GEOLOGY OF THE BUKIT BATU PUTEH-SATUN TRANSECT AREA ALONG THE MALAYSIA ...

133 Pages·2010·41.31 MB·English

GEOLOGY OF THE
BUKIT BATU PUTEH-SATUN
TRANSECT AREA ALONG THE
MALAYSIA–THAILAND BORDER
By
The Malaysian and Thai
Working Groups
A joint project carried out by
Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia
and
Department of Mineral Resources, Thailand
The Malaysia-Thailand Border Joint Geological Survey Committee
(MT-JGSC)
2009
LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION:
Science
Geoscience
Geology
Mapping Geology

Published by and obtainable from:
MINERALS AND GEOSCIENCE DEPARTMENT MALAYSIA
(Jabatan Mineral dan Geosains Malaysia)
20th Floor, Tabung Haji Building
Tun Razak Road
50658 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Also obtainable from:

TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION
(Bahagian Perkhidmatan Teknikal)
Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia
(Jabatan Mineral dan Geosains Malaysia)
Scrivenor Road off Sultan Azlan Shah Road
31400 Ipoh
Perak
Malaysia

Price: RM60.00

Printed by:

PERCETAKAN ZAINON KASSIM SDN. BHD.
No. 1 & 3, Tingkat Kilang
Kawasan Perindustrian Ringan Jelapang
30100 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan

2010
- iii -

PREFACE

This report together with the accompanying geological map on a scale 1:250,000 is
the result of close co-operation between the Minerals and Geoscience Department
Malaysia, and the Department of Mineral Resources, Thailand in resolving problems
related to cross border geological correlation between Malaysia and Thailand. Fieldwork
was carried out independently by geoscientists of the Minerals and Geoscience
Department Malaysia, and of the Department of Mineral Resources, Thailand covering
the individual territories in the year 2004 and 2005. The Transect covers an area of 829
square kilometres in Malaysia and approximately 1,400 square kilometres in Thailand. In
Malaysia, field works had been carried out during the month of February, March, April,
June and July 2004, and in February-March 2005. Quaternary geology study was carried
out separately in March-April 2004. In Thailand, geological mapping of the Transect area
was carried out during March-April 2004, and has been slightly revised in 2005.

Problems on the discontinuity of time rock unit boundaries between the various rocks
found in both sides of the common border areas have been satisfactorily resolved.
Stratigraphic succession of rock units is well exposed for detailed studies in terms of
stratigraphic correlation, palaeontology, and tectonics. Many geological sites can be
studied in detail to be geoparks in the future. Although potential mineral deposits occur in
small amount, limestone is extensively exploited in the Transect area particularly for the
construction materials.

Mr. Yunus bin Abdul Razak Mr. Adisak Thongkaimook
Director-General, Director-General,
Minerals and Geoscience Department Department of Mineral Resources,
Malaysia. Thailand.

June 2009 June 2009
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Malaysian and Thai Working Groups would like to thank the Director General of
the Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia (JMG) and the Director General of the
Department of Mineral Resources, Thailand (DMR) for their encouragement, support and
funding of this project.
Thanks are extended to Dr. Chow Weng Sum, the then Director of Technical Services
Division, Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia and Mrs. Benjawan Charukalas,
the then Director of Bureau of Geological Survey, Department of Mineral Resources,
Thailand, for their encouragements during the study.
Thanks also to all officers and staffs of the Minerals and Geoscience Department
Malaysia and Department of Mineral Resources, Thailand for their involvement in this
project either directly or indirectly. The Malaysian and Thai military, provincials and
border police officials are duly thanked for their assistance in the security matters
especially during the field trips along the Malaysia-Thailand border security road.
They also would like to express their gratitude to Professor Mohd Shafeea Leman of
the Unversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for his free consultation especially in identifying the
brachiopod samples on the Malaysian side. To Professor Katsuo Sashida of Tsukuba
University, Japan for his willingness to wash the chert and limestone samples collected
from the Transect area, and then identified the radiolaria and conodonts
Last but not least to all local residences for their support and assistance during the
fieldwork.
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Geology of Bukit Batu Puteh-Satun Transect area along the Malaysia-
Thailand border

