Are to be published in Geoaplika Journal of ITB

GEOTHERMAL EKSPLORATION USING GEOCHEMICAL METHOD

IN BONJOL AREA, PASAMAN REGENCY, WEST SUMATERA
F Hutapea, P Soemintadiredja, and A Permana

Department of Geological Engineering

Faculty of Earth Science and Technology

Bandung Institute of Technology

Abstract – Bonjol geothermal area is located in Bonjol depression zone (graben), as the result of
Sumatera Fault System propagation activity, which is elongated from Banda Aceh to Semangko Gulf
in Lampung. The indication of geothermal potential occurrence in Bonjol is characterized by
manifestation of hotspring in four location, which are Padang Baru Hotspring, Sungai Limau, Takis,
and Kambahan. Padang Baru hotspring is controlled by activity of Padang Baru fault, and Sungai
Limau, Takis, and Kambahan hotspring is controlled by Takis fault. Besides of hotspring, alteration
fossil is also found in this area. All of the hotspring in Bonjol Area included to the chloride water type,
on partial equilibrium, as indication of hot water dominated. This studi is focused on interpretation of
regional geology and tabulation and interpretation of geochemical data of manifestation of research
area. This studies are intended to understand some parameters related to the possibility of geothermal
resources development.
Keywords: geothermal system, geothermometer, hotspring, hot water, Bonjol

Sari – Daerah panas bumi Bonjol terletak di zona depressi (graben) Bonjol yang terbentuk akibat
pergerakan Sistem Sesar Sumatera yang memanjang mulai dari Banda Aceh hingga Teluk Semangko
di Lampung. Indikasi keberadaan potensi panas bumi di Bonjol dicirikan oleh manifestasi berupa air
panas di empat lokasi, yaitu airpanas Padang Baru, Sungai Limau, Takis, dan Kambahan. Air panas
Padang Baru dikontrol oleh sesar Padang Baru, dan air panas Sungai Limau, Takis, dan Kambahan
dikontrol oleh Sesar Takis. Selain mata air, juga terdapat fosil alterasi. Semua air panas di daerah
Bonjol termasuk tipe air klorida, terletak pada partial equilibrium, sebagai indikasi hot water
dominated. Studi ini dikhususkan pada interpretasi geologi regional dan pengolahan data geokimia
manifestasi di area penelitian. Ini dilakukan dengan tujuan untuk mendapatkan parameter-parameter
dalam kemungkinannya untuk melakukan pengembangan sumberdaya panas bumi.
Kata kunci: system panas bumi, geotermometer, mata air panas, Bonjol

INTRODUCTION

Geothermal energy is an energy generated 2000). This energy is renewable and can be
from natural heat transfer, which is from a used in a relative long time. As the result,
heat source (often a cooling pluton) to the this energy can be an alternative solution on
surface by free convection, involving facing of recent world energy crisis
meteoric fluids with or without traces of problem. In fact, this energy is a clean and
magmatic fluids (Hochstein and Browne, environmentally friendly. The exploration
development of this energy is reasonable
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considering the abundance of its occurrence GEOLOGICAL SETTING

in Indonesia.
Regional Geology
Bonjol area is one of geothermal field are in
Pasaman Regency, West Sumatera According to van Bemellen (1949) the
Province, which is lies along volcanic physiography of the research area is divided
mountain. Bonjol area has a promising into seven zones of physiography, which
geothermal potential, as indicated by are:
surface manifestation in the form of
hotspring. This surface manifestation is 1. Coastal Plain of Sumatera
showing natural condition of the presence of
geothermal resources. As the further studied 2. Wavy plateau in Central Sumatera Basin
is necessary to know the potential energy of
that area. 3. Depression zone of Sub-Barisan of
LOCATION AND METHODOLOGY Central Sumatera

Research area is administratively located in 4. Barisan Depan Mountain from Ombilin

