JOURNALO!

mCIImlUL
EXPLORATION
E LS EV I ER Journal of Geochemical Exploration50 (1994) 371-391

The Gunung Pongkor gold-silver deposit, West

Java, Indonesia
Agung Basuki, D. Aditya Sumanagara, D. Sinambela
P.T. Aneka Tambang (Pesero), Unit Geologi. JI. Pemuda I, Jakarta 13250. Indonesia

( Received 28 October 1992: accepted after revision 13 August 1993 )

Abstract

The Gunung Pongkor gold-silver deposit in West Java is one of the most recent and largest gold
discoveries in Indonesia, containing more than 100 tonnes of gold and 1000 tonnes of silver. It consists
of several steeply dipping quartz-veins that formed within the epithermal environment, associated
with Neogene calc-alkaline volcanism. The discovery and definition of the orebody resulted from a
three year long exploration programme using a variety of geological, geophysical and geochemical
techniques. Production is expected to commence in 1994 at an annual rate of 2 tonnes of gold.
Vein textures (colloform banding and cockade textures) and mineralogy (quartz, carbonate, adu-
laria) are typical of those encountered in low-sulphidation vein deposits. Mineralogical and fluid
inclusion evidence suggests that the mineralizing fluids were dilute (around 1 eq.wt.% NaC1), near-
neutral pH brines with a moderate gas content and temperatures of around 230°C, and that they were
boiling under conditions which favoured gold deposition.
There is little variation in mineralogy, fluid inclusion data and gold grade throughout the drill-
tested portion of the vein systems.

1. Introduction

The Gunung Pongkor gold deposit is located in the province of West Java, to the west of
Bogor (Fig. 1). It is one of the most recent and largest gold discoveries in Indonesia,
resulting from a systematic exploration programme undertaken by the State mining company
P.T. Aneka Tambang ( A N T A M ) between 1988 and 1991. The deposit was not known to
the Dutch or the local people; however, after its discovery the area was inundated by illegal
miners, who worked the weathered parts of the veins by primitive methods.
West Java is a known gold district, although gold production to date has not been very
significant. The Dutch intermittently mined a small deposit near Purwakarta between 1722
and 1895, and opened two other mines, Cikotok and Cikondang ( Fig. l ), a few years before

0375-6742/94/$07.00 © 1994 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved

S S D I 0 3 7 5 - 6 7 4 2 ( 9 3 ) E0039-Y
372 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391

~L'~¢9 y ~, JA V.4 SEA ~N

GM~_N~E
D~NCIKONDAN BANDUNG

INDONESIA

Fig. I. Location map of West Java showing the Gunung Pongkor area, the Cikotok and Cikondang mines, and the
Baya dome.

the outbreak of the Pacific War. A number of other primary gold occurrences were known
at the time (Van Bemmelen, 1949). The Cikotok mine is still in operation, since 1955 under
ANTAM management, but reserves are now almost depleted. To date approximately 7 t
Au, 185 t Ag, 4000 t Pb concentrate and 5000 t of Zn concentrate have been produced.
During the gold exploration boom of the 1980s, exploration activity was relatively subdued
in West Java, partly because Java is closed to direct foreign investment in mining. ANTAM
has been the most active company.
The Gunung Pongkor area can be reached by sealed road from Bogor (38 km). From
Cimiris, a 7 km long foot track leads to the project site. The area is deeply dissected, with
altitudes varying from to 375 to 850 m above sea level, and is largely covered by lateritic
soil. Major quartz veins are exposed by tributaries of the Cikaniki River. The southern part
of the area lies within a forest reserve, whereas the northern part is cultivated. The main
source of income for the local people is derived from the growing of rice.
The Gunung Pongkor project is currently in the development stage and is expected to
commence production at a rate of 2 tonnes of gold per year in 1994; it will be exploited by
underground mining methods, thus limiting the negative impact on the environment. The
main objectives of this paper are to outline the exploration history of the discovery of
Gunung Pongkor and to describe the main geological features of the deposit.
 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 373

2. Exploration history

2.1. The inception of the programme

ANTAM has been actively exploring in the region since 1974, initially for lead and zinc.
A reconnaissance survey for base metals was carried out in the Gunung Pongkor area in
1981 to follow-up reports of the presence of pyrite. During this survey, indications of
alteration and gold mineralization were found, including quartz float assaying up to 4 ppm
Au and 126 ppm Ag. Title over the area was obtained in 1983.
In 1988, the Board of Directors of ANTAM decided to implement a systematic gold
exploration programme in West Java, as the existing Cikotok gold mine was running out of
ore and the region was thought to be still prospective for finding new deposits. The minimum
target was a deposit containing one million tonnes averaging 8 to 10 g/t Au to open a new
mine, and/or several hundred thousand tonnes of ore with at least 10 g/t Au to support the
Cikotok operations.
The exploration model was based on a (series of) quartz-adularia vein(s), given the
known gold occurrences in West Java, including Cirotan, Gunung Limbung, Cikondang,
Cikotok and Ciputar. Most of these occurrences have high base metal contents, but at some,
e.g., Ciputar, the base metal content is very low. Therefore, all stream sediment samples
were analyzed for both gold and base metals.
Ten areas, including Gunung Pongkor, were selected for exploration involving four well-
defined stages spanning a maximum period of 5.5 years (Fig. 2). These areas had been
selected on the basis of known gold occurrences, base metal anomalies and other favourable
features.
Landsat/Spot interpretation formed an integral part of the programme and was applied
for both general mapping purposes and identification of features known to be associated
with gold mineralization in West Java, including lineaments, intrusions and volcanic struc-
tures.

