CHARACTERISTICS AND GENESIS OF IRON ORE DEPOSITS IN MUANG MET DISTRICT VIENTIANE PROVINCE LAOS

• Main Author: Putra Adam, Prananda
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/86808
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The study was carried out in Muang Met district, Vientiane Province, Laos. Iron ore in Laos is associated with hydrothermal skarn-porphyry systems and is partly found as gossan. There is still a dearth of publications and information about the existence of iron ore in Laos because it has not gotten much attention. On the other hand, iron ore is one of the most precious commodities because of its many uses, which include machinery, weapons, building construction, agricultural tools, and other industrial applications. The purpose of this research is to investigate the geological conditions, including stratigraphy, geological structures, geomorphology, alteration and mineralization characteristics, and the origin of iron ore deposits. Fieldwork mapping, petrographic analysis, mineragraphy, XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), mineral spectral analysis, and XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) are among the research methods used. The geomorphology of the area is categorized into four units: karst hills, fault block ridges, intrusion hills, and alluvial plains. The stratigraphy is also divided into four rock units: limestone, siltstone-sandstone, andesite, and alluvial deposits. Identified geological structures elements include fractures, folds, and faults. Rock alteration occurs in three distinct zones: kaolinit + quartz, chlorite + quartz, and silicification. Mineralization is divided into two stages: an early stage involving the formation of magnetite, covelite, pyrite, gold and chalcopyrite minerals, followed by a late stage characterized by the presence of iron oxide minerals such as hematite, goethite. The genesis of iron ore deposits comes from the gossan type, which is the oxidation process of primary sulfide minerals to iron oxides. Gossan iron ore is characterized by the massive presence of the iron oxide minerals hematite and goethite, as well as special textures resulting from the oxidation of primary sulfide minerals, namely fine cellular boxwork, cellular sponge boxwork, cleavage boxwork.