Accretion and Dispersion of Southeastern Sundaland: The Growing and Slivering of Continent and

Petroleum Implications*

Awang H. Satyana
1

Search and Discovery Article #30261 (2012)**
Posted December 31, 2012

*Adapted from oral presentation at AAPG International Convention and Exhibition, Singapore, 16-19 September 2012
**AAPG2012 Serial rights given by author. For all other rights contact author directly.

1
BPMIGAS, Jakarta, Indonesia (aharun@bpmigas.go.id)

Abstract

Sundaland presently constitutes the southeastern corner of the Eurasian continental plate. Terrane analysis reveals that the
Sundaland is made up of a number of terranes originating from the northern Gondwanaland, which rifted, drifted, and
amalgamated in the Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic.

Occupying the position of active continental margin, the Sundaland recorded the history of the growing of continent by
accretion. A number of SE Sundaland accreted crustal masses have been identified: oceanic Meratus, continental Paternoster,
Ciletuh-Luk Ulo-Bayat subduction complex, continental SW Sulawesi, Bantimala-Barru-Biru subduction complex, Flores Sea
Islands, and continental Sumba Island. These crustal masses accreted the original SE Sundaland (Schwaner Core) during
150-60 Ma (Late Mesozoic).

Started at around 50 Ma, in the Middle Eocene, some of the accreted mass of SE Sundaland rifted and drifted apart. The
dispersed masses include SW Sulawesi, Flores Sea Islands, and Sumba Island. The dispersion of SE Sundaland is considered
due to trans-tension rifting related to tectonic escape of India-Eurasia collision and/or back-arc spreading by rollback
movement of slower rate-subduction, resulting in opening of the Makassar Straits and Bone Basins, segmentation of East Java
Basement and slivering of Sumba terrane.

A number of sedimentary basins developed during dispersion of SE Sundaland, provided by Paleogene tectonostratigraphic
sequences with proven and potential sources, reservoirs and traps. Reconstruction of accretion and dispersion of SE Sundaland
can reveal the evolution and development of the basins, important for exploration evaluation

Selected References

Abdullah, C.I., 1994, Contribution favorite study Geological Ille Sumba: Contributions to the knowledge of Geodynamics Archipelago
Eastern Indonesia: PhD theseis, University Savoie, Chambery, France, 255 p., unpublished.

Abdulla, C.I., J.P. Tampnoux, H. Bellon, R.C. Maury, and R. Sieria-Atmadja, 2000, The evolution of Sumba Island
(Indonesia) revisited in the light of new data on geochronology and geochemistry of the magmatic rocks: Journal of Asian
Earth Sciences, v. 18/5, p. 533-546.

Bransden, P.J.E., and S.J. Matthews, 1992, Structural and stratigraphic evolution of the East Java Sea, Indonesia: AAPG
Bulletin, v. 76/7, p. 1092.

Burollet, P.F., and C. Salle, 1981, Seismic reflection profiles in the Makassar Strait, in A.J. Barver, and S. Wiryosujono, (eds.),
The geology and tectonics of eastern Indonesia; proceedings of the CCOP-IOC SEATAR Working Group meeting, Geological
Research and Development Centre Republic of Indonesia, Special Publication, v. 2, p. 273-276.

Collins, W.J., 2003, Slab pull, mantle convection, and Pangaean assembly and dispersal: Earth and Planetary Science Letters,
v. 205/3-4, p. 225-237.

Hall, R., 1999, Tropical erosion and implications for tectonic processes, in H. Darman, and F.H. Sidi, (eds.), Tectonics and
Sedimentation of Indonesia: Indonesian Sedimentologists Forum Special Publication, p. 18.

Hall, R., 2012, Sundaland and Wallacea: geology, plate tectonics and palaeogeography, in D.J. Gower, J.E. Richardson, B.R.
Rosen, L. Ruber, and S.T. Williams (eds.), Biotic Evolution and Environmental Change in Southeast Asia: Cambridge
University Press, p. 32-78.

Hall, R., and C.K. Morley, 2004, Sundaland Basins, in P. Clift, P. Wang, W. Kuhnt, and H. Kuhnt, (eds.), Continent-Ocean
Interactions within the East Asian Marginal Seas: American Geophysical Union, Geophysical Monograph, p. 55-85.