2.2. Prospect exploration

Exploration carried out in the Gunung Pongkor area between 1988 and 1991 consisted
of:
- semi-regional stream sediment sampling (622 samples)
- geological mapping at a scale of i: 10,000 (6400 ha)
- IP and ground magnetic surveys (20,000 ha)
- topographic survey at a scale of 1:1,000 (700 ha)
- diamond drilling (39,000 m)
- petrographic and fluid inclusion studies
- assaying for Au and Ag (3700 samples) and for Cu, Pb, and Zn (200 samples)
With the exception of the petrographic and fluid inclusion studies and a small amount of
the geochemical analysis, all the above work was done by the company itself.
The initial work (stage I ) was aimed at determining the location of gold mineralization
within the prospect area. This involved stream sediment, pan concentrate, outcrop and float
sampling, in conjunction with tape and compass geological mapping at a scale of 1:2,500.
 4~

A
C -STREAM SEDIMENT 8, t~ - GRID AND TOPOGRAPHIC ~ --SCOUT DRILLING --EVALUATION DRILLING t ~
T PAN CONCENTRATE SURVEY 100-150M HOLE 2 5 - . 5 0 M HOLE.
I SAMPLING (1 : 250,000) INTERVALS INTERVALS
V GEOPHYSICS
I - TAPE AND COMPASS SOIL SAMPLING - TRENCHING -TUNNELING
T GEOLOGIC MAPPING - DETAILED GEOLOGIC
I - DETAILED TRENCHING - DETAILED GEOLOGIC
MAPPING MAPPING (1:250)
E
S
( I : t000
~
T
A VEIN MINERALIZATION DETAILED VEIN
VEIN MINERALIZATION
R ANOMALOUS AT DEPTH MINERALIZATION
AT THE SURFACE (POSSIBLE- PROBABLE
G AREA (PROBABLE-PROVEN
(POSSIBLE ORE) ORE] ORE)
E
T

, 3-6 MONTHS 6 - 12 MONTHS [ 6 - 12 MONTHS I 12 - 36 MONTHS

L~
~b

L~
"-4
I
t~
Fig. 2. Staged programme of Aneka Tambang's gold exploration in West Java.
 A. Basuki et al. /Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 375

Stream sediment samples were collected at - 80 mesh fraction at a sample density of 2

to 4 samples per km 2 and dry sieved to - 200 mesh in the company' s laboratory. Evaluation
of the analytical data indicated three classes of gold: weak Au anomalies ( ~>20 ppb),
medium Au anomalies (>_-35 ppb), and strong Au anomalies (>~ 100 ppb); the latter
coincided with the main targets for follow-up exploration. Base metals were not anomalous.
The geological mapping delineated the distribution of the main rock units and alteration
types. In addition, four areas of vein quartz crop out. On the basis of the results of the
geochemical sampling programme and geological mapping the most prospective areas for
follow-up were selected.
Stage 2 of exploration delineated the surface extent of the quartz veins and the distribution
of gold along strike, revealing the resource potential of the prospect. Exploration methods
included topographic surveying along a grid, an IP/resistivity survey and trenching. The
trenches were mapped at a scale varying from 1:250 to 1: 1,000 and sampled for assaying.
A number of outcrop samples were collected for fluid inclusion investigations to obtain
information on relative erosion levels and to help in the structural interpretation.
The geophysical work began with an orientation survey over the known quartz vein
outcrops. The results of the orientation survey were modeled and used for the interpretation
of the main survey. Based on the geophysical and trench data, sites were selected for a scout
drilling programme.
Scout drilling (stage 3) was carried out at 100 to 200 m intervals to a vertical depth of
down to 250 m to test the subsurface extent of the veins and to determine the distribution
of the gold mineralization in order to estimate a possible resource. Based on the encouraging
results obtained from this programme, a more detailed drilling programme was undertaken
at 25 to 50 m intervals (stage 4). In addition, detailed geological mapping was carried out
at a scale of 1:250. The results of this work brought the resource to the probable reserve
state, and enabled a pre-feasibility study to be undertaken. This was based on 282 surface
samples from 66 trenches and 972 core samples from 191 holes with an average core
recovery of 90%.

3. Regional geology

The island of Java forms part of the Sunda arc, which consists of a belt of active calc-
alkaline volcanoes. These features are built upon older volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks
that are intercalated with Paleogene and Neogene sediments and intruded by small plutonic
masses of composition similar to the volcanics. Basement rocks consist of a melange of
Late Cretaceous or Paleocene age. There is no evidence for older continental crust (Ham-
ilton, 1979).
Subduction of the Indian Ocean plate beneath the Sunda arc has been active since at least
Eocene time (Hamilton, 1979; Rangin et al., 1990). Available K/Ar age dates suggest that
the magmatism related to this subduction took place in two distinct periods: late Eocene to
early Miocene and late Miocene to Pliocene (Soeria Atmadja et al., 1991). The early
volcanic event produced the so-called "Old Andesites" (Van Bemmelen, 1949), which
are exposed mostly along the south coast of Java and are predominantly tholeiitic in
character, whereas the later Neogene event gave rise to medium to high K calc-alkaline
36o30 '
N

5 10~ 1
:M

:'GEND: b.

e
G.GEDE- PANGRANGO VOLCANICS
' I
u¢:
G. S A L A K VOLCANICS
V O L C A N O C L A S T I C UNIT INCLUDES
B A N T A M TUFF
)LD VOLCANICS
G. ENDUT, P E R B A K I , KASUR VOLCANICS

C I A N T E N HERANG VOLCANICS
~-+~
G. H A L I M U N VOLCANICS ~'+
:3 4"+ Q:
! ~ G. D A H U VOLCANICS 4- 4-
4-+ ~
i G. E N D D T VOLCANICS ~ *
÷+~
G. MANCEURI VOLCANICS + +

~.KENDENG VOLCAN,CS ,+
÷+
CITOREKVOLCANtCS ++
3EDIMENTARY ROCKS
UNDIFFERENTIATED TERTIARYROCKS
AROUNDBAYAHDOME
U N D I F F E R E N T I A T E D T E R T I A R Y ROCKS
W I T H I N S.CIMANDIRI V A L L E Y AND
JAMPANG DOME

I " F A U L T AND STRUCTURAL LINEAMENT

•=¢'r~r-t~ VOLCANtC C O L L A P S E S T R U C T U R E

"~ G. PONGKORA R E A
)6o30 '

~ig. 3. Geologic map of the Baya dome.