Pasaman Regency, West Sumatera Basin continued to the southeastward,
Province, and geographically at coordinate until Batanghari River as block of reverse
of 100° 8’ 51 ,72" – 100° 16’ 27,48" East fault.
Longitude and 00°03’46" - 00°03’43" South
5. Barisan Schist, on the eastward of Bukit
Latitude. It is also located , approximately
Barisan contain of ignoeus and
250 km to the north of Padang City, about 5
hours from Padang City. It is about 14 x 14 metamorphic rock with strong folded.
km² on large, where most of research area 6. Range of Mountain Barisan
counted to Bonjol District and the rest of it
counted to Alahan Mati District. Regional Tectonic

To achieve the purpose of the study, a few Sumatera Island is created from the
geological investigation and laboratories interaction between Hindia Ocean Plate and
were completed. The study then continued Eurasia Continental Plate. The interaction
on focusing on the data processing of of these plates is convergen interaction,
geochemical data and characteristic of the which the Hindia Ocean Plate subducted
research area. Actually, the data also under Eurasia Continental Plate (Hamilton,
compared with the geophysical method. But 1979).
in this paper, the researcher will focused on
the geochemical data and geological Sumatera Island classified into 5 tectono-
interpretation of research area on structural units (figure 3 ) , which are (
determining some parameters related to the Darman and Sidi, 2000 op.cit. Hutapea,
possibility for developing the geothermal 2010) :
resources, for example resource size,
1. Sunda Outer–arc Ridge, along the Sunda
reservoir temperature, and formation
Fore-arc Basin, is non-volcanic ridge
permeability.
that lied from Andaman Sea to
Southeast Java. This geological unit is

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representated by geology of Nias and GEOLOGY OF RESEARCH AREA

Simeulue Island.
Regionally, research area is located in
2. Sunda Fore-arc Basin, located between
Sumatera Fault System Zone, which has
non-volcanic Sunda Outer-arc Ridge general direction northwest-southeast from
and Barisan Mountain. Generally, there Weh Island to Semangko Gulf, Lampung.
are two Sunda Fore-arc Basins, that are The movement of this fault is still active as
Sibolga Basin at Nortwest of Sumatera, result of propagation of Hindia Oceanic
and Bengkulu Basin at Southwest of Plate, subducted under Eurasia continental
Sumatera. plate. As result of this propagation, in some
area can be found landform of
3. Sumatera Back-arc Basin, is the unit
depression(graben). The research area lies
from association of some basins, such as in this depression zone(figure 2).
North Sumatera Basin, Central
Sumatera Basin, and South Sumatera Stratigraphy of Research Area
Basin.
Litology of research area is dominated by
4. Barisan Mountain Range, is volcanic arc
sedimentary and volcanic rocks, some are
system from Permian-Carbon to
igneous rock and pyroclastic flow.
Mesozoikum rocks. The research area is
According to the macroscopic characteristic
located in this tectono-structural.
and paragenesis, litology of the research
5. Sumatera Intra-arc or Intramontane
area divided into 13 units, which are
Basin, separated by subsequent uplift
consecutively from old to young:
and erosion from former depositional
trace. This unit occupied by Ombilin a. Sedimentary Unit of Sihapas Formation
Basin which is very deep, contain of (Tms)
Eocene to Early Mid-Miocene
sedimentary deposit. In the northeastern of research area,
The research area is located in Barisan approximately 15% of research area.
Mountain Range unit, influenced by Litology contain of conglomerate,
Sumatera Fault System (SFS), well- carbonaceous shale, siltstone, and quartz
known as Semangko Fault Zone with sandstone. This unit had been strongly
general direction of northwest- deformated, signed from the appearance of
southeast. The pattern and direction of joints. This unit is predicted to be Miocene.
the structural geology of the research
area are also influenced indirectly of this b. Lava Tua Flow Unit(Tmv)
fault system. SFS is predicted to give a
This unit covers the eastern part of the
great influence on triggering the
research area. This unit contain of Miocene
hydrothermal activity creation on
dacitic lava flow. Most of the litology had
geothermal system or mineralization at
been intensively weathering and altered.
the research area (Simangungsong,
2005, op.cit. Hutapea, 2010). c. Lava Flow of Bukit Malintang Unit
(Tmbm)

