MAGWAY (MAGWE) REGION

Introduction

Magway Region is located in the west- central part of the Union of Myanmar. It is bordered on the west by
Chin and Rakhine States, on the north by Sagging Region, on the east by Mandalay Region and on the south by
Bago Region. The western part of Magway Region is a mountainous region whereas the central and the eastern parts
are composed of rolling hills which encircle the flat plain of order alluvium occupying the central part of the Minbu
Region has been more attentively investigated than any other areas in Myanmar.

General Geology

Magway Region embraces a narrow stretch of the eastern part of the Western Ranges (Indoburman Ranges)
and a large part of the Central Myanmar Belt. Therefore, the geological succession of the Magway Region is
composed of a mixture of rock units which are typically exposed in the Western Ranges and in the Central Myanmar
Belt (See Table 10 and Map 10).

Table 10. Geologic Succession of the Magway Region

AGE UNIT

QUATERNARY Terrace gravel and Alluvium

Unconformity
UPPER MIOCENE – PLIOCENE Irrawaddy Formation
Unconformity
MIOCENE Pegu Group; Several lithostratigraphic Unit
OLIGOCENE Unconformity
EOCENE Eocene Strata (molasses facies) Several Formations
PALEOCENE Paleocene Strata (Phaunggyi Fm) of Western Outcrops
CRETACEOUS U. Cretaceous Rocks; Paung Chaung / Kabaw Fms.(WO)
Faulted contact
CRETACEOUS – EOCENE Indoburman Flysch of WR
Unconformity
TRIASSIC Turbidite Strata; Thanbaya FM/Pane Chaung FM,
Kanpetlet Schist.
Igneous Rocks
TRIASSIC Volcanic Rocks
CRETACEOUS Ultramafic Rocks

Triassic Turbidite Strata

A narrow stretch of well indurated sandstone, shale of turbidite facies and minor limestone occur along the
eastern foothills of the Western Ranges, in the northwestern marginal area of Magway Region. Because of Daonella
sp. Obtained from several localities, these strata are known to be of Middle to Late Triassic age (Thanbaya / Pene
Chaung FM). Southward in the belt in the Kanpetlet area west of Saw, the Upper Triassic strata are closely
associated with pillowed basalts of ophiolite assemblage and all are metamorphosed to chlorite and actinolite schists
which are referred to as Kanpetlet Schist.

Indoburman Flysch

Well indurated sandstone and shale with minor pelagic limestone and conglomerate of flysch facies
containing exotic blocks of ultramafic and mafic rocks and limestone are exposed in a broad belt extending north –
south on the eastern slope of the Western Ranges in the southwestern part of Magway Region.The flysch strata in
Magway Region belong to the more widespread Indoburman Flysch which is exposed along the entire Western
Ranges and also on the Coco islands in the Bay of Bengal. Local faunal evidence and regional geology indicate that
the Indoburman Flysch is Late Cretaceous to Eocene in age. Like those elsewhere in the Western Ranges, the flysch
of the western Magway Region is also intensely deformed and contains exotic blocks of limestone and ultramafic
rocks like elsewhere along the WR.

Upper Cretaceous Rocks

Relatively less deformed sandstone, shale, massive reefal limestone and minor conglomerate of late
Cretaceous age, entirely in degree of deformation and facies from their coeval Indoburnman Flysxh are exposed in a
linear belt on the esatrn side of the Gangaw valley (Kabaw & Kyigon Formations). Simikar rocks are also known to
occur in the Saw area in the southwestern Magway Region. These Cretaceous strata constitute the basal part of the
Western Outcrops of the CMB fringing the Western Ranges in the west. Because of fossil evidence these rocks are
known to be of Albian to Maestrichtian age. Locally the Cretaceous limestone form sizable pure calcium carbonate
deposits lied Pyar-Nattaung SE of Gangaw and Paungmin-taung east of Htilin. The Upper Cretaceous rocks overlie
the Triassic turbidite strata unconformably and in turn overlain unconformably by a Cenozoie succession from Saw
area eastward across the Minbu Basin of the Central Myanmar Belt.