 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 377

volcanic products that form a magmatic arc, the axis of which has shifted about 60 km to
the north (Soeria Atmadja et al., 1991 ). This arc coincides with the present-day volcanic
arc. Gold mineralization in Java is generally related to the Neogene magmatic event. Recent
K/Ar dates on adularia (Marcoux and MilEsi, 1994) indicate Pongkor mineralization
formed at 8-9 Ma.

4. District geology

The Gunung Pongkor area is located on the northeastern flank of the Bayah dome (Figs.
1 and 3). This physiographic feature consists of a southern belt composed of strongly
folded, thrusted and faulted Paleogene sediments discordantly overlain by "younger sedi-
mentary" units, a central volcanic belt with intercalated sedimentary rocks, and a northern
belt composed of Middle Miocene to Pliocene sedimentary rocks and covered by Pliocene
and younger volcanic rocks at an angular unconformity.
The generalized stratigraphic succession for the northeast Bayan Dome area (Fig. 4) has
been extrapolated from the sequence described for the South Banten area in the vicinity of
the Cirotan vein deposit near Cikotok (Koesoemadinata, 1962). Southern belt Paleogene
Bayan Formation shales and sandstones form the basement to the area. These are overlain
by central volcanic belt Oligocene to Early Miocene "Old Andesites" (largely coarse
volcaniclastics), with intercalated limestones and sandstones, and Cimapag Formation
volcaniclastic rocks. Northern belt Middle Miocene sediments are represented by Sarewah
and Bojongmanik Formations sandstones and mudstones. Intermediate intrusive rocks are
emplaced into Paleogene and Early Miocene formations; it is not clear whether these
intrusions transect Middle Miocene units. Late Pliocene and younger volcaniclastic rocks
derived from the Gunung Kendeng and Gunung Dahu volcanic centres blanket much of the
prospect area (Fig. 3). Recent volcanic products from Gunung Salak overlap on the eastern
part of the area.
The principal unconformities in the Bayan dome area are related to major tectonic events
which took place during the Paleogene, Middle Miocene and Late Pliocene. The tectonic
regime is dominated by NW and WNW trending faults, whereas folding occurred predom-
inantly along E-W axes.

5. Geology of the Gunung Pongkor deposit

5.1. H o s t rocks

The Gunung Pongkor deposit occurs in a sequence of Tertiary igneous rocks, consisting
of tuff breccia, lapilli tuff and intrusive andesite which form a window within extensive
deposits of Quarternary volcanic breccia (Figs. 5 and 6). Their interpreted stratigraphic
relationship and correlation with the stratigraphy of the South Banten/Bayak Dome region
is shown in Fig. 4.
 MAIN ROCK T Y P E SOUTH BANTEN G. PONGKOR A R E A OROGENIC
( Koesoemodinoto, 1 9 6 2 ) J ( Agung Basuk~ , 1992 ) AGE MOVEMENT
Alluvium HOLOCENE Uplift
t v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v "v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v
v v v v v v v v v v V v v V v v v v v v v v v V V V v V V V V v v v v v vv vv Weak folding
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v ¥ v v v v v v v v v v v v v '
Andesiticrocks v
.....................
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v
, ..................
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v , PLEISTOCENE on<l faulting
vv vv v v v v v v v v v v v v v v vv v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v vv
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v ]Lv v ¥ v u v v v u ~ y v ¥ ¥ ¥ y y y , r~
A A A A A A A A A A ~ A A A

Carbonaceous - • I'-~." ... - " -. .' . "-'.~.~Cimonceurj

... . Fr~-+,..'_~.,,~.,,~-,-.-.,..Oid Volcanic PLIOCENE
A A A A A A. A A A
P r o d u c t sA , 'A, ' ,8' , ~
Main folding
sGndstone . . . . . ~.%~g..du~ F..m
~'_..,.._-. . . . . ~ ~ ~vV~'
~ %,~~ ( formation of veins~
] 11 " 1 " 1 1 1 1 I " ~1"1,~ "1 I • • m . . . . ~ VVV V V
v v
MIOOLE E
Mudstone _ _ Bojong nik F m ?
MIOCENE
t Carbonaceous --. ~ ~ - - - - . . L - - - - _ - - " ~ \\ :::':
sandstone "-'-- ~ - ~ S S °--re--wah-. F--m~ : ~ . ~q \\ [;:,:;:,
VvVvV v

Tuff/La_lllio T u f f ,, d ,, c mapag Fm ' , ,, , ,, ~ ,, ,,~, , ~:v.,_,.%,. ,, ,, ,,.,

,~ . • • v v v • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • v VvV • • EARLY
. . . . . /-..'l-.-\ v v v', .. MIOCENE Folding
' bandstone :.:-:-:.:.~ F . . r . !U..'d-~J~n~esere~,..,-- '~ I .... ~.~. ~.* vvv*~k~
•. . ' . ' . ' r ~ . / a / _ , ' ~ a v y,~&a v a Iv a v a v a v --/,.~. I , ,'v'v~ v

