera Basin. Indonesian
Mining Journal, 15, 1–13.

Daly, M. C., Cooper, M. A., Wilson, I., Smith, D. G., & Hooper, B. G. D. (1991). Cenozoic plate
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Daranin, E. A. (1995). Studi Petrografi Batubara Untuk Penentuan Peringkat dan Lingkungan
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Gonzaga, D. (n.d.). Petrologi Batubara. Academia.edu.

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Indrawan, E. . (2014). Tugas Analisa Batubara. Academia.edu.

Ningrum, N. S., & Santoso, B. (2009). Petrographic Study On Genesis Of Selected Inertinite-Rich Coals
From Jambi Subbasin. Indonesian Mining Journal, 12, 111–117.