GEOLOGY OF SOROWAKO

MORPHOLOGY
The terrain at Sorowako is generally of rounded hills, terraces, ridges and spurs, in
marked contrast to highly dissected mountainous region north of Lake Matano and to the
relatively featureless plateaus and lowlands elsewhere in the Lake District. The Sorowako
area can be conveniently divided for topographic description along a valley that drains
north-northwest from plant site. West of this valley the terrain relatively hilly and ascends
steeply to the limestone contact. To the East, in area underline by serpentinized peridotite,
the topography is somewhat more subdued ( See Attachment 1)
Terraces at higher levels to the west are less readily distinguishes and the data merely
suggest that there may have been a number of discrete stages or levels of erosion in that
area. The prime nickel laterite deposits usually occur on the lower and middle slopes of
hills and spurs and on the summit areas some distance behind the convex upper slopes of
the hill. In general, the thickest laterite deposits occur on the lower level.
LOCAL TECTONIC
The Miocene to post-Miocene mlange occupies the central and North-Estern arms of the
island. Uplift has been most intense in the northeast arm. West and North of subduction
zone, the northeast arms consist almost entirely of peridotite Horst Mountains and
peridotite-derived mollase in graben valley.
The southern portion of this mlange, comprising the Sorowako-Bahodopi ultramafic
mass, has experienced relatively less uplift. This complex, ca 11.000 km square in area, is
interspersed with fault blocks of Cretaceous Abyssal limestone and minor bedded cherts.
Large up-faulted or arched areas have local relief in excess of 600 m and are being
actively eroded. Other areas, particularly in the lake district (Lakes Matano, Towuti,
Mahalona) that drains in to Larona River, comprise extensive laterite-covered plateaus
that are partly capped by ferricrete and have dissected peripheral areas with welldeveloped nickeliferous saprolite.
The tectonic and geomorphic history of the central part of this region is important in the
development of economic laterite in the area. The Matano Fault, (Figurexx), evidence as
a strong topographic lineament, is an active Left-lateral strike-slip fault that shifted the
Matano limestone and other rock some 18 Km westward on its north side. Lake Matano,
Which is more than 300 m deep is probablya graben developed at a dilation zone on this
fault.
Sorowako and Petea areas are within a short distance of the large, left-lateral, Matano
strike-slip fault that extends from the Banda Sea in the east to the Palu-Koro Fault in the
west, a distance of nearly 140 km. The graben-like structure of Lake Matano is developed
along this fault. Matano fault as well as numerous other smaller faults developed on

both sides of it has severely tectonised the ultramafics in the Sorowako and Petea
areas. This, in part, is responsible for the extensive laterite deposits developed in this
area.
STRATIGRAPHY
The Sorowako ultramafic complex is part of the large Lakes Area ultramafic massif that
extends from the eastern coast of Sulawesi to a few kilometres past the western end of
Lake Matano. Locally, the complex is bounded in the west by a west-dipping thrust fault
that separates it from Mesozoic sediments, and in the southeast by Tertiary sediments.
Extensive brecciation and mylonitisation of the ultramafics is in evidence along this fault
contact with the sediments (See Attachment 2, Geological Map Sorowako Area)
The Mesozoic Rock, Matano Beds, Limestone and Bedded Chert
On the basis of tonal and textural characteristics on the aerial photograph the following
lithologic units have been recognized wihin the Mesozoic sediment; Massive limestones,
bedded limestone, clastic sediment, Mesozoic marl, undifferentiated Mesozoic sediment
(Ahmad, W, 1977).
West Block, Unserpentinized Harzburgite
Megascopic examination of bedrock in the West Block can identify the mineralogy of the
bedrock, including a fairly good estimate of the content in olivine and orthopyroxene.
The thin serpentine fracture fillings seen in thin section correspond to film-like cover of
soft serpentine on broken surfaces of megascopic samples. The presence of these
serpentine fillings also gives a darker colour to the type 3 rocks on fresh surface, but it
seems that the difference between type 1 and 2 is undetectable on megascopic sample or
in thin section. The density of micro fracturing may be higher in type 2 rocks but have
not been detected in thin section. In average, the magnetism is stronger in type 3 rocks
than in type 2 but undetectable with a magnet. The difference in magnetism is however
detectable with a magnetic susceptibility-meter. Microscopic investigation is needed to
identify mylonitisation.