Limestone ~ 5 ~ - ~ " v~v a v~,.qlv a v Ia v a v a v a v a-~,~,~,:,~ a

-.- V A V /', V A V A V A V VvVvVvVv V OLIGOCENE
Vertlcal
..:,............ :_--:=..-_-_-...-:_-_-:-~-------- ~v v ~ v v v v
movement
-v" ~~_--E---':':'"'"'"'"'"" -- :----------- "----: -~------ " v vVv v v vVvVvVv EOCENE
/~nr~=¢il'= ' r ~ - - - - - l - ' - - - ' : Boyoh Fm ? -Eft'. . . . . . . . .
• . ...:.:.:.:. ___:._'-z_ . _ v v v v v v v v v v
Grnnnchnr,t~
. . . . . . . ~\ •
,,, :/, ~3:.'.:.'.'.',',','•'," ,
. :..~--~-z ~.------~ 33", . . . . . . . .
VvVvV v v v v v v v

Fig. 4. Correlation of the stratigraphy of the Gunung Pongkor area with the stratigraphy of the South Banteng area,
 u~tu aaUlU,~a ~q,t uu pop!a!p ,tuu eauJ~-aql ~a~
sl!un OA~Iosoq] t~aO3 If.Up U! £IUO l!un e!oo~a~l JJnL oq] tuoaj pole~dos oq ue3 lI 'uo!]emaod
~edetu!D ouo3o!IAI £lXe~t oql ql!A~ poleioaaoa s! l!un oq~L "pooA~poy!3!l!S JO oauosoad uotmuo3
oql ,{q polea!pu! s! uo!l!sodop jo IUOtUUOa!AUOle!aoeqns V "e!oo~aq polaos ,{iaood bloeiq jo
suo.qeIeoaolu ! ie3oi ql.tA~JJm !II!deI poanolo3 uooa~ ol qs!uA~oaq JO posodmo3 s! l!un s!q,L
ffm !Ip.do'I
a a e ouaJ u !l Al AlaU'dju uu!lutwu d m!s~pu v PlO aql ql!ax p~lUl~aaoa s! H un ;9q£
"ltlOLLItlO.II.AU;~OlI.LIeUle U.Ipol!sodop SeA~ l!un oql leql soma!pu! e.lOj.tu.lttle.lO3 jo oauosoad oq~L
"suo.tleu!tueI £AeA~ ~U!~OqS '~13!ql tu3 ~ I Ol dn 'ouolspntu ~laelq jo StlOl.ll3ll~3aOlUl" su[.131uo3
o3uznbzs 3!Ue31OA zq,L "JJnlpue j j m !ii!de I olu! s~pea~ e!a3~aq aql '£IF3O'-1 "x.uletu snozaejjnl
e u! pappoqtuo sluatu~eaj ol!sopue jo sls!suo3 pue 'p~anolo3 £oa~ qs.tuaaa~ s! l!un s!qj~
otoga.~qffn g
•s d oae SU!0A ~u!puoJ1-A~N ao(l~tu anoj oql A~S ol ~tN uload "l~oae ao~f~tlOd ~unun 9 oql jo detu 3!~OlOO9 "y "~!d
I 'd l
3131qls [ ~ 7
:317710~1V
N O I I V~_qIL "IV
N I 3 A ZZNVNO
311S30N~
d3N1 1771dV7/
VlOOgH8 d 3 n z
VlOO3~8
~ IM "1 ~.J .-1 I
~ 0
 A B e~
9°°'1 Ciurug v. K. Cicau v. Ciguha v Ps. Jawa v 1-9oo
.oo l - ~ . .~ " I- ~oo

5OO 5OO

0 200 4OO
LEGEND:
~ ANDESITE p~ TUFF BRECCIA [ ' ~ - ' ] UNCONFORMITY
(OLD ANDESITE FORMATION)
LAPILLI TUFF
(ClMAPAG FORMATION) ~ QUARTZ VEIN ~ FAULT

Fig. 6. Schematic cross section A-B (Fig. 5.) showing the Gunung Pongkor vein system.

I
 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 381

Andesite
Intrusive andesite crops out in the eastern and western parts of the Gunung Pongkor area.
It is also found in river valleys in the intervening area. Based on its intrusive relationship
with the Old Andesite Formation, Cimapag Formation and Middle Miocene Bojongmanik
Formation (exposed to the north of the Gunung Pongkor area) a Middle Miocene age is
assumed for the Andesite unit.

Breccia
Volcanic products belonging to this unit are found in the southeastern part of the map
area, where it forms the edge of the Tertiary window through the younger volanics. They
unconformably overlay the Bojongmanik Formation and Andesite unit; based on these
relationships a Plio-Pleistocene age is assumed.

5.2. Vein structure

The four quartz vein systems found, Ciurug, Kubang Cicau, Ciguha and Ps. Jawa veins
(Figs. 5 and 6), are subparallel and spaced at 300 to 800 m apart. The main trend of the
veins is northwest (N 330° W), locally changing to N 30° E; dips vary from 60 ° to 85 °. The
Ciguha and Ciurug lodes form single veins, whereas the Kubang Cicau structure locally
splits into several discrete veins. The main characteristics of the four veins are shown in
Table 1.