Paleocene Strata

Paleocene strata include conglomerate-dominated sequence of sandstone, shale and minor reefal limestone
which was referred to as Paunggyi Formation. The Formation appeared to be deposited at the foot of continental
slope as the cone of submarine fans. Therefore, they could be a transitional deposit between the flyschoid deposits of
Upper Creataceous strata which could be deposited on the continental slope whereas coeval Indoburnman Flysch
strata in the abyssal plain. Being a conglomerate-dominated deposit, thickness and lithology of the Formation is
rather inconsistent. It overlies the Upper Cretaceous strata and underlies the Eocene formations probably
conformably.

Eocene Strata (molasses facies)

A thick succession of thin bedded to massive sandstone and shale with minor conglomerate and reefal
limestone of Eocene age are extensively exposed in a linear north-south trending belt belonging to the Western
Outcrops of the CMB, parallel to the Western Ranges throughout the western part of Magway Region. The Eocene
rocks overlie the Upper Cretaceous rocks unconformably and form an alternating sequence of sandy and shaly strata,
hence are differentiated into several lithostratigraphic units. The upper Eocene strata of the Magway Region also
include non-marine strata, exposed in the Pondaung region west of Monywa. These Upper Eocene non – marine
strata of Myaing area of Magway Region contain the earliest primate fossils of the world.

Oligo-Miocene rocks (Pegu Group)

The Oligocene and Miocene strata of the Minbu Basin in Central Myanmar is referred to as the Pegu Group
which is exposed in a north-south trending linear narrow belt fringing the Eocene belt almost along the entire stretch
of the Minbu basin. It is divided into the Lower Pegu Group of Oligocene age, and the Upper Pegun of Miocene age,
and each subgroup is further subdivided into at least three formal lithostratigraphic unit. The Pegu Group is exposed
in a containuous linear belt on the western limb of the Minbu Syncline and in a broad belt between Thayetmyo and
Magwe both located on the Ayeyawady River. Another smaller belt is also exposed on the eastern limb of the board
Minbu Basin in the Shinmataung area north of Pakokku. The Miocene part of the Pegu Group, is exposed in a linear
belt on the western limb of the Minbu syncline, and is also exposed more widespread especially in the southeastern
and eastern parts of the Magway Region. The Miocene strata are oil-bearing in the Chauck-Yenangyaung and Mann
areas.`

Upper Miocene Pliocene Rocks (Irrawaddy Formation)

Poorly consolidater, thick bedded or massive, large-scale cross-bedded, medium to coarse grained non-
marine or rather fluviatile sandstone and intercalated minor shale and conglomerate of late Miocene-Pliocene age,
referred to as the Irrawaddy Formation, are exposed in the central part of Magway Region. The Irrawaddy strata
characteristically contain abudednt fossil wood and some mammalian remains, and are exposed widespread,
especially in the central and eastern parts of the Magaway Region. The Irrawaddy Formation overlies the Pegu
Group unconformably.

Quaternary Deposits

The Quaternary deposits of Magway Region include plateau gravels and river terrace deposits of older
Quatenary age and recent flood plain alluvium of younger age. The younger alluvium occurs along the Ayeyawady
River, especially in the Chauck-Yenangyaung area. Recent alluvium also covers Taungdwingyi area to the east the
Ayeyawady River. The older gravels occur quite widespread, particularly on the rolling land to the west of the
Ayeyawady River and in the Htilin area on the eastern foothills of the WR.

Igneous Rocks

The igneous rocks of the Magaway Region include mafic volcanic rocks with pillow structures which are
associated with the Kanpetlet Schists of unknown age, and the tectonically dislocated ultramafic rocks which crop
out in several isolate patches on the eastern foothills of the Western Ranges in the western part of the Magway
Region. Some blocks of the ultramafic rocks also occur within the Cretaceous rocks in the area, but not within the
Tertiary rocks.

Economic Minerals

The regional geological data of Magway Region indicate that it is more of a petroliferous region than that of
a metallogenic province. The Region already possesses the largest number of oil fields in Myanmar. The occurrences
of low quality coal have been noted in several localities in the Eocene strata of the Magway Region. Kaolin clay
occurrence were noted within Miocene rocks west of Pakokku. The reported occurrences of the economic minerals
of Magway Region are listed in the appendix B.