Figure 1 Unserpentinized harzburgite, Manggali hill

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The rocks of the West Block are typically harzburgites (figures 1) as they contain olivine
(average 80-90%) and orthopyroxene (average 10-20%). Minor amounts of subhedral
chromite, generally 1% or less, are observed. Traces of clinopyroxene were locally
encountered. A few occurrences of dunites were also observed, these rocks carrying less
than 90% olivine and minor amounts of subhedral chromite. Occasional traces of very finegrained pyrrhotite have been observed.
East Block, Serpentinized Lherzolite
The mineralogy and the intensity of serpentinisation cannot be identified adequately in
megascopic samples or on outcrop in the East Block. The only minerals that can be
identify and its mode evaluated is orthopyroxene. The bronzite variety is easily
recognized with its typical bronze reflection to light. In fresh and cut surfaces,
orthopyroxene has a tendency to form large white crystals or that look like phenocrysts
floating in dark green to black fine grained serpentine. Some of these white grains are
however clusters of orthopyroxene with minor clinopyroxene and olivine. These
serpentinised lherzolites are locally strongly magnetic to locally weakly magnetic. The
serpentine is locally weathered and takes a reddish brown colour that seems to be
associated with an increase of magnetism. Thin section examination is needed to identify
the proportion of olivine, serpentine and clinopyroxene. Magnetic susceptibility could
give a rough idea of the intensity of serpentinisation. LOI determination seems to give a
good idea of the intensity of the serpentinisation.
The rocks of the East Block are typically lherzolites they contain olivine (average 60-65%),
orthopyroxene (average 25-30%) and clinopyroxene (average 10%). Minor amounts of
anhedral chromite, generally 1% or less, are observed. A few occurrences of harzburgites
and dunites were also encountered. Two of these three observed dunites are highly
serpentinised and the original mineralogy is interpreted to be 99% olivine. As opposed to the
West Block, most of these harzburgites contain small amounts (tr-10%) of clinopyroxene.
Occasional traces of very fine-grained pyrrhotite have been observed. Locally, large
orthopyroxene seems to be the nucleus of a cluster that include several individual smaller
crystals of orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and minor olivine floating in a sea of large olivine
crystals.

Figure 2 High Serpentinisation lherzolite, AAA hill

Most importantly, the rocks of the East Block are generally highly serpentinised. Some
samples are weakly serpentinised and some others are strongly serpentinised and there
are other samples representative of all the variations in between. The serpentinisation has
processed mainly over olivine but also to a lesser degree over orthopyroxene.
Examination of increasingly serpentinised samples suggest that this process of
serpentinisation was initiated along late fractures and has progressed within the fresher
rock from these fractures. Serpentine is generally accompanied by discontinuous stringers
and clots of dusty, very fine-grained magnetite. Because of its habit, it is very difficult to
evaluate the amount of magnetite. Locally, the serpentine has a rusty brown colour, which
is interpreted as a Fe-Ni rich serpentine by analogy with thin sections previously
examined by P. Golightly. The less fresh samples or most weathered ones locally contain
dirty irregular masses of amorphous Fe and Si, also identified by analogy with work from
P. Golightly.
Conglomerate, Utramafic Sediment
Sorowako undoubted Conglomerate and greywackes are found over considerable areas.
They are, at least in their coarse fraction, of totally ultramafic fraction. The conglomerate
tends to have a porous sand matrix that often is filled by supergene silicate precipitates
(including garnirite). The boulder are coubles tend to be well rounded, imbricated
ellipsoid commonly serpentinized and almost in variably serpentinized around the
margin. The sand fraction in greywacke are mostly subrounded serpentin particles or
partly serpentinized pyroxene and amphibole associated with occasional grains of
pocotite. The pore space filled with isotropic serpentine.

Figure 3 comglomerate, Marlene hill

In many instance the conglomerate are extremely difficult to distinguish from the tectonic
breccia that are common in the serpentinized ultrabasic areas at pomalaa and Sorowako.
Geochemical tests to distinguish the two (as Suggested by Lockwood, 1971), are doubtful
validity because of the identical effects of weathering and supergene alteration on both. A
major complication is the tendency of serpentinization starting from joints or fracture
surface to round of the edges of serpentinized cores.