5.3. Vein fill

The veins consist of varying amounts of quartz, carbonate, adularia and clay minerals
with subordinate barite, chlorite, albite, and rare zeolites (Table 2). Manganese and iron

Table 1
Main characteristics o f the G u n u n g P o n g k o r veins

Vein Strike Dip Length Elevation Average

(m) width
Top Drill tested to ( m )

K. Cicau
KK-I N 330 ° E 60-70 ° 905 750 478 3.50
KK-2 N 330 ° E 60-70 ° 425 712 484 3.43

Ciurug
CU- 1 N 330° E 70 ° 985 740 405 8.12

Ciguha
CG- 1 N 150 ° E 70-80 ° 845 640 484 3.75
30 ° E

Ps. Jawa
PJ- 1 N 150° E 60-70 ° 300 630 480 2.50
382 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391

Table 2
Summary of lithologies, alteration and vein mineralogy of petrological vein samples from Gunung Pongkor

Sample Lithology Alteration and vein mineralogy

K. Cicau
K0006905 F Quartz vein Q, Lm
K0006904 F Vein breccia Q (Chal), Carb, Ad?, Ba?, l-Sm, K. Heu?, Ba,
Chl, Opq, FeO
K0006900 F Quartz vein Q (Chal), Ad, Cin?
K0006895 F Quartz vein Q (Dol?), FeO(Stib?), Heu, Ad
K 12045 Fi Quartz vein Q, Opq, {Carb }
K 12002 Fi Quartz vein Q(Carb), {Carb}, Opq, FeO
K 12050 Fi Quartz vein Q(Carb), Ad, {Opq}, FeO

Ciurug
K0006970 F Quartz vein Q, FeO, Sm*?
K0006556 F Quartz vein Q, Chal, Opq, Ad
K28.202 # Polyclastic vein breccia Ad, l or Sm*, Chl, Opq, Carb (Cc?), Q, Rt
K28.203 # Polyclastic vein breccia Ad, I or Sm*, Opq, Q
K28.205 # Polyclastic vein breccia Ad, Carb (Cc?), I or Sm*, Opq, Q
K28.209 # Polyclastic vein breccia I or Sm*, Carb (Cc?), Q
K28.210 # Polyclastic vein breccia I or Sm*, Carb (Cc?), Opq, Q

Ciguha
K0006074 F Quartz vein Q (Carb), Chal, Ad, Stib?
K0006082 F Quartz vein Q (Carb), Chal, Opq, Stib?. Lm, Ad
K0006094 F Quartz vein Q, I, Ad, Opq, Lm. Sin. K, {Carb}
K0006171 F Quartz vein Q (Carb), Opq
K0006141 F Quartz vein Q (Carb), Opq, Goe
K 12999 F Quartz vein Q (Chal), Ad. Opq

Ps. Jawa
K0006056 F Quartz vein Q (Chal, Carb), l-Sm*, Ad, Opq, FeO
K0006009 F Quartz vein Q, I*, Opq
HIF Quartz vein Q (Chal, Carb), Mg~Sc, Dol, Ad, K, Pyp?,
Goe. Opq, Stib?

Northeast
K0006163 F Quartz vein Q, {Carb}, Opq, Stib?
K0006963 F Quartz vein Q (Chal). Opq, Hm

# drillhole samples.
Mineral abbreviations: Ad=adularia; Ba=barite; Carb=unidentified carbonate; Chal=chalcedony;
Chl=chlorite; Cin =cinnabar; Dol=dolomite; FeO=iron oxides; Goe=geothite; Heu =heulandite;
Hm = hematite; Jar =jarosite; I = illite; l-Sm = interlayered illite-smectite; K =kaolinite; Lm = limonite; Mg-
Cc = magnesian calcite; Opq = unidentified opaque; Pyp = pyrophyllite; Q = quartz; Rt = rutile; Sm= smectite;
Stib = stibnite; * = clay phase unconfirmed by XRD; { } = phase present only as inclusions; ( ) = pseudomorphed
phase.
o x i d e s are also present. T h e s u l p h i d e c o n t e n t is v e r y l o w ( 1 v o l u m e % ) , c o n s i s t i n g m a i n l y
o f pyrite w i t h traces o f b a s e m e t a l s u l p h i d e s a n d p o s s i b l y rare stibnite a n d c i n n a b a r . O r e
m i n e r a l s c o m p r i s e e l e c t r u m a n d argentite.
C a r b o n a t e m i n e r a l s , p r e d o m i n a n t l y calcite, a v e r a g e a b o u t 4 0 % in the C i u r u g a n d Ps.
J a w a v e i n s a n d a b o u t 3 0 % in the K. C i c a u a n d C i g u h a veins. T h e y c o m m o n l y o c c u r in
b a n d s , a l t e r n a t i n g w i t h layers o f q u a r t z or q u a r t z - a d u l a r i a , a n d also as i n c l u s i o n s in quartz.
M a g n e s i a n calcite a n d d o l o m i t e h a v e also b e e n o b s e r v e d . T h e c a r b o n a t e crystals are usually
 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 383

euhedral in shape and coarse grained. In the Ciurug vein, carbonate tends to be paragenet-
ically later than most of the quartz and unreplaced; however, other veins have textures
indicating the pseudomorphous replacement of platy calcite by quartz.
Quartz is the dominant gangue mineral in the K. Cicau and Ciguha veins, comprising
70%, whereas it averages about 35% in the other two veins. Much of it is in the form of
fine-grained anhedral quartz, grading to later-stage clear euhedral crystals and late-stage
vein and vug fillings, along with some chalcedony, or quartz that has re-crystallised from
chalcedony. Adularia is a common vein constituent, particularly in the K. Cicau and Ciguha
veins ( up to 10%). It is closely associated with quartz, forming euhedral crystals or intimate
intergrowths with the quartz.
The most common clay minerals are smectite and randomly interlayered illite-smectite,
with minor chlorite and kaolinite. Well-crystalline illite was observed in one sample from
the Ciguha vein, within a breccia clast which has presumably derived from greater depth.
Pyrophyllite was tentatively identified in one sample.
Several types of textures are represented in the veins, including vein breccias, colloform
banding and cockade textures. The degree of brecciation varies from minor fracturing to
multi-phase brecciation, forming matrix-supported breccias. Wall-rock clasts rarely pre-
dominate over vein material. Commonly, several textures are present within any one sample,
either in sequential or cross-cutting relationships.