This unit covers the center to northern of the

research area. The outcrop had been

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strongly weathered, and altered in some i. Bukit Tinggi Lava Flow Unit (Qlbt)
area. This unit is the oldest volcanic rock in
the research area composited of andesitic This unit occupied the northwestern of the
with sheeting joint structure. It is predicted research area. The composition is andesitic
to be Miocene. basalt.

d. Lava Flow 1 of Gunung Baringin Unit j. Bukit Simarabun Lava Flow Unit 1
(Qlbr1) (Qls1)

This unit covers the southwestern of the This unit covers the southeastern of the
research area. The age of this unit is research area, composited by andesite
estimated to be Early Quarter, with pyroxene.
composition of andesite pyroxene.
k. Bukit Simarabun Lava Flow Unit 2
e. Lava Flow 2 of Gunung Baringin Unit (Qls2)
(Qlbr2)
This unit is the continued of Bukit
This unit is located in the west-southwestern Simarabun Lava flow Unit 1, composited
of research area. In some place, the litology by andesitic pyroxene.
had been mediumly weathered and jointed.
l. Bukit Binuang Lava Flow Unit 1 (Qlb1)
The rock composition has a similarity with
Lava Flow 1 of Gunung Baringin unit, but This unit is located in the central of the
coarser texturally. It is estimated to be Early research area, composited by andesitic
Quarternary. pyroxene.
f. Lacustrine Sediment Unit(Qs) m. Aluvium Unit (Qa)
This unit covers the center of the research This unit is secondary deposits composited
area. The litology is sandstone intercalated of clay material, blocky lava, and loose
with claystone. conglomerate. It widespread along the side
and bottom of the river. It is Quarternary to
g. Maninjau Pyroclastic Flow Unit (Qapm)
Recent.
This unit is widespread in the southern of
Structural Geology
the research area. This unit is contained of
pyroclastic flow dominated by pumice. This Structural geology developed in Bonjol area
unit covers the Lacustrine Sediment Unit. contain of normal fault with general
direction is northwest to southeast, and one
h. Bukit Gajah Lava Flow Unit (Qlg)
fault with direction southwest to northeast.
This unit is located in the northwestern of The structural geology can be found as the
the research area. Composited by andesitic occurence of manifestation of geothermal,
lava and some of them had been strongly where this structural geology will be the
weathered. transport medium of hydrothermal to the
surface. Based on research of landsat image

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and field observation, this area contain 5 hotsprings, it is also found an altered rocks
normal fault, which are: in the southwestern of research area, which
both of them are altered fossils (past
1. Malintang Fault alteration). Below are the geothermal
manifestation of this area(figure 4):
General direction of this fault is northwest
to southeast. This fault involve the Miocene a. Padang Baru Hotspring
Sedimentary Unit of Sihapas Formation
Unit and Bukit Malintang Lava Unit. This hotspring is located in Padang Baru
village, on coordinate 100°13’14" East
2. Bonjol Fault Longitude and 00°01’23" South Latitude.
This hotspring occur at Lacustrine Sedimen
The general direction of this fault is
Unit (Qs). Hotspring temperature recorded
relatively similar with Malintang fault.
in the surface is 49,7° C, pH 6,5 , clear, and
There is a step fault with Malintang fault,
there is carbonate sinter deposit. The
which both of these fault are mineralization
occurrence of this hotspring is controlled by
zone of the research area.
Padang Baru Normal Fault.
3. Alahan Mati Fault
b. Takis Hotspring
This fault is located in the southwestern of
This hotspring occur in Sungai Takis
the research area, with northwest to
Valley, on coordinate 100°11’58" East
southeast general direction. This fault
Longitude and 00°00’19" North Latitude.
created graben with Bonjol fault in the
Surface hotspring temperature recorded is
eastern of research area.
87,9 °C, pH 6,9, clear, vapoured in the
4. Padang Baru Fault surface, and found many of travertine
deposits around the hotspring, even there
General direction of this fault is northwest some of them had been fossilized, black
to southeast, indicated by Padang Baru colored with some meters thick. The
hotspring. occurrence of this hotspring is controlled by
the presence of southwest to northeast
5. Takis Fault Takis Normal Fault

