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Microfracture Statistical Analysis on Thin Section of Tonasa Formation,

Enrekang Regency, South Sulawesi
M. Harifan, B. Priadi, and A. Priambodo

Department of Geological Engineering
Faculty of Earth Science and Technology
Institut Teknologi Bandung

Abstract Sulawesi was formed during the Oligocene Miocene collision between the Eurasian
Plate and microcontental fragments detached from the Indian-Australian Plate. The research area is
located in the west part of South Sulawesi, Enrekang Regency, at coordinate of 032652
032907 South Latitude and 1194546 1194803 East Longitude. The geological structures
found in the study area are two dominant fault zones, those are Kasambi Strike-slip Fault and
Bambapuang Strike-Slip Fault. The characteristic of the porosity in Tonasa Formation is included into
secondary porosity type which dominantly formed a microfracture. Microfractures in the limestone of
Tonasa Formation is affected by the fault zone due to relative force WNW-ESE. Thin section analysis
of the samples show different amount of microfracture distibution among the samples taken from a
different spots in the area, it possibly indicates different tectonic impact in Tonasa Formation.
Keywords: Enrekang, South Sulawesi, Bambapuang, Kasambi, microfracture
Sari Daerah penelitian terletak di daerah Enrekang, Kecamatan Enrekang, Kabupaten Enrekang,
Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan, tepatnya pada koordinat 032652 032907 Lintang Selatan dan
1194546 1194803 Bujur Timur. Geologi struktur yang ditemukan pada daerah pemetaan
adalah dua zona sesar yaitu Sesar Mendatar Kasambi dan Sesar Mendatar. Karakteristik dari tipe
porositas di Formasi Tonasa merupakan tipe porositas sekunder dengan dominansi berupa rekahan
mikro. Rekahan mikro dalam Batugamping di Formasi Tonasa dipengaruhi oleh adanya zona sesar
akibat tegasan gaya relatif berarah WNW ESE. Analisis sayatan tipis dari sampel menunjukan
perbedaan distibusi jumlah rekahan mikro diantara sampel-sampel tersebut yang diambil dari lokasi
yang berbeda dalam area tersebut, hal tersebut menunjukan adanya perbedaan pengaruh tektonik di
Formasi Tonasa
Kata kunci: Enrekang, Sulawesi Selatan, Bambapuang, Kasambi, rekahan mikro.
INTRODUCTION
Indonesia lies on a juction of three
converging major plates, i.e the Eurasian,
Indo-Ausralian, and Pacific Plates. Sulawesi
was formed aling the Oligosen-Miocene
collision between the Eurasian Plate and
micro-continental fragments derived from
the Indian-Australian Plate. It can be devided
into four arms, each is characterized by
different tectonic provinces with particular
reference to divergence of Kalimantan and
Sulawesi through the Cainozoic (Hamilton,
1979).
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Geologists have discovered a reservoir
potential in Enrekang, South Sulawesi.
Spesifically in Sengkang Basin Tonasa
Formation. Porosity occurences are found in
Enrekang due to the tectonic impact that
cause secondary porosity of microfracture on
the Limestone in Tonasa Formation.
One factor causing the reservoir potential in
South Sulawesi has not been maximum is
because of the ignorance about micro
analysis on the samples which also describe
the condition in the subsurface. Therefore
this study was conducted to determine the
geology and tectonic setting upon the
limestone formation, on the basis of detailed
petrographical data analysis.
This study will investigate the microfracture
potential which only performed on the
surface and put it in a statistic analysis to
determine the corelation of Limestone from
Tonasa Formations location with Fault zone
in the research area. Furthermore, the
conditions of microfracture in the subsurface
will be interpreted based on the analysis data
dan appears on the surface outcrops.
LOCATION AND METODOLOGY
Reseach area is administratively located in
the Enrekang regency, and geographically at
coordinate 032652 032907 South
Latitude and 1194546 1194803 East
Longitude (Figure 1). It is also in the north
of Enrekang City, precisely 30 minutes from
Enrekang City, South Sulawesi province,
which covers area 16 km
2
(4 km x 4 km).
Outcrops which found in the study area has
very diverse conditions, ranging from fresh
to weathered outcrops.
Accomplishing the purpose of the study,
specific geological investigation and
laboratories were caried out. Then, the study
focused on the Tectonic and Microfracture
analysis of the research area. Basically,
outcrops from Tonasa Formation Limestone
were sampled for a representative
petrographical analysis in order to get the
statistical percentage of the microfracture.
The methodology also included field
observations and sampling, data calculation,
thin section petrographical analysis
conducted on five samples of thin sections
from different area in Tonasa Formation.
Microfracture statistical analysis result were
evaluated based on the ocurrance of
microfracture and precentaged in one thin
section.
GEOLOGICAL SETTING
Regional Geology
According to the lithotectonic structure,
Sulawesi and its island surrounding it is
divided by four parts (Hall and Wilson,
2000), which is: West Mandala as a
Magmatic path which is an east part of
Paparan Sunda, Middle Mandala which
contain metamorphic rocks, and East
Mandala contains Ophiolite which is the
segment of the Continental Plate that moved
to west because of the Strike-Slip Faults
from New Guinea (Figure 2).
The research area is included in the West
Mandala. West Mandala is stretched from
the Northern Arm until Southern Arm of
Sulawesi. Van Leeuwen (1994) announce
that West Mandala, as a Volcanic Arc, can
be devided into two parts. The first part is
the Northern part from Buol to Manado and
the second part is the West part from Buol to
Makasar.
There are so many Tectonic Models that
have been offered to describe the Tectonic
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Evolution of Sulawesi Island. There are two
major events happened in the West part of
Sulawesi in Cenozoic. The first event is
Oceanic Ridge was rifted in Paleogene that
created space for clastic materials from
Borneo to deposit. The second event is
Compressional stage that began in Miocene.
The Comprresion in affect by the Continent
Collision from East, for example: Micro-
Continet of Buton, Tukang Besi, and
Banggai Sula. The compression produced a
West Sulawesi Fold Belt and Thrust Fault in
West Mandala of Sulawesi.
Geomorphology
The elevation of this area is 300 1200
meters above sea level, the landscape is
dominated by a steep that elongated from
North to South. The appearance of hills ad
valley shows different resistancy level of
rocks upon weathering. There river patern of
the research area has a rectangular pattern
(Figure 3) which controlled by structure.
Genetically, rivers in the research area is
divided into subsequent river, consequent
river, and obsequent river.
According the classification of Lobeck
(1939) which based on the dense contours,
lithology, patterns of river flow, and their
process which occur in the area, the research
area is grouped into three geomorphological
units. The geomorphological units are Lava
Flow Unit, Fault Zone Hills Unit,
Denudational Structur Valley Unit.
Regional Stratigraphy
The stratigraphic unit is determined by the
physical appearance of the rocks and the
relative stratigraphic position of the units
observed in the field. The stratigraphy of the
study area is sorted from old to young as
follows (Table 1):
1) Sandstone Unit
The sandstone unit covered 35% of the
study area and spread throughout the east
of the research area. Based on the
megascopic observation, this unit is
generally fresh and some parts is
weathered. It is dark brown in color,
massive, fine-grained, fine to medium
porosity, bad sorting, open fabric,
containing feldspar and other rock
fragments.