5.4. M i n e r a l i z a t i o n

Argentite can be seen megascopically as laminae and brownish grey to dark dissemina-
tions, whereas electrum can usually be observed only by microscope, having a pale yellow
colour and being less than 100 microns in diameter. An evaluation of screen fire assay
results indicate that over 90% of the gold particles are less than 200 mesh.
Gold and silver grades within the veins vary from 0.01 to hundreds of ppm and 1 to
thousands of ppm respectively. Both decrease gradually with depth (Fig. 7). Ag/Au ratios
range between 1.5 to 30 with an average of 9.
Base metal values are vary low, rarely exceeding 100 ppm, as are As ( < 100 ppm), Sb
( < 5 ppm), Te ( < 10 ppm), T1 ( < 5 ppm) and Hg ( < 1.5 ppm). Molybdenum is slightly
anomalous (20-450 ppm with a peak value of 327 ppm) and Ba generally varies from 10 to
100 ppm with values up to 500 ppm.

5.5. A l t e r a t i o n

Hydrothermal alteration is widespread in the vicinity of the Gunung Pongkor veins (Fig.
5). Propylitic alteration (chlorite, epidote, carbonate, quartz) occurs east and west of the
major veining, and in the lower part of the main Cikaniki River valley, particularly within
andesite. Argillic alteration (illite, smectite) extends for hundreds of metres around the
veins, and throughout the tuff units. Silicification (silicic alteration with quartz > 40%) is
well developed around the K. Cicau and Ciguha veins, and extends in the tuff units northward
through the central part of the prospect to the highest elevations of Gunung Pongkor.
384 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391

780.00f ~ ~
730.00 E
L
660.00
E
630.00 V
A
580.00 T
I
530.00 0
480.00
N
1020.00 1120.00 1220.00 1320.00 1420.00 1520.00 1620.00 1720.00 1820.00

B
720.00 o

670.00

620.00

570.00
520.00
1220.00 1~?.o.oo 1420.00 1520.00 1620.00 IT20.00 1820.00 1920.00 2020.00

C E
L
630.00 E
V
580.00 A
T
550.00 I
0
480.00 N
1033.20 t133.20 1233.20 1333.20 1433.20 153320 1633.20 1733.20 t833.20

(5g/tAu ~)5-lOg/tAu ~ )lO-2Og/tAu ~)20-30gltAul )30g/tAu

Fig. 7. Distribution of gold values in longitudinal section. (A) K. Cicau vein; (B) Ciurug vein; ( C ) Ciguha vein.

5. 6. Regional geochemical patterns

Fig. 8 shows the distribution of anomalous gold in stream sediments ( - 200 mesh
fraction). The general mineralized area is characterized by anomalous values in the order
of 20 to 100 ppb Au. Samples collected from small creeks in the vicinity of the four vein
systems yielded values in the order of 100 to 200 ppb Au, with a peak value of 900 ppb Au.

5. 7. Resistivity response

All four veins and adjacent alteration zones yielded significantly anomalous resistivity
values (Table 3; Fig. 9), but gave no PFE (polarized frequency effect) response due to the
 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 385

N
0 2 4KM

LEGEND:
X WEAK ANOMALY
2 0 - 3 5 p p b Au
• MODERATE ANOMALY
3,5-100 ppb Au
• STRONG ANOMALY
)tO0 ppb Au
BACK GROUND ANOMALY
s (20 ppb Au

~ VEIN SYSTEM

Fig. 8. Geochemical map showing the distribution of gold in - 200# silt samples.
386 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391

Table 3
Apparent resistivities of the Gunung Pongkorveins and adjacent alteation

Vein Resistivity (ohm meter) Surface geology

K. Cicau 20-300 Quartz vein, width: ~ 12 m

Silicification-argillic
alteration

Ciurug < 50 Quartz vein, width: 1.5 m

Argillic alteration

Ciguha 100-300 Quartz vein, width: + 4 m

Silicification-argillic
alteration

Ps. Jawa < 100 Quartz vein, width: +4 m

Argillic alteration

very low sulphide content of the veins. The quartz-rich (70%) K. Cicau and Ciguha veins
yielded resistivity values of 200 to 300 ohm m, whereas lower values (50-100 ohm m)
were obtained from the Ciurug and Ps. Jawa veins, which contain on average 35% quartz.

5.8. F l u i d inclusions results

Fluid inclusion homogenization temperature and freezing point analyses were carried out
on outcrop samples from all four veins and drillhole samples from Ciurug. A summary of
the results is shown in Table 4. Material selected from the outcrop samples consisted of
quartz veins, with most inclusions being found in late-stage veins and vug filings. Fluid
inclusions were found in both vein quartz and carbonate in the Ciurug drillhole samples.
Fluid inclusions selected for analysis were those considered to be primary or pseudo-
secondary according to the criteria of Roedder (1984). The veins had texture indicating
open-space growth. In view of this, and the relatively low homogenization temperatures
and small freezing point depressions measured, it was considered that fluid pressures in the
veins at the time of deposition did not exceed hydrostatic, and so any pressure corrections
to the homogenization temperatures would be very small and have been ignored.
Homogenization temperatures measured cover a wide range, from 64 to 390°C (though
little significance can be placed on those that fall at less than 100°C). However, homoge-
nization temperatures are not evenly distributed over this range. In many of the samples
(both carbonate and quartz), including at least one from each vein, there are fluid inclusions
which homogenize over a comparatively narrow temperature range only. These are consid-
ered to represent the primary, single phase hydrothermal fluid. Inclusions with these char-
acteristics have mean homogenisation temperatures ranging from 149 to 228°C, and
estimated mean salinities from < 0.1% to 1.2 eq.wt. % NaC1. In other samples, homogen-
isation temperatures covered a wide range (168 to 390°C), extending to much higher
temperatures. These samples also had a wider range of estimated salinities ( < 1.0 to 4.9
eq.wt. % NaCl). A few inclusions appeared to be gas rich, as they had a dark appearance.
 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 387

750-

E
L 700.
E
V
A 65o-
T
I
0 600-
N - 750

550 "" o = 20m E

- 700 L
E
V
======================
.... A
- 650
. . . . . . . . ,...°o." T

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!,i,,
I
O
- 60o N

550
•.::!:!ii. iji!iiiii!!sss:si::::.....

