Proceedings 15th Geothemal Workshop 1993 103

EXPLORATION RESULTS OF THE ULUBELU

GEOTHERMAL PROSPECT, SOUTH SUMATRA,
INDONESIA
SUNARYO, D. HANTONO, S. GANDA NUGROHO
PERTAMINA Geothermal Division, Jakarta,Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The Ulubelu prospect is centred in a terrain dominated by several large andesitic volcanoes, which have been active over the
last 4 million years. The geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys have currently been carried out to confirm these
level prospectivity. The results from these methods delineate that the prospect area is about 30 The chemical
geothermometers indicate maximum reservoir temperaturesas high as with zone of upflow could exist beneath Ulubelu
area at the north and lateral flow of thermal water to the south.

INTRODUCTION generation which would be operated commercially in year

In of supporting this planing, State
The Ulubelu geothermal prospect is located in Lampung Company is currently developing 150 KV
Province, South Sumatra, It is situated about 80 from interconnected transmission line throughout South Sumatra
Tanjungkarang (Figure 1). The rapid increase of the which is expected to be ready in 1994. For further
industrial development which is affects parallel to geothermal studies, Pertamina has conducted exploration
electricity demand, will create a possibility of increasing activities including geological, geochemical and
the electric generation in South Sumatra. geophysical survey. By judging the data, these surveys
concludes that geothermal prospect in this area will be
feasible to develop.

GEOLOGICAL SETTING

Sumatra at present forms part of the oblique subduction

between the Oceanic India-Australia plate and the Eurasia
I
plate. The stresses resulting its have been released
by strike slip fault movements to produced the
major Sumatra fault system, which axially bisects the
island (Rock et al, 1982). Beside that magma movement
which is associated with subduction has affected to the
rising of Sumatra volcanic arc, extending virtually the
entire length of Sumatra, also the occurrence of volcanic
activity along this Sumatra fault system suggesting the
potential for shallow magmatic heat source and zone of
permeability. The relatively thin extensive recent
volcanism led to the formation of the Sumatra which is
overlie folded and fractured Neogen sediments also
unconformably overlie Pre-Tertiary basements. Generally
the stratigraphy consist of rock from Pre-Tertiary to
-1ULUBELU
QEOTHERMAL
PROSPECT
Recent ages, which is composed meta sediment-sediment,
intrusive, volcanic rocks and alluvial deposit (Rock et al,
Figure 1 : Location map of Ulubelu Prospect 1982). The Ulubelu geothermal prospect lies within this
chain and also related to the occurrence geology of
Sumatra fault system. Although the NW-SE trending faults
A program of geothermal study have been started since generate the surface of the prospect, there is also a
1990, this program led to develop of Ulubelu prospect, network of faults formed by secondary extension striking
where Pertamina plans to develop 80 electric mostly 1991). These faults are
 104

LITHOLOGY

'-
Fumarole

Fault

Figure 2 Geological map of Ulubelu, South Sumatra, Indonesia M, 1990)

supposed to control the permeability the Ulubelu prospect. The sulfate content is highly variable due to derived from
The local stratigraphy consist of andesitic and basaltic oxidation of hydrogen sulfide in the vadose zone. There is
breccias, tuffs and lavas (Figure 2). G. and G . not chemical evidence for the presence of magmatic steam
are young andesitic cones Mio-Pleistocene in the acid spring waters, it is indicated by a little fluorine
built on the northern and southern of the Ulubelu prospect, and chloride concentration in the springs. On the other
suggested these deposits mostly derived from two hand at elevation 150 m discharge neutral springs
volcanoes. A little dacite dome ( G. Duduk) encountered occur in the southern part have an appreciable chloride
in central part and close to surface thermal features. It has content. The chloride concentrations of around 600 - 875
been dated at approximately 3.93 Ma age ppm and ratios of 35-50. The low ratios are
1992). Exposed in the southeast part of the prospect and caused by relatively high B contents which is indicated a
also underlying it, are lava and breccias andesitic as well possibility of interaction between reservoir water and
as Miocene granodiorite intrusion. Some of quaternary sedimentary rock. The relatively high ratios of
volcanic rocks in the area have been hydrothermally with little magnesium concentrations, suggesting these
altered in a manner which indicates mainly steam heating, waters coming from deep reservoir. Solute
but also the action of acid condensates. mometer is indicated minimum deep temperatures of
around 200°C.

GEOCHEMTSTRY The dominant gases from fumaroles are CO, about 97

mole% and 2 - 3 mole%. The
Surface features in the Ulubelu prospect consist of 1980gas geothermometer indicates a reservoir temperature
several fumaroles, steaming ground