Hamilton, W., 1979, Tectonics of the Indonesian region: U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 1078.

Hasan, K., 1991, The Upper Cretaceous flysch succession of the Balangbaru Formation, Southwest Sulawesi: Proceedings of
the 20
th
Annual Convention, IPA, p. 183-208.

Hutchison, C.S., 1984, Marginal sea formation by rifting of the Chinese and Australian continental margins and implications
for Borneo: Regional Congress on Geology Mineral and Energy Resources of Southeast Asia GEOSEA, v. 5, 15 p.

Hutchison, C.S., 1989, Geological Evolution of South-East Asia: Oxford Monographs on Geology and Geophysics, Clarendon
Press, 376 p.

Metcalfe, I., 1996, Pre-Cretaceous evolution of SE Asian terranes, in R. Hall, and D.J. Blundell, (eds.), Tectonic Evolution of
SE Asia: Geological Society London, Special Publication, v. 106, p. 97-122.

Mudjiono, R., and G.E. Pireno, 2002, Exploration of the north Madura Platform, offshore east Java, Indonesia, in J. Sykora,
and F. Musgrove, (chairpersons), Proceedings of the Annual Convention Indonesian Petroleum Association, v. 28/1, p. 707-
726.

Parkinson, C.D., K. Miyazaki, K. Wakita, A.J. Barber, and D.A. Carswell, 1998, An overview and tectonic synthesis of the
pre- Tertiary very high-pressure metamorphic and associated rocks of Java, Sulawesi and Kalimantan, Indonesia, in L.G. Liou,
B. Cong, and S. Maruyama, (eds.), Dynamic metamorphic and high- and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism: Island Arc, v. 7, p.
184-200.

Satyana, A.H., 2003, Accretion and dispersion of Southeast Sundaland: the growing and slivering of a continent: Proceedings
of Joint Convention of Indonesian Association of Geologists and Indonesian Association of Geophysicists, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Satyana, A.H., D.N. Imanhardjo, and I. Surantoko, 1999, Tectonic controls on the hydrocarbon habitats of the Barito, Kutei,
and Tarakan Basins, eastern Kalimantan, Indonesia: major dissimilarities in adjoining basins: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences,
v. 17, p. 99-122.

Satyana, A.H., and M.E.M. Purwaningsih, 2002, Geochemistry and habitats of oil and gas in the East Java Basin: regional
evaluation and new observations: Proceedings, IPA, 31
st
Annual Convention, p. 68-102.

Satyana, A.H., and C. Armandita, 2008, On the Origin of the Meratus Uplift, Southeast Kalimantan Tectonic and Gravity
Constraints : A Model for Exhumation of Collisional Orogen in Indonesia: Proceedings 33
rd
Annual Convention, Indonesian
Associates of Geophysicists, Bandung, 4 p.

Sengor, C., and K.J. Hsu, 1984, The Cimmerides of eastern Asia; history of the eastern end of Paleo-Tethys, in Anonymous
(ed.), Paleogeography of India, Tibet and Southeast Asia; comparison of paleontologic data with geodynamic models; special
meeting of the Geological Society of France: Memoirs of the Geological Society of France, New Series, v. 147, p. 139-167.

Soeria-Atmadja, R., S. Suparka, C.I. Abdulla, D. Noeradi, and Sutanto, 1998, Magmatism in western Indonesia, the trapping of
the Sumba block and the gateways to the east of Sundaland: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, v. 16/1, p. 1-12.

Tapponier, P., G. Peltzer, A.Y. Le Dain, R. Armijo, and P. Cobbold, 1982, Propagating extrusion tectonics in Asia: new
insights from simple experiments with plasticine: Geology, v. 10, p. 611-616.

Tapponier, P., G. Peltzner, and R. Armijo, 1986, On the mechanism of the collision between India and Asia, in M.P. Coward,
and A.C. Ries, (eds.), Collision Tectonics: Geological Society of London, Special Publication, p. 115-157.

Wakita, K., 2000, Cretaceous accretionary-collision complexes in central Indonesia: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, v. 18/6,
p. 739-749.