EET
t"
V 700
A
T
I 65o]
0
N
50m

600.

+300 ~ +200-300 ~ +100-200 ~ - I 0 0

Ohm m e t e r s Ohm meters Ohm m e t e r s Ohm meters

Fig. 9. Apparent resistivity pseudosections (dipole--dipole) across the K. Cicau vein.

388 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391

Table 4
Fluid-inclusion data on vein material from Gunung Pongkor

Sample Homogenization Freezing points (°C) Equivalent

temperatures (°C) salinity ( % NaCI )

No. Range Mean No. Range Mean Range Mean

K. Cicau
K0006905F quartz 7 105-145 123 5 0.0 to - 1.0 -0.40 0.0-1.8 0.80
K0006904F quartz 12 135-225 183 5 0.0 to - 0.1 - 0.05 0.0~0.2 0.00
KOOO69000F quartz 6 103-305 211
K0006895F quartz 2 185-192 189
K12045Fiquartz 10 161-172 167 4 0.0 to - 0 . 2 -0.10 0.0-0.4 0.20
K12002Fi quartz 3 166-212 184
K12050Fi quartz 3 158-203 187
Ciurug
KOOO6970F quartz 11 125-155 149 1 -0.2 -0.20 0.4 0.35
K28.201 quartz 4 182-220 199 2 - 2.0 to - 3.4 - 2.00 3.9-6.0 3.20
K28.201 carbonate 4 168-209 183 3 -2.2 to -3.5 -3.00 3.9-6.2 4.90
K28.203 quartz 6 204-249 228 2 - 0.3 to - 1.1 -0.10 0.5-1.9 1.20
K28.205 carbonate 6 126-157 133 6 0.6 to - 3.2 - 0.10 0.0-5.6 1.30
K28.206 quartz 2 250-295 273 5 -0.2 to -0.8 -0.50 0.4-1.4 0.90
K28.206 carbonate 3 205-261 212
K28.208 carbonate 5 180-212 187
Ciguha
KOOO6074F quartz 8 154-228 174 5 - 0.1 to - 0.6 - 0.30 0.2-1.1 0.06
KO006082F quartz 10 141-193 163 6 0.0 0.00 0.0 <0.10
K0006094F quartz 6 185-390 293
KOOO6171F quartz 1 190 190
K0006141F quartz 4 139-188 152
K12999Fquartz 11 128-162 150 6 O.Oto - 0 . 2 -0.10 0.0-0.4 0.20
Ps. Jawa
KOOO6056F quartz 11 170-195 183
KOOO6009Fquartz 12 192-345 241 4 0.0to - 0 . 4 -0.20 0.0-0.7 0.30
HIF quartz 10 115-138 128 6 0.0 0.00 0.0 <0.10
North
K0006963F quartz 4 190-340 239
K0006163Fquartz 10 158-201 184 7 0.1 to - 0 . 2 0.00 0.0--0.4 0.00

Equivalent salinities from Potter et al. (1978).

T h e d i v e r s e r e s u l t s f r o m t h e s e s a m p l e s a r e c o n s i d e r e d to r e p r e s e n t d i s e q u i l i b r i u m t r a p p i n g
o f a t w o - p h a s e ( b o i l i n g ) fluid, a n d s o d o n o t a c c u r a t e l y i n d i c a t e t e m p e r a t u r e s o f d e p o s i t i o n .

6. Discussion
6.1. Exploration m o d e l
G u n u n g P o n g k o r is n o t a b l e n o t o n l y f o r b e i n g o n e o f t h e l a r g e s t g o l d d i s c o v e r i e s in
I n d o n e s i a , b u t a l s o f o r t h e r e l a t i v e l y s h o r t t i m e a n d l o w c o s t o f its e x p l o r a t i o n .
Discovery of the deposit followed a systematic programme of exploration. This led from
 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 389

identification of a suitable target area on the basis of conceptual geology and analogy with
other known deposits in the region, through reconnaissance, to detailed exploration using
geological, geophysical and geochemical techniques. Drilling has now delineated a large
gold-silver deposit that is currently being developed. The potential to discover extensions
to the deposit, both laterally and at depth, remains promising.

6.2. R e s o u r c e m o d e l

Ore reserve calculations were carried out by using two different methods, Polygon and
Inverse Distance Square (IDS). The Polygon is a relatively simple method which worked
well at Gunung Pongkor because of the homogenous gold distribution and uniform widths
of the mineralized zones. The IDS method is more informative and better suited to mine
planning, but it requires computer support. Both methods produced similar results showing
that the deposit contains approximately 100 tonnes of gold and 1000 tonnes of silver (Table
5).

6.3. M i n e r a l i z a t i o n m o d e l

The Gunung Pongkor deposit is a typical low-sulphidation ( "adularia-sericite" ) epith-

ermal vein deposit. The primary hydrothermal fluid had a low salinity (around 1 eq.wt. %
NaCI), and near-neutral pH, with a moderate gas content as shown by the presence of
common carbonates and gas-rich fluid inclusions.