Thi fault occupies the center of the research c. Sungai Limau Hotspring
area with southwest to northeast general
direction. Field indication for this fault is This hotspring is located 1 km eastern of
the occurrence of Takis, Sungai Limau, and Takis Hotspring, or on coordinate
Sungai Langkuk/Kambahan hotspring, 100°12’27" East Longitude and 00°00’39"
North Lattitude. Surface temperature of
Geothermal Manifestation hotspring recorded is 73,5 ° C , pH 7,3,
clear, there is a bubbling, vapoured, and
Geothermal manifestation in the research
there is a little of carbonate sinter. The
area is dominated by occurrence of Padang
occurrence of this hotspring is also
Baru, Takis, Sungai Limau, and Sungai
controlled by the presence of Takis Normal
Langkuik/Kambahan. Besides of
Fault.

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d. Sungai Langkuik / Kambahan Chemical data needed on determining

Hotspring reservoir fluid type is the relative
composition of chloride, bicarbonate, and
This hotspring occur in the side of Langkik sulphate. The data for each hotspring
river on coordinate 100°13’10" East processed and plotted in ternary diagram.
Longitude and 00°02’00" North Lattitude.
Surface hotspring temperature recorded is From the plotting of ternary diagram
73,4 ° C , pH 7,5, and clear. No travertine between Cl – SO4 – HCO3 (figure 5), it
found. The occurrence of this hotspring is determined that APT, APL, and APK, are
also controlled by Takis Normal Fault. chloride water type. Meanwhile APPB has
tendency to be the mixing between chloride
e. Alteration Rock and bicarbonate water (dilute Cl – HCO3
waters). According to Nicholson (1993),
Altered rock as hydrothermal activity effect
this type generally occur in the low
is found in the northern of research area or
temperature geothermal system, generally
in the northern of Bukit Gajah, around Takis
formed as the result of mixing between
Hotspring. The outcrops coloured white-
formation water and meteoric water.
brownish yellow, dominant of clay mineral,
a few of pyrite mineral, stong altered According to the plotting result of Bonjol
intensity. Based on PIMA analysis, hot water type, APT, APL, and APK is
conclude mineral such as: montmorilonite, feasible to be used for determining of
halosite, muscovite, paragonite, and, illyte. geothermal reservoir temperature of
research area. High chloride content in three
GEOCHEMICALDATA PROCESSING
of them, indicated that hydrothermal fluids
AND INTERPRETATION
came up from reservoir directly without any
Ion Equilibrium contamination with wall rock or another
fluid.
This method is used to determine the quality
of sample by counting of ion equilibrium Reservoir Temperature Determining
value between kation and anion in hotspring
On determining the temperature of the
sample. Good quality sample has maximum
reservoir in Bonjol area, there are 2 methods
5% of ion equilibrium sample (Nicholson,
used, which are geothermometer silica
1993). Data and calculation is shown on
(adiabatic quartz and conductif quartz) and
table 1.
geothermometer Na – K – Mg.
Geothermal Fluid Type Determining
Geothermometer Na – K – Mg is very ideal
The determining of geothermal fluid type is to evaluate the condition of reservoir or
done to choose the representative hot water surface condition. The data and calculation
to determine temperature of geothermal of this method is shown on the table 2 and
reservoir using geothermometer method. figure 6. According to the diagram, the
The most representative water type as range of reservoir temperature is 180° C.
geothermal reservoir fluid is chloride water
The second method is geothermometer
(Nicholson, 1993).
silica, using chloride water type with debit

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≥ 2 L/second. If the temperature of hot water Energy Estimated

> 80° C, it is used adiabatic method. And if
sub-boiling condition found, conductif By getting reservoir temperature and
method is used. If the calculation of average density of the rock in it, can be
adiabatic and conductif quartz < 150° C, measured of energy estimation. Process of
geothermometer used is calcedon. The calculation is below.
calculation of geotermometer silica is
shown in table 4.

