Title: Indonesian Banded Iron Formation (BIF): A New Controversial Discovery of BIF Deposit Associated with Island Arc System in Tanggamus Area – Lampung, South Sumatra.
Authors: A.S. SUBANDRIO and K.N. TABRI
Publication note: Originally published in Jurnal Geoaplika (2006), Volume 1, Number 1, pp. 055-070.
Abstract: The increasing demand on manganese and iron ores in this early third millenium, especially for supplying Chinese steel industry, enhanced the spirit for Fe-Mn exploration in Indonesia. 70% of world iron supply are produced from Banded Iron Formation (BIF) deposits. These BIF deposits are generally associated with sedimentary or meta-sedimentary rocks of rift basin in old craton or shield of Archaen – Precambrian age. The Indonesian Archipelago comprise mainly younger rocks of Mesozoic – Tertiary age and never iron deposit like BIF has been found. Because of that the national steel industry must import from foreign countries, partly from BIF pit like Minas Grais, Brazil and Hamersley, Australia. However no large iron ore deposits have as yet been identified in Indonesia. The discovery of “BIF-like” outcrops in Tanggamus area of Lampung Province, South Sumatra is presumably a new and controversial geological evidence compared with the famous Archaean BIF’s deposits. It could be as new valuable iron ore
resources in Indonesia in the future. This paper present the results of geologic mapping, detail petrology, geochemical mineragraphic characterization of rock samples of research area. The aim of this paper is to give a brief description regarding the mode occurrence of the Pre-Tertiary “Banded Iron Formation” (“BIF”) in Indonesia and specialy in Lampung, and to carry out a comparative study with famous other BIF deposits in the word. The work was carried out at the request of PT Banjar Makmur Raharta – Lampung.
Download PDF: Geoaplika_55_70_2006