2) Sandstone Siltstone Unit
Sandstone Siltstone unit covered 22% of
the study area. Based on the megascopic
observation, this unit is generally appears
in fresh condition. It is light brown in
color, massive, fine-grained, bad sorting,
carboniferous. The siltstone is observed as
a dark colored rock, brittle, carboniferous,
with paralel lamination structure.

3) Limestone Unit
Limestone covered 31% of the study area.
This unit appears on the center and
elongate from north to south of the
research area. Based on the megascopic
observation, this unit is greyish white in
color, bioclastic texture, contain sceletal
fragments of phoraminifer, algae, and
other sceletal fragments. Has a secondary
porosity of vuggy and cavern.

4) Andesite Lava Unit
Andesite Lava Unit covered 10% of the
study area. This unit appears as a lava
flowwhich is located in the south west of
the research area. Based on the
megascopic observation, this unit is light
gray in color, hypocrystalline, showing
porphyritic texture with plagioclase,
hornblende, and biotite as phenocrysts
within finer groundmass of glass.
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Structural Geology
The pattern of the existing structures at
Enrekang interpreted WNW - ESE trending.
Fault structures can be interpreted from the
SRTM analysis, straight line pattern, and
rock layers offset.
Kotu Thrust Fault has a Nort-South trending.
Kasambi Fault and Bambapuang Fault are
the strike slip faults that are trending
northwest-southeast and located in the center
part of the study area.
MICROFRACTURE ANALYSIS
Definition
Microfracture is a type of porosity that
formed after the depositional process.
Porosity that occur after the depositional
process called secondary porosity. It has
several factors that trigger rocks to have their
secondary porosity. One of them is tectonic
impact. The microfracture appears in the
outcrop can be also used to determine the
microfracture in subsurface. Microfractures
occurence also shows reservoir potential on a
rock.
Tectonic Evolution
The northern and southern arms of Sulawesi
are here referred to as Western Sulawesi
for simplicity. The east and southeast arms
have an oceanic origin comprises Mesozoic
and younger allochthonous metamorphic and
ophiolitic rocks, which were obducted onto
western Sulawesi during the Oligocene to
Early Miocene. In addition, there are several
small continental fragments which have
collided with eastern Sulawesi, including the
Banggai-Sula, Tukang Besi, and Buton
Islands.