by

The Malaysian and Thai Working Groups

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Geological mapping on the scale of 1:50,000 in the Bukit Batu Puteh-Satun Transect
area in Malaysia and Thailand had been carried out independently by the respective
Working Groups covering the individual territories in the year 2004 and 2005. It covers
an area of 829 square kilometres in Malaysia and approximately 1,400 square kilometres
in Thailand. In Malaysia, field trips had been carried out during the month of February,
March, April, June and July 2004, and in February-March 2005. Quaternary geology
study was carried out separately in March-April 2004 to delineate the approximate
boundary between the continental Quaternary deposits and the marine Quaternary
deposits in this area. The working group had spent two to three weeks in the field for each
trip. The Lower Palaeozoic to Quaternary rock units have been identified and their
boundaries have been satisfactorily delineated based on data provided by previous
workers incorporated with the new data gathered during the present study. In Thailand,
geological mapping of the Transect area was carried out during March-April 2004. In
2005, geology of the Transect area had been slightly revised due to the new discoveries of
index fossils and exposures in some formations.
Fifteen lithological units have been identified in the Transect area, namely in
ascending order; Tarutao Group (Є ), Lae Tong Formation (O ), Setul Formation/Thung
tt lt
Song Group (O ), Pa Samed Formation (SD ), Jentik Formation (D ), Kubang
st/ts ps jt
Pasu/Yaha Formation (C ), Khuan Klang Formation (C ), Lubok Sireh
kp/yh kk
formation/Khao Phra Formation (P ), Chuping/Khao Rub Chang/Chaiburi Formation
sr/kr
(PTr ), Kayu Hitam formation/Lam Thap Formation (K ), Arang/Sadao formation
ch/kc/cb kh/lp
(T ), Tangga/Hat Yai formation (Qp ), Simpang/Waeng Formation (Qp ),
ar/sd tg/hy sp/wg
Beruas/Sungai Kolok Formation (Qh ) and Gula/Tak Bai Formation (Qh ).
br/sk gl/tb
The oldest rock, the Tarutao Group (Є ) exposed only in Thailand. It comprises
tt
quartzitic and micaceous sandstones in the lower part, and light brown to brown, thin- to
medium-bedded, laminated, medium-grained, moderately sorted micaceous sandstones
intercalated with light grey, thin- to medium-bedded argillaceous limestone in the upper
part. Probably Upper Cambrian in age, it is well correlatable with the Machinchang
Formation of Malaysia that does not extend to the Transect area.
The Setul Formation/Thung Song Group (O ) mainly consists of stylolitic limestone
st/ts
succession is exposed extensively on the middle part of the Transect area. The thickness
of the succession is not less than 1,500 metres. Many fossil assemblages discovered in
this rock unit as reported by previous workers indicate the age of this rock unit is
Ordovician. However, in Malaysia, fossils of Silurian age are also present. This implies
that the Setul Formation/Thung Song Group (O ) in Malaysia extends to the Silurian
st/ts
age. In Thailand, the Thung Song Group consists of Lae Tong Formation (O ) and Rung
lt
Nok Formation (O ) in ascending order; however the Lae Tong Formation (O ) is
rn lt
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exposed only in Thailand. It consists mainly of grey to greyish black, recrystalline, thin-
bedded limestone with argillaceous limestone interbedded with shale and nodular
limestone. The Lae Tong Formation (O ) is believed to be older than Middle Ordovician
lt
in age, and is overlain by the Setul Formation/Thung Song Group (O ).
st/ts
The Pa Samed Formation (SD ) is exposed only in Thailand. It comprises grey to
ps
light grey, massive to thin-bedded mudstone, chert and siliceous mudstone. Fossils of
Tentaculites, brachiopods, trilobites, and graptolites are abundant within this rock unit.
The upper part of the Pa Samed Formation (SD ) is correlatable with the Devonian Jentik
ps
Formation (D ) of Malaysia.
jt
The Jentik Formation (D ) which is exposed only in Malaysia forms a condensed
jt
sequence representing a transitional sequence between the Setul Formation/Thung Song
Group (O ) and underlies the Kubang Pasu/Yaha Formation (C ). It comprises
st/ts kp/yh
sequence of carbonaceous argillite, light coloured areno-argilite and red mudstone, and
shale in ascending order. Fossil assemblages discovered in this rock unit imply the
Devonian age. It is well correlatable with the upper part of the Silurian-Devonian Pa
Samed Formation (SD ) of Thailand.
ps
The Khuan Klang Formation (C ) comprises light grey, brown to reddish brown,
kk
thick-bedded, laminated, fine- to very coarse-grained, poorly sorted, subrounded, poorly
cemented mudstone intercalated with sandstone, conglomeratic sandstone and pebbly
mudstone. Pebbles consist of quartz, sandstone and shale. This rock unit exposed only in
Thailand, and it is assigned as Carboniferous in age by the presence of abundant bivalves,
trilobites, brachiopod, gastropod, and crinoid fossils. It is contemporaneous with the
Kubang Pasu/Yaha Formation (C ).
kp/yh
The Kubang Pasu/Yaha Formation (C ) consists predominantly of medium- to
kp/yh
thickly-bedded areno-argilite sequence, consisting of light grey medium- to coarse-
grained lithic sandstone and lesser amounts of shale. The sandstone is well sorted, well
cemented, medium- to very thick- bedded, and interbedded with light grey to yellowish
brown shale, mudstone and chert. Minor amount of light grey to yellowish brown
conglomerate is also observed. Posidonomya (bivalve) commonly occur, followed by
trilobites and radiolarians. In Malaysia, thin-bedded chert with well-preserved radiolarian
that indicates Early Carboniferous (Tournaisian) age is embedded in the lower part of the
succession. The upper part of the succession comprises medium- to thick-bedded areno-
argilite sequence with rare Posidonomya (bivalve). Fossil records imply that the age of
the whole sequence of the Kubang Pasu/Yaha Formation (C ) is Carboniferous.
kp/yh
The Lubok Sireh formation/Khao Phra Formation (P ) consists of thick- to very
sr/kr
thick-bedded, obviously laminated, sequence of dark grey, mudstone, shale, siltstone and
pebbly mudstone; exposed in the central to northern part of the Transect area. It is grading
upward into interbedded of thin- to medium-bedded sandstone and black shale, and
mudstone. The sandstone usually coarse-grained, poorly sorted, moderately rounded with
poorly cemented pebbles of quarts, sandstone and shale. The rock unit consists of
abundant bivalves, trilobites, brachiopod, gastropod and crinoid. Dropstone of glacial-
marine origin are present in parts. The presence of brachiopods i.e. Spinomartinia and
Brandoproductus imply the Sakmarian (Early Permian) age to this rock unit.
The Chuping/Khao Rub Chang/Chaiburi Formation (PTr ) consists of massive
ch/kc/cb
dolomitic limestone and limestone (at the lower part), significant amount of sandstone
and shale (middle part), and crystalline limestone (upper part). The grey to dark grey,
well-bedded, medium- to thick-bedded dolomitic limestone and limestone; rich in