It has been suggested by Suparman that the mature appearance of the mollase
conglomerate, which is at odds with their mineralogy, which would not normal support
length mechanical abrasion in the process of transport, can be attributed to a prehistory of
preparation as tectonic breccia fragment.
The mollase-type clastic sediment describe so far may be the host of nickeliferous laterite
profile similar to that developed over ultrabasic bedrock.
The presence of conglomerate is important because depending on the type of material it
contains; it may form windows of distinct laterite within another type of laterite, causing
difficulties to mining.
Is it possible that some of the West type boulders collected in the saprolite as hybrid rocks
could represent clasts of lateritised conglomerate containing clasts typical of West type
rocks? This possibility is exemplified with the saprolite that host the boulder sample of
dunite collected at Solia: this saprolite possibly overlies some conglomerate observed
along the roadside 20 meters below and 20 meters to the west.
Alluvium, Unconsolidated Sediment, Clay
In Some areas in Sorowako, alluvium and possible lacustrine clays cover the Laterites. A
good example is the alluvial plat near the village of sorowako (FigureXX). The main
portion is a fan of interbedded chert sand, gravel and kaolinite clay that has been
transported and deposited by Lawewu creek from the limestone formation to the west.
The sequence includes several paleosol layers with carbonized tree roots and stumps.
Unconsolidated sediment apparently both overlying in situ residual laterite, and
comprising transported laterite interbedded with other sediment. Two specific case ore
presented:
At sorowako there are a number of closed depressions on the laterite surface. These
depressions generally are location of grassy marshes or small lake and are partly filled
with sediments. Where these depressions are isolated from other possible source of
sediment, they contain nickeliferous limonite, with minor amounts of black organic
material, overlying an in situ laterite profile. Lowland depressions of graeater extent,
however; commonly have sediments of not obviously ultrabasic origin. The best example
of these are the relatively extensive Sorowako alluvial flats, 4.5 kmsquare in area which
strech from the south shore of Lake Matano and the village of Sorowako to the edge of
the lateritic terrain

Figure 4. Black clay sediment, Delaney hill

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STRUCTURE

Figure 5. Lineament of Soroako (Babineu, 2001)

Based on J. Babineau lineament map from aerial photograph, Sorowako and sorounding
area have 3 major structural orientations, i.e. NE-SW, NW-SE and N-S. The dominant
trend relatively NE-SW, possibility second order from left lateral Matano Fault in the
North from Sorowako Area.
Jointing and faulting are common both west and East block. Serpentine filling is the
common in these joints. Fault zone of variable thickness but locally of more 20 m thick
are associated to the joint sets. The fault zone are two types: the first type consist of
green, fine grained and schistose serpentine that contain dark green to black clast of fine
grained massive serpentinite. The second type is a breccia with poorly sorted, angular
clast of fine grained serpentinite which are dominantly black (Babineau, 2002)

REFFERENCES
Ahmad, W. Geology Along Matano Fault Zone, East Sulawesi, Indonesia.PT INCO,
1975.
Babineau, J. Report on Bedrock Petrography and Mapping at Soroako, Indonesia. 2001. Unpublish

Hall, R, 1996, Reconstructing Cenozoic SE Asia,

Hall, R, Wilson, M.E.J, 2000, Neogen Suture In Estern Indonesia.Journal of Asian
Earth Science. P 781-808.
Simanjuntak, TO., 1992. An Outline of Tectonic in Indonesia Region. IAGI publication.
Simandjuntak, T. O., Rusmana, E., Surono and Supanjdono, J. B.Geology of the Malili
Quadrangle, Sulawesi. Deprtement Mne and energy Directorate general of geology
and mineral resources, geology research and develovment centre.
Kadarusman, A., 2003 The Petrology, Geochemistry, Metamorphism and
Paleogeographic reconstruction of the East Sulawesi Ophiolite.
Soeria Atmaja, Golightly, J.P., Wahyu, B.N., Mafic and Ultramafc Rock Associations In
The East Arc of Sulawesi, Proceedings ITB Vol 8, No. 2, 1974.
Laterite deposits in the southeast arm Sulawesi, Bulletin of national institute of geology
and mining, Bandung. 1972.