Wilson, M.E.J., and D.W.J. Bosence, 1996, The Tertiary evolution of South Sulawesi: a record in redeposited carbonates of the
Tonasa Limestone Formation, in R. Hall and D.J. Blundell, (eds.), Tectonic evolution of Southeast Asia: Geological Society of
London, Special Publication, v. 106, p. 365-389.

Wood, B.G.M., 1985, The mechanics of progressive deformation in crustal plates a working model for southeast Asia:
Geological Society of Malaysia Bulletin, v. 18, p. 55-99.
Accretion and Dispersion of Southeastern
Sundaland: The Growing and Slivering of
Continent and Petroleum Implications

AAPG International Conference & Exhibition
Singapore, 16-19 September 2012
Awang H. Satyana (BPMIGAS)
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Regional Setting
3. Accretion of Sundaland
4. Dispersion of Southeastern Sundaland
5. Petroleum Implications
6. Conclusions


Sundaland according to
Prof. Charles S. Hutchison
The term Sundaland strictly defines the landmass of
south-east Asia, comprising Indochina, the ThaiMalay
Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and the shallow
marine shelf (the Sunda Shelf ) between them which
stood above the sea during the low sea levels of the
Pleistocene epoch.
Sundaland is itself a composite of welded cratonic
terrains and younger orogenic belts, which stabilized to
form the single aseismic cratonic core of south-east Asia
during Late Triassic times. Younger tectonic activity has
occurred around its active margins.

The margins of Sundaland are somewhat fragmented and tectonically complicated
on the east. The margins of Sundaland in south Borneo are also ill-defined.
The Early Tertiary opening of the Makassar Basin has rifted away from Borneo the
western now extinct volcanic arc of Sulawesi, which appears to have once formed
the eastern margin of Borneo, and hence is regarded as a rifted part of Sundaland.
1933 - 2011
Hutchison (1989), Geological Evolution of South-East Asia
Distribution of
pre-Mesozoic
continental
basement in
SE Asia
Hutchison (1984)
,
", .. ell 1$1..11101
lI'ttHSfiElO 'UI
""'lE' !Stuos
tHO l UI
"'l Awn kOU
, lIlCOtUl-l1l''''IU
IUil'T II I$IIlUO$
SHAMl lUlU
t lI,toGUll"U I'(WISUtl 'lOCI
NTUIIOU(' l>\,rroRot
IRII Of suu.n,
IUG,.I- SUl ' s'UIt
BUION ItOel
011 ISt UO ' tOCI
tYRU- IIIIION - S(UII SlUR
SUIi U
S"'UONG BLOCI
,,,
""" .
,t
,
u
"'ill<
.....
D
-
ialKitioncli (1'.$1 , riflc4
conlinentol IrGqll'ltMs ond
III...-.\Itd allSl
Octonic or JOIInq iIkInd
ore tnlSl, tMf'tfl in
platts M
stdimtnls
Wollou', Lint 11\0101
CWId difi$ioR I
it!IdI potiIioo\ locht)
.....
, .. ,
...... Sqturt zone conloinillq
te(tonk compltl.ilr or
ao/IioiTe
COf1linenkl' Ir!l9menl
(we eoption lor nGlI\f I
E.ltnsionol
T Basin
" .
Accretion and Dispersion of Sundaland
Sundaland was formed by amalgamation of continental blocks during the
Triassic Indosinian orogeny and is surrounded by material mostly added
later in the Mesozoic (Hall and Morley, 2004).
The formation of present-day SE Asia involved the progressive suturing of
terranes to each other during Late Palaeozoic to Cenozoic times and their
subsequent disruption, principally caused by the collision of India with
Eurasia. The ages of sutures in eastern and SE Asia become younger to the
south and southeast (Metcalfe, 1996).
Plate fragmentation of SE Asia by NW-SE shears (Wood, 1985) could have
been produced by the collision of cratonic India with Eurasia (extrusion or
escape tectonics (Tapponier et al., 1982, 1986). The continental lithosphere
of SE Asia would be displaced towards the east and south-east as India
indents (Sengor and Hsu, 1984; Hutchison, 1985).

amalgamation, progressive suturing = accretion
disruption, fragmentation = dispersion