Geologically, southwest Sulawesi was
formed during the Early Cretaceous time as a
basement complex, and apparently includes
an old continental crust of Australian origin.
This is supported by the presence of recycled
ancient zircons from Miocene igneous rocks,
which on the basis of their chemical
composition, they were originated from
northern Aus- tralia. Possibly, these igneous
rocks accreted onto the Sundaland during the
Oligocene to Miocene collision event
(Bergman et al., 1996; Priadi et al., 1993).
During the Middle to Late Eocene, the west
basement of the Walanae depression was
overlain unconformably by volcanic and
marginal marine coal-bearing deposits of the
Malawa or Toraja Formations (Sukamto,
1982). Later, the deposition of Oligocene
Tonasa Formation indicates the development
of extensive areas of shal- low water
carbonate platforms in southern Sulawesi.
Microfracture Statistics
The statistics of the Microfracture analysis
on thin sections from 5 samples shows that
the samples taken from outcrops located far
away from fault zone shows less
microfracture than samples taken near the
fault zone.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on field observations, petrographic
analysis, and literature reviews, it can be
concluded that:
Stratigraphy of the study area, from old to
young, i.e., Sandstone Unit, Sandstone -
Siltstone Unit, Limestone Unit, and
Andesite Lava Unit
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Structural control is based on two
dominant fault zones that are trending
North West South East.
Microstructure statistical analysis shows
that Microstructure percentage on samples
taken on the faultzone has more amount
of Microstructure rather than samples
taken far from the fault zone
Tonasa Formation has a reservoir
potential, but it categorized as a bad
reservoir.

REFERENCES

Adams, C. G., 1970, A Reconsideration of
East Indian Letter Classification of
The Tertiary, Bulletin National
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137.
Dunham, R. J., 1962, Classification of
Carbonate Rocks According to
Depositional Texture, AAPG,
Memoir 1.
Hall, R. & Wilson, M. E. J., 2000, Neogene
sutures in eastern Indonesia.
Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 18,
781808.
Harifan, M., 2010. Tugas Akhir A : Geologi
Daerah Enrekang dan Sekitarnya,
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Pettijohn, F. J., 1987, Sedimentary Rock,
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Ratman, N. dan S. Atmawinata, 1993,
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skala 1:250.000. Pusat Penelitian
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Rickard, M. J., 1972. Fault Clasification-
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2546.
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lembar Ujung Pandang (skala
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carbonates of the Tonasa Limestone
Formation. In: R.Hall dan D.J.
Blundell (eds.) Tectonic evolution
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Yuwono, Y.S., Maury, R.C., Atmadja, R.S.,
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Proceeding IAGI. Hal. 32-48.
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Figure 1. General Geological Map of Sulawesi, research area is marked by a red square (Hall and
Wilson, 2000)
Table 1. Stratigraphic column of research area with non-formal naming of rocks unit (Harifan, 2012)

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Figure 3. Simplified and interpretive geology of southwestern Sumbawa, showing the location of the Batu Hijau
district and mine. Schematic cross section illustrates the relationship between Early to Middle Miocene andesitic
basement rocks, Late Miocene to Pliocene dacitic cover rocks, and Pliocene felsic intrusions (Garwin, 2002).
Table 1. Stratigraphy of Batu Hijau (Puji, 2011)


Table 2. Alteration minerals that indicate temperature (Lawless et al., 1998)
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Figure 4. Hydrothermal alteration zoning pattern in the Lowell-Guilbert model of porphyry copper deposits
(Lowell and Guilbert,1970 in Evans, 1993)
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Figure 5. Schematic diagram of the principal areas of mineralization in the Lowell-Guilbert model of porphyry
copper deposits. Solid lines represent the boundaries of the alteration zones shown in Figure 4 (Lowell and
Guilbert,1970 in Evans, 1993)



GEOLOGICAL MAP, ENREKANG REGENCY, SOUTH
SULAWESI PROVINCE
DESCRIPTION:
= ER 09100 S2
= ER 09104 S1
= ER 10108 S1
= ER 10107 S1
= ER 09102