From two method used for determining

reservoir temperature, it conclude that
temperature of Bonjol reservoir is about
180° C. According to the reservoir
temperature, this geothermal system is
classified to be medium temperature of
geothermal system(Hochstein and Brown,
2000).

Natural Heat Lose

Natural heat lose need to be calculater

considering the manifestation on the surface
of geothermal system. The calculation using
this equation: using some asumtion and data known, the
energy measured is

With;

Q: natural heat lose

M: mass fluid flow = debit x density Conceptual Model of Geothermal System

hfT – hfT0: fluid entalphi According to the calculation and the

interpretation of regional geology, it can be
c: specific thermal capacity
made a conceptual model for geothermal
Ts: temperature measured in the surface system, shown in figure 7.

Tud : temperature free air CONCLUSION

Based on the geological map observations

The calculation of this method is shown in
and interpretation of the method used, the
table 4.
researcher can conclude:

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• The hotspring manifestations in this Volcanoes, H. Sigurdsson,

area are controlled by lithological B.F.Houghton, S.R. McNutt, H.
factor and geological structure of the Rymer dan J. Stix (eds.), Academic
research area. Press, p. 835-855.
• Heat source potention is estimated
±3000 m depth as andesitic igneous Hutapea, F, 2009. Tugas Akhir B:
intrusion that resulted from eruption of Eksplorasi Panas Bumi dengan
Bukit Gajah in quaternary period.
Metode Geofisika dan Geokimia
• Reservoir and seal zone of Bonjol area
pada Daerah Bonjol, Kabupaten
contained in centre of research area,
Pasaman – Sumatera Barat, ITB,
exactly in Bonjol Depression Zone and
Bandung.
the reservoir of the geothermal predict
as the old volcanic rocks(Lava Tua Unit
Nicholson, K., 1993. Geothermal Fluids:
and Lava Bukit Unit) that contain many
fractures. Chemical and Exploration
Techniques. Springer-Verlag Berlin
• Hotspring manifestation at Bonjol Heidelberg, 263 pages.
geothermal system has type of chloride
water Pusat Sumber Daya Geologi, 2007.
Penyelidikan Terpadu (Geologi,
• Temperature of Bonjol geothermal
Geokimia, dan Geofisika) Daerah
system reservoir range on 180° C
Panas Bumi Bonjol, Kabupaten
• Heat lose factor at Bonjol area reach up Pasaman, Sumatera Barat.
to 1MWe and the geothermal potential Direktorat Inventarisasi Sumber
is predicted can produce energy Daya Mineral Subdit Panas Bumi.
±53MWe Pusat Sumber Daya Geologi.
Bandung. 128 pages.
• Geothermal system of Bonjol area is
geothermal cyclic system associated
with quaternary vulkanism and medium
temperature magma intrusion

REFERENCES

van Bemmelen, R.W., 1949. The Geology

of Indonesia. Vol.1A. The Hague,
Government Printing Office. 732
pages.

Hochstein, M.P. dan Browne, P.R.L.,

2000. Surface Manifestation of
Geothermal Systems with Volcanic
Heat Sources. In Encyclopedia of

8
Figure 1 . Map index of the research area (PSDG, 2007)

Figure 2. Geological Map of Bonjol Area (PSDG, 2007)

Figure 3 Sumatera tectono-structural unit (Hutapea, 2010)
 Figure 4 Location Map of Bonjol Hotspring (Hutapea, 2010)

Table 1. Calculation of Ion Equilibrium (Hutapea, 2010)

 Figure 5. Ternary diagram Cl- SO4 – HCO3 Bonjol Hotspring (Hutapea, 2010)

Table 2. Data Processing for composition of Na-K-Mg Bonjol Area (Hutapea, 2010)
 Figure 6. Ternary Diagram of Geothermometer Na – K – Mg (Hutapea, 2010)

Table 3. Calculation of Geothermometer Silica (Hutapea, 2010)

Table 4 Calculation of Natural Heat Lose (Hutapea, 2010)

Figure 7 Conceptual Model of Bonjol Geothermal System (Hutapea, 2010)