STRATIGRAPHY OF EASTERN INDONESIA

INTRODUCTION

This Chapter focuses in the stratigraphy in eastern Indonesia. It provides a summary of the
stratigraphy of the eastern Indonesia based on a literature review, latest academic and petroleum
industrial works. This chapter is divided into several sections based on the geological and
geographical position as follows: (1) Sulawesi, (2) Halmahera, (3) Seram,West papua, salawati –
Kofiau, and South Onin- Berau-Bintuni, (4) Arafuru Platform and North Arafura (Akimeugah),
(5) Timor-Tanimbar and Sumba-Savu, and (6) North papua (Figure 3.1).

Stratigraphy and sedimentation history is one of main keys to determine new exploration concept
and plays. Each section provides a summary of the major islands and basins stratigraphy in
eastern Indonesia as one of the main consideration for potential hydrocarbon plays (chapter V to
XII). Eastern Indonesia is relatively understudied comparing to the western part. It causes a
limitation in Understanding the sedimentary history as a holistic regional view. Summary and
recommendation are proposed in the end of this chapter to develop the geological understanding
and finding hidden prospect in eastern Indonesia.

SULAWESI

Over the past few decades, researchers in Sulawesi have emphasized the use of tectono-
stratigraphic provinces to simplify its complex geology. These provinces are the western
Sulawesi plutono-volcanic province which formed the Cenozoic sundaland margin, the northern
Sulawesi volcanic arc, the central Sulawesi metamorphic belt, the east Sulawesi ophiolite and
micro-continental fragments (figure 3.2, Sukamto, 1973; Hamilton, 1979; Hall and Wilson,
2000; van Leeuwen and Muhardjo, 2005; van Leeuwen et al., 2007). The ‘tectono-stratigraphic
provinces’ concept has led to an interpretation of predominantly accretion and convergence
mechanisms for its geological history (e.g., Hamilton, 1979; Silver et al., 1983). Therefore, the
tectono-stratigraphy of Sulawesi in this chapter will be explained according to geographical
position (Figure 3.3 and 3.4). The ‘tectono-stratigraphic provinces’ concept overlooks the role of
extension as a mechanism which is now thought to have also played a key role in Sulawesi’s
subsequent Neogene development (Figure 3.5 and 3.6, e.g., Pownall et al., 2013. 2014; Henning
et al., 2014, 2016; Henning, 2015; Advokaat, 2015; Nugraha, 2016). Most of the young Neogene
and quaternary deposits that uncomformably overlie pre-Neogene rocks are often

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Volcaniclastics of the Buol Beds were interpreted to have been deposited in the early to middle
Miocene (Koperberg, 1929; Ratman, 1976; van leeuwen et al, 2007) but are now considered to
have been deposited in the early Pliocene to early Pleistocene (Advokat,2015). Other workers
(Ratman,1976; koperberg, 1929; van leeuwen et al., 2007) suggested that weakly consolidated
shallow marinw siliclastics and carbonates of the lokodidi formation are part of the pleicone
Celebes Molasse. Neogen igneous rocks consists of the buol diorite, Lalos pluton, Bilodondo,
Pluton, Malino Granitoids and Ongka Volcanics (Figure 3.4, Maulana, 2013; Advokaat, 2015).
They were previously assigned as the Dondo Batholith by van leeuwen et al. (2007). The Ongka
volcanics comprise pyroclastics, including ignimbrites and subordinate lavas of dacitic and
trachydacitic composition (van leeuwen et al., 1994; Polve et al., 1997; Elburg et al., 2003; Van
leeuwen et al., 2007; Advokaat, 2015).

NECK AND WEST CENTRAL SULAWESI

The Palu Metamorphic complex (PMC) was previously considered as Palaeozoic or Mesozoic
basement rocks (Sukamto, 1973; Sopaheluwakan et al., 1995). It is interpreted to be a part on
Australian-origin block which was accreted at the eastern subduction zone margin of sundaland
in the late creataeous (Audley-charles et al., 1988; Parkinson et al., 1998; Elburg et al., 2003;
Van leeuwen and Muhardjo, 2005; van leeuwen et al., 2007, 2010; Hennig et al., 2016). New
SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating of metamorphic and granitoid rocks from west
central Sulawesi obtained inherited Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Paleogene zircons
(Figure 3.4, Hening et al., 2016). The predominat Mesoproterozoic and Triassic age populatios
are similar to those from the Bird’s Head region (Gunawan et al., 2012; Gunawan, 2013; Hening,
2015; Hening et al., 2016). The cretaceous zircons from volcanogenic protoliths of sundaland
origin (Hening et al., 2016;van leeuwen et al., 2016). Eocene zircons appear in some of the
metamorphic rocks and suggested that the PMC metamorphism is much younger that previously
inferred (e.g. Mesozoic or older Australian-derived basement rocks, Hening et al., 2016). There
are several Neogene magmatic episodes that are recorded in west central Sulawesi, which are (1)
K-rich shoshonitic (HK) suite in the Middle Miocene to early Pliocene, (2) shoshonitic to high-K
calc-alkaline (CAK) rocks in the late Miocene to Pliocene, (3) I-type and silica-rich I-type
granitoids and diorites of the CAK suite magmatism between 8.5 and 4 Ma, and (4) s-type CAK
magmatism between c. 5 and 3.5 Ma (Priadi et al., 1994; Polve et al., 1997; Elburg et al., 2003;
Hening et al., 2016). Henning et al. (2016) noted a metamorphic event in the Pliocene based on c
3.6 Ma ages from dark or bright zircon rims of gneisses and some granites. These evidences
suggested contemporaneous metamorphic with S-type magmatism due to extension ( Henning et
al., 2016). The Pre-Pliocene rocks in the neck are overlain unconformably by weakly
consolidated sediments of the Celebes Molasse (Figure 3.4, Koperberg, 1929; Ratman, 1976;
Apandi and Bachri,

