Structural Control of Primary Tin Mineralization (Case Study: Parit Tiga, West Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung)

Abstract

Tins are important commodities of metal mineral deposits in Bangka and have been mined since the seventeenth century. The research aims to determine the characteristics of primary tin mineralization in Parit Tiga, West Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung and the control of geological structures on mineralization. Rock samples were obtained from geological mapping and analyzed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), petrography, and mineragraphy method. From the analysis, the alteration can be divided into four zones: quartz + tourmaline alteration, quartz + halloysite + chlorite + pyrophyllite alteration, quartz + illite alteration, and quartz + kaolinite + chlorite + dickite alteration. The cassiterite, hematite, and pyrite are found in the mineralization zone associated with the greisen deposit. Based on the structural analysis data conducted on the normal left slip fault, the shear stress has an orientation of NE-SW and resulting in the forming of NW-SE gash fractures. These gash fractures have been filled by quartz and the tourmaline as disseminated minerals. The distribution of mineralization and alteration are found adjacent to the sheeted quartz-tourmaline veins. The dominated-tin concentration in ore deposits has the same orientation as the fault structure. These infer that the mineralization and alteration in the research area are controlled by geological structure.