Table 5
Ore reserve Gunung Pongkor

Area Ore Average Au-Ag content Calculation

reserves Thickness Au Ag Au Ag method
(tonnes) (m) (ppm) (ppm) ( t o n n e ) (tonne)

Ciguha 771,120 3.64 19.68 288.24 15.19 160.78 IDS

547,946 4.00 28.35 346.78 15.33 190.02 Polygon

K. 1,383,744 4.34 17.86 164.55 24.71 227.69 IDS

Cicau
1,437,148 3.98 18.85 173.29 27.08 249.04 Polygon

Ciurug 3,866,750 8.46 16.38 139.83 63.32 540.69 IDS

3,429,746 9.98 17.24 164.41 59.45 567.17 Polygon

Ps. Jawa 1,663,164 3.50 15.32 388.25 2.51 44.18 Polygon

Total 6,022,614 6.90 17.14 154.28 103.22 929.16 IDS

5,578,454 5.11 18.74 188.30 104.57 1050.41 Polygon
390 A. Basuki et al. /Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391

Fluid temperatures during the main stage of vein deposition and mineralization are
considered to have been around 230°C, based on some of the fluid inclusion data. However,
there is some evidence recorded by the mineralogy (illite-smectite, smectite, heulandite,
magnesian calcite and chalcedony) for cooler temperatures, possibly at a later stage.
There is widespread textural evidence for high permeability. The presence of vein adularia
and platy carbonates are consistent with boiling of a fluid (White and Hedenquist, 1990).
This implies variations in the fluid composition with time. Further evidence for this is
provided by the fact that the wall rock clasts in the vein breccias are commonly rimmed by
successive layers of secondary minerals, and by the fact that adularia has been partially
resorbed. Carbonates in the Ciurug vein are at least in part later than most of the quartz, and
have slightly lower fluid inclusion temperatures. This change from predominantly silica
deposition to predominantly carbonate may have been due to boiling. This caused carbonate
deposition due to gas loss, and some cooling accounting for the lower fluid inclusion
temperatures. The depressurisation which led to boiling may have been due to progressive
un-roofing by erosion, or perhaps was triggered by fracture opening in response to seismic
activity. It is likely that much of the gold mineralization was associated with depressurisation
and phase separation.
An interesting feature of the Gunung Pongkor deposit is that there is very little difference
in mineralogy or fluid inclusion data across the 2500 × 3000 m area in which the veins
occur, nor with depth on the Ciurug vein where these aspects have been investigated in
drillholes. The lack of a definite trend in the temperature and mineralogical data suggest
that the hydrothermal system was relatively large. Widespread mineralogical and fluid
inclusion evidence of boiling implies that the vein system represents an upflow zone.
Some erosion of the hydrothermal system has occurred, as shown by the lack of evidence
for surficial features, such as the presence of secondary acid-sulphate alteration, sinters, or
hydrothermal eruption breccias. Erosion has, however, probably been slight, perhaps in the
range of 150 to 100 m based on boiling-point for depth relationships. Most of the mineralized
zone of the system must be preserved.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank P.T. Aneka Tambang/Unit Geologi for permission to publish this
paper. We also thank Th.M. van Leeuwen for his support and encouragement, and both him
and D.S. Clarke for major editorial assistance. Gratitude is also extended to J.V. Lawless
for contributing the fluid inclusion data and much of its accompanying text, to S.F. Simmons
for helpful comments, to R. Sundari, S. Zuraina and Tuti Mariani for typing the manuscript,
and to Bibit, Jajang and Hidayat for drafting the figures; the final drafting was done by
Syamsuddin.

References
Hamilton,W., 1979.Tectonicsof the Indonesianregion. U.S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 1078, 345 pp.
Koesoemadinata,R.P., 1962. Report on preliminarydetailed geologic mappingin the vicinityof Cirotan vein.
Unpubl. report.
 A. Basuki et al. / Journal of Geochemical Exploration 50 (1994) 371-391 391

Marcoux, E. and Mil6si, J.-P., 1994. Epithermal gold deposits in West Java, Indonesia: geology, age and crustal
source. In: T.M. van Leeuwen, J.W. Hedenquist, L.P. James and J.A.S. Dow (Editors), Indonesian Mineral
Deposits - Discoveries of the Past 25 Years. J. Geochem. Explor., 50: 393-408.
Potter, R.W., Clynne, M.A. and Brown, D.L. 1978. Freezing point depression of aqueous sodium chloride solutions.
Econ. Geol., 73: 284-285.
Rangin, C., Jolivet, L. and Pubellier, M., 1990. A simple model for the tectonic evolution of Southeast Asia and
the Indonesian region for the past 43 m.y. Bull. Soc. Geol. France 8, t. VI, 6: 889-905.
Roedder, E., 1984. Fluid Inclusions. Mineral. Soc. Am. Rev. Mineral., 12, 644 pp.
Soeria Atmadja, R., Maury, R.C., Bellon, H., Pringgoprawiro, H., Polue, M and Priadi, B., 1991. The Tertiary
magmatic belts in Java. In: E. Prasetyo Utomo, H. Santoso and J. Supoheluwaken (Editors), Dynamics of
Subduction and its Products, Research and Development Center for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of
Sciences, Barduny, pp. 99-119.
Van Bemmelen, R.W., 1949. The Geology of Indonesia. Government Printing Office, The Hague, 3 volumes.
White, N.C. and Hedenquist, J.W., 1990. Epithermal environments and styles of mineralization: variations and
their causes, and guidelines for exploration. J. Geochem. Explor. 36: 445-474.