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Central Sulawesi (Brouwer, 1934). De Reover (1947, 1950) argued that this schist is younger
(post-eocene age) than amphibolite and epidote-amphibolite facies rocks (Mesozoic age) in
western central Sulawesi. The glaucophane-bearing metamorphic rocks of the Rumbia and
Mendoke mountains in the southeast arm and to those from the kabaena island ( de reover, 1950,
1953, 1956). The lawsonite-glaucophane bearing schist in eastern central Sulawesi is composed
of glaucophane-bearing schist in eastern central Sulawesi is composed of glaucophane, crosstie,
jadite, jadeite-aegirine, lawsonite, quartz, albite, muscovite chlorite, carbonate, titanite, and
hematite. K-Ar radiometric dating from two thermally overprinted mica schist in the pompangeo
mountains gave ages of 27.6 + 3.1 and 28.1 + 3.6 Ma (Parkinson,1991). The age of blueschist
from southeast Sulawesi based on K-Ar dating of phengites range from 16.5 to 32.8 and 40Ar/39
Aranalysis gave 20.76 + 0.48 Ma to 29.07 + 0.54 Ma (Wijbrans et al., 1994). These analyses
were based on phengites from blueschist samples along the Kolaka road (Sopaheluwakan, pers.
Comm., 2015). The crystalline schist in the Rumbia and Mendoke Mountains mainly consist of
garnet-lawsonite-glaucophane schist subfacies rocks. These are mainly composed of
glaucophane, lawsonitr, garnet, jadeite- and acmite-rich pyroxenes, chloritoid, chlorite,
muscovite, quartz, albite, calcite, and titanite (de Roever,1956). Brouwer (1947) interpreted
glaucophane-bearing schists to represent the metamorphic basement in central and southeast
Sulawesi. De roever (1947) noted that glaucophane schist facies rocks in SE Sulawesi are not
comparable with those of Central Sulawesi. He reported that jadeite-aegirine, crosstie, lawsonite
and ferrocarpholite facies are present only in SE Sulawesi. Helmers et al. (1989) interpreted that
the Neogene blueschists in SE Sulawesi were exhumed by uplift due to extensional tectonics and
were associated with large amounts of sediments deposited during the neogene.

Recently, Spencer (2010, 2011) suggested that gently dipping normal faults which cut domal
landforms of tokorondo and pampangeo mountains in central Sulawesi represent detachment
faults on active or recently active core complexes. This topographic interpretation is supported
by the onshore seismic lines in poso basin of southern Gorontalo bay (Pezzati et al., 2014). The
metamorphic rocks in central Sulawesi are overlain by the puna, napu, poso, tomata, bongka, and
bonebone formations that were mapped as the Celebes Molasse of Sarasin and Sarasin (1901) by
ratman (1975) (figure 3.4). However, the neogen sediments of central Sulawesi are relatively
understudied. They are described on the GRDC geological map of the poso quadrangle by
simandjuntak et al. (1997) and the geological map of the malili quadrangle by simandjuntak et al.
(1991). The bongka formation in central Sulawesi consists of alternating beds of sandstones,
conglomerates with lignite intercalations. The Napu formation consists of sandstones with clay
and peat intercalations. The puna formation comprises conglomerates, sandstones, silistones,
shale, calcareous claystones and limestones. The Poso Formation consists of limestones, marls,
tuffaceous sandstones and conglomerates (Simandjuntak et al., 1997). The Bonebone formation
is exposed only in the southernmost part of central Sulawesi and consists of interbedded lithic
arenites, conglomerates, marls and tuffaceous clays (simandjuntak et al., 1991). The Puna, Napu,
and Poso formations have interfingering relationships and were deposited during the Pliocene to
Pleistocene in a shallow marine environment (simandjuntak et al., 1997). The upper Miocene to
Pliocene Tamata formation was interpreted to be deposited ina swampy to shallow marine
environment (simandjuntak et al., 1997).

EAST SULAWESI

The East Arm of Sulawesi is dominated by ultrabsic and basic rocks with subordinate gabbros,
sheeted dolerites, and pillow basalts in the eastern part (figure 3.3). A complete ophiolite
sequence was reported to be exposed in Poh Head (Silver et al., 1983; Simandjuntak (1992)
reported valanginian to lower cenomanian ages from chert and limestone of the Boba beds in the
East Arm. Although a full ophiolite suite is only found at the eastern-end of the east Arm,
ultrabasic and basic rock in the southeast Sulawesi, kabaena, buton, and wowonii islands are
often considered as parts of dismembered ophiolites (kundig, 1956; Silver et al., 1983). These
rocks were grouped as the eastern Sulawesi ophiolite (ESO) belt by simandjuntak (1986).
Ultrabsic rocks include various peridotites; lherzolites and harzburgites with subordinate
pyroxenites an dunites.