Phanerozoic Plate
Reconstruction
Collins (2003)
Continents passed their history
through numerous alternating
accretion and dispersion.
Sundaland is a miniature to this.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Regional Setting
3. Accretion of Sundaland
4. Dispersion of Southeastern Sundaland
5. Petroleum Implications
6. Conclusions


Sundaland
Sundaland
Hall (1999)
Present Tectonic Setting of Indonesia
Hall (1999)
Sundaland
Sahul Land
Indian Oceanic Plate
Australian Plate
Pacific Plate
Philippine Sea Plate
Eurasian Plate
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Regional Setting
3. Accretion of Sundaland
4. Dispersion of Southeastern Sundaland
5. Petroleum Implications
6. Conclusions


Metcalfe (1996)
Sundaland is an
amalgamation
of terranes
Incl.
I ON
leg"'"
XXXX
A A - ~ Thrust
----6....- Inactive tro",'"
0----6....- Active t rench
Terrane boundary
Inferred I""" .. ,,,,,,,,,ta,,,
c=J Oceanic crust
c=J Acx:reted crust
c=J Extended continental crust
D
D
D
Terranes derived from
GOfI(l'wana in the
Devonian
Terranes derived from
South China- Indochina In
the Cretaceous-Terti ary
Mesozoic arc terranes
E
D
D
Terranes derived Irom
GOfI(l'wana in the
late Early Permian
Indian continent deri ved
Irom Gondwana In
the Cretaceous
-
D
20N
Philippine
Sea plate
o
,
SOOkm
,
Australia
Terranes derived from
Gondwana in lhe
ION
l OS
Late Triassio-Late Jurassic
Terranes derived from
New Guinea region In t he
Cenozoic
3
1
2
4
SW Borneo
Paternoster
-Kangean
1. Nan-Uttaradit, Raub-Bentong, Karimun-Bangka Paleo-Tethys suture (Middle-Late Triassic)
2. Natuna-Belitung Paleo-Tethys suture (Early-Mid Cretaceous)
3. Takengon-Bandarlampung Meso-Tethys suture (mid-Late Cretaceous)
4. Meratus-Bawean Meso-Tethys suture (early-mid Late Cretaceous)
Terranes and sutures of
Sundaland , defining
accretion of terranes to
Sundaland by closing
Paleo- and Meso-
Tethys Oceans from
Middle Triassic to Late
Cretaceous
1
terrane
suture
mod. after Satyana (2009)
Accretion of Sundaland
Hall (2012)
INDIAN
AUSTRAUAN
PLATE
!... __ ~ ' - _ ~ , o o o ADDED IN
EARLY LATE CRETACEOUS
~ . ,
PHILIPPINE
,<A
PLATE
I
CAROLI NE
PLATE
Accretion of
Sundaland by
Amalgamation
of Paternoster
to SW Borneo
terranes,
consuming
Meso-Tethys
Ocean, resulting
in Meratus-
Bawean suture
accreted crust
SW Borneo Block
East Malaya Block
Mangkalihat
Paternoster
Pompangeo
Meratus
collision &
ophiolite obduction
Alino Arc
Ceno-Tethys Ocean
Meso-Tethys Ocean
(consumed)
proto-South China Sea
distal granite
sites of subduction fossil (Late Cretaceous)
Gondwanan micro-continents
500 KM
N
110E 115E
0
5S
modified after Parkinson et al., (1998); Satyana (2003)
Paleo-Tethys
suture
Meso-Tethys
suture
Mid-Cretaceous
Schwaner
(part of SW Borneo)
Paternoster
Alino Arc
Early Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
(Alino Arc formation)
(Manunggul volcanics, slab
break off, start of exhumation)
modified after Hasan (1991), Wakita (2000), Satyana and Armandita (2008)
Paternoster
Schwaner
Paternoster
Schwaner
upper Early Cretaceous
(collision and suturing)
Meso-Tethys Ocean
Closure of Meso-Tethys Ocean by Collision of
Schwaner - Paternoster micro-continents
Meso-Tethys Suture
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Regional Setting
3. Accretion of Sundaland
4. Dispersion of Southeastern Sundaland
5. Petroleum Implications
6. Conclusions


extension
Dispersion of Western
Sulawesi by opening of the
Makassar Straits since
middle Eocene (45 Ma)
thinned continental
crust
thinned continental crust
Makassar Straits Transects
Mahakam Delta
Sulawesi Fold Belt
Top Basement
W E
100 km
Mantle
Attenuated Crust
Continental
Lower Crust
Syn-rift
Bsmt?
Continental
Gravity & Magnetics
East Java Sea Rifted Structure
Mudjiono and Pireno (2002)
LEGEND :
IZ] : HIGH AREA
o , INTERMEDIATE AREA
o : LOW AREA
... : RECENT VOLCANIC
.. 0

I dr.
JAVA


-
,
...!- .

Ciletuh
Luk Ulo
Bayat
Meratus
Paternoster
Sumba
Flores Sea Islands
Barru
Bantimala
Biru
Kalimantan
Sulawesi
Java
Lesser Sunda Islands
Java Sea
Sulawesi Sea
Indian Ocean
Flores Sea
East Java Sea
Schwaner Mts.
Accreted and Rifted-Drifted SE Sundaland
Stratigraphy of Accretionary Complex of SE Sundaland
J
u
r
a
s
s
i
c

C
r
e
t
a
c
e
o
u
s

E
a
r
l
y

L
a
t
e

chert
chert
chert
melange
schist
schist
schist
schist breccia
schist & phyllite
pillow lava
pillow
lava
Paremba
sandstones
rhyolite
schist, phyllite,
meta-gabbro
marble
schist
turbidite
turbidite
?metamorphics
limestone
greywacke
ultramafics
gabbro
Meratus
Complex
Ciletuh
Complex
Luk Ulo
Complex
Bayat
Complex
Bantimala
Complex
ultramafics
ultramafics
ultramafics
?metamorphics
ultramafics
Flores Sea
Islands
?
50
60
80
70
90
100
110
120
130
140
AGE TECTONICS EAST JAVA SEA OUTCROP / WELL SW SULAWESI
PLATE
REORGANISATION
TRANSPRESSIONAL
DEFORMATION
MARGINAL
BASINS
FORMED
ACCRETION
OF MICRO-
CONTINENTAL
FRAGMENTS
ONTO SUNDA
SHIELD
PLATE
REORGANISATION
PATERNOSTER-1
PRE-NGIMBANG
FORMATION
PAGERUNGAN
WEST KANGEAN
MANUK-1
NSA-10
SIRI-1
JS 5-1
L 46-1
SERPENTISED
AMPHIBOLITE
(NO AGE DATA)
HIGH PRESSURE
SCHISTS,
METAMORPHOSED
ULTRABASICS,
METASEDIMENTS
BONE-1
?SSA-1X
BALANGBARU
FORMATION
T
E
R
T
I
A
R
Y

L
A
T
E


C
R
E
T
A
C
E
O
U
S

E
A
R
L
Y


C
R
E
T
A
C
E
O
U
S

(Ma)
Pre-Tertiary Stratigraphy of SE Sundaland
modified from Bransden and Matthews (1992)
Regional Setting of Sumba Island
mod. after Hamilton (1979), Burollet and Salle (1981), Abdullah et al. (2000)
114E 116 118
BORNEO
II
,./
I/'
~
"<
- ~
'X-
'/10 00 ~
lJ *-"?: -'?"
LAUT ~ " ? : c;. II
UJUNG'k
PANDANG ~
120
'- -0\
FLORES SEA \
BALI BASIN
FLORES TROUOIj
- - ....... \
----
JAVA TRENCH
122 124 126
MOLUCCA
SEA
128 130 132 134 136E
PACIFIC OCEAN
"0. r""--.. WAIGEO
o o ~
IRIAN
YA
SAHUL
PLATFORM
o os
a
2 oS
6 oS
8 oS
10
0
S
12S
Wilson et al. (1996)
Abdullah (1994)
Stratigraphic Succession of South Sulawesi and Sumba
WEST SUMBA
CENTRAL SUMBA
32 - 30 MA
LATE OLIGOCENE
10 - 7 MA
LATE MIOCENE
20 - 18 MA
EARLY MIOCENE
45 - 40 MA
EARLY EOCENE
6 cm/yr
6 cm/yr
6 cm/yr
11
cm/yr
opening
subduction zone
plate movement
volcano magmatic belt
transform fault
SUMBA
SUMBA
SUMBA
SUMBA
Detachment and Emplacement of Sumba Island
Soeria-Atmadja et al. (1998)
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Regional Setting
3. Accretion of Sundaland
4. Dispersion of Southeastern Sundaland
5. Petroleum Implications
6. Conclusions


Kalimantan Tectonics and Basin Development
Satyana et al. (1999)
'ON
I,,"E
SOUTH CHINA
SEA
o
N
6
JOOKM
17'- .
SULAWESI SEA
AJtS "
Kutei - North Makassar Basins
Sections across Kutei and Barito Basins
Barito Basin
Satyana et al. (1999)
1011:,"
BORNEO
DELTA PLAIN
SANDSTONES
c::::::::J
NW
TUNU ...... ,
-----
DELTA FRONT
SANDSTONES
SHELF-EDGE
CARBONATES
MARINE
MUDSTONES
I I
-
............ :,;. ....
. '. .. ""' ...
................ +++++ f-++ ++++++
... ++++++ .... +++++-t
OARIT O PLATFO R M
....' DOLE M IOCEN IE TO eARLY Pl..IOCEN E M lGflAnON
___ P\..IO- r>t..EI8TQCEN E .... lGnAnON
20 K M S
...
----------
TURBIDITE
SANDSTONES
I I
E
..
, ..
SE
OARiTO OE P OCEN TER/FOREOEEP
Trans-Eastern Sundaland Chronostratigraphy
Bacheller III et al. (2011)
CI)
c:
M
CI)
(.)
0
....
L
CI)
c:
U CI)
(.)
0

'"
L D...
Mz.-
Pz.
Conjugate Mar-gin
Offsho ....e
Mahakam Delta
_ a"'<h"""
I:l N .,riti ",
.... ,. . ... ,.
Locus "'-' n .,

IiI c"' ............ ....
.......... ,.
Plat'fo ....rn Ca ....bonates on
Rifted High-Blocks
Conjugate Mal""gin
Foldbelt
Onsho.-e
SulaW'esi
6 S
8 S
7 S
111 E 113 E 115 E
NORTH MADURA PLATFORM
CENTRAL HIGH
SOUTH HIGH
BIOGENIC GAS FIELD
THERMOGENIC GAS FIELD (WITH CONDENSATE)
OIL FIELD (SOME WITH GAS)
LANDMASS

50 KM
N
Bukit Tua-Jenggolo
Banyu Urip
Mudi
Sukowati
BD
KE 40
KE 23
KE 2
KE 30
Camar
Ujung Pangkah
Sidayu
Payang
Paleogeography of East Java Basin during Paleogene
Satyana & Purwaningsih (2002)
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Regional Setting
3. Accretion of Sundaland
4. Dispersion of Southeastern Sundaland
5. Petroleum Implications
6. Conclusions


Conclusions
1. A number of terranes, originating from the northern
Gondwanaland, amalgamated forming the Sundaland from the
Middle Triassic to Late Cretaceous through subduction and
collision, closing successive Paleo- and Meso-Tethys Oceans.
2. Southeastern parts of the accreted Sundaland started to disperse
due to a number of mechanisms related to collision of India to
Eurasia in 50 Ma (post-collision tectonic escape or rifting by
subduction roll-back), separating its continental fragments, such
as western Sulawesi and Sumba, through basement
segmentation, rifting, slivering and displacement.


3. Collision of Paternoster terrane to Sundaland, suturing the
Meratus ophiolites formed foreland basin of Barito, the basin
generated and trapped petroleum when the Meratus was uplifted
started in mid-Miocene time.
4. Fragmentation of southeastern Sundaland resulted in basement
horsts and grabens in present Makassar Straits, western Sulawesi
and East Java basins where petroleum sources were deposited in
grabens and reefal carbonates developed on horsts. This
petroleum system is productive in East Java Basin and potential in
the Makassar Straits and western Sulawesi.


Conclusions (contd)
Acknowledgments
Management of BPMIGAS
Prof. Robert Hall
AAPG Technical Program Committee