Mineral Deposits of SE Asia: Lessons for Myanmar from Adjacent Regions Dr Stuart Smith & Prof Khin Zaw
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Presentation Outline The Big Picture Plate Tectonics Mineral prospectivity is a function of plate tectonic setting Myanmar has unusual and highly favourable tectonics It shares tectonics with mainland Asia and Sumatra The Concept of Mineral Deposit Models and Mineral Provinces The mechanisms of mineral deposit formation are relatively well understood Models derived from this understanding guide mineral exploration Mineral deposits form provinces that reflect their tectonic setting Details of selected mineral belts and deposits in adjacent regions The mineral belts of adjacent regions are relatively well known This knowledge can be transferred into Myanmar Synthesis Prospectivity & potential deposit styles in Myanmar 3
South East Asian Plate Tectonics
SE Asian Plate Tectonics A Tectonic Jigsaw Puzzle SE Asia is a 400 million year Tectonic Jigsaw Puzzle Mineral deposits tend to form during major tectonic re-organisations Collision of tectonic plates/terranes Rifting of terranes from continents Details of SE Asian tectonics are still debated Generalities are well enough agreed to permit development of a Plate Tectonic framework for mineral deposit models From Metcalfe; http://www-personal.une.edu.au/~imetcal2/web-data/research/palg eog/palaeogeog.html 5
SE Asian Plate Tectonics Rift-Drift-Collision Terranes derived from Supercontinents drift across palaeo-oceans and then collide Some deposits associated with rift phases others with collisions ~250Ma From Metcalfe; http://www-personal.une.edu.au/~imetcal2/web-data/research/palg eog/lperm.html 6
Myanmar Tectonics Myanmar -Ancient and Modern Highly unusual tectonic setting in SE Asia Part of the Ancient Jigsaw Puzzle and also an extension of the modern Sunda- Banda arc collisional plate margin Myanmar s nearest tectonic friend is Sumatra From Metcalfe; http://www-personal.une.edu.au/~imetcal2/web-data/research/palg eog/palaeogeog.html 7
South East Asian Mineral Deposits & Mineral Belts
SE Asian Mineral Deposits SE Asian Deposits are of several types Broadly collision (convergent) related Copper, gold, tin, tungsten Some zinc, lead, silver Broadly rift related Zinc, lead Au Zn-Pb-Ag-Au Cu Au Au Cu-Au-Mo Cu-Au-Mo Zn-Pb-Ag From Zientek & Orris, 2005; USGS Open File Report 2005-1294A 9
SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts Belts of various commodity exist Many of these belts overlap The overlap is generally related to deposits of different ages and different tectonics Zn-Pb-Ag Au Cu-Au Cu-Au-Mo Sn-W 10
Yulong Pulang SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts Copper-Gold Typically related to ancient and modern plate margins Some major world class deposits Porphyry/High Sulphidation Epithermal Yulong/Pulang Belt China Truongson Belt -PhuKham/Sepon Laos Sunda-Banda Arc - Martabe/Tujuh Bukit - Indonesia Low Sulphidation Epithermal LoeiBelt -Chatree-Thailand Monywa Phu Kham Chatree Sepon Martabe Zn-Pb-Ag Au Cu-Au Cu-Au-Mo Sn-W Tujuh Bukit 11
SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts Tin-Tungsten One of the worlds great tin-tungsten belts Myanmar-Thailand-Malaysia-Indonesia Predominantly alluvial Hard rock potential underexplored Zn-Pb-Ag Au Cu-Au Cu-Au-Mo Sn-W 12
SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts Zinc-Lead-Silver Several styles of deposits and various belts VMS Bawdwin Myanmar Simao Belt - Darpingshan - China Sediment-hosted Mae Sod Thailand Diari Indonesia Jinding - China Bawdwin Diari Jinding Darpingshan Mae Sod Zn-Pb-Ag Au Cu-Au Cu-Au-Mo Sn-W 13
Synthesis: Implications for Myanmar Prospectivity
Yulong Pulang SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts By understanding the geological controls on known belts predictions can be made Key geological controls for the major belts are Yulong Porphyry Belt Major Himalayan aged (~50 20 million years) faults control porphyry emplacement High potential Truongson Belt Old (~ 300 million years) volcanic belt The tectonic jigsaw puzzle suggest these rocks do not exist in Myanmar Low Potential LoeiBelt Old (~250 million years) volcanic belt Tectonics indicate these rocks not in Myanmar Low potential Darpingshan Monywa Bawdwin Phu Kham Mae Sod Chatree Sepon Diari Martabe Zn-Pb-Ag Au Cu-Au Cu-Au-Mo Sn-W Tujuh Bukit 15
Yulong Pulang SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts By understanding the geological controls on known belts predictions can be made Key geological controls for the major belts are SimaoBelt Old (~210 million years) gold-rich VHMS Extensions occur into Lao & Thailand?Myanmar Tin -Tungsten A major part of the known belt is in Myanmar High potential Darpingshan Monywa Bawdwin Phu Kham Mae Sod Chatree Sepon Diari Martabe Zn-Pb-Ag Au Cu-Au Cu-Au-Mo Sn-W Tujuh Bukit 16
Yulong Pulang SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts By understanding the geological controls on known belts predictions can be made Key geological controls for the major belts are Mae Sod Old sedimentary rocks extend into Myanmar High potential Bawdwin High potential is a given Application of modern exploration techniques may provide opportunities Sunda-Banda Arc Plate margin extends from Sumatra to Myanmar More complicated in Myanmar Excellent potential However some caution required Darpingshan Monywa Bawdwin Phu Kham Mae Sod Chatree Sepon Diari Martabe Zn-Pb-Ag Au Cu-Au Cu-Au-Mo Sn-W Tujuh Bukit 17
SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts Sunda-Banda Arc More complicated in Myanmar Mid-Miocene Mid-Eocene Pliocene Oligocene From Richards et al., 2007 18
SE Asian Mineral Belts Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts Sunda-Banda Arc Major economic porphyry and high sulphidation deposits are typically Pliocene Monywais hosted by mid- Miocene rocks Monywa Mid-Miocene Tangse Mid Miocene Tampakan 3.2Ma Gosowong ~2.5Ma Martabe ~3.5Ma Batu Hijau 3.7Ma Grasberg 3.3-2.7Ma 19
Conclusions Numerous, Multi-commodity Belts By understanding the geological controls on known belts predictions can be made Integration with in-country data and greater understanding of Myanmar tectonics can aid in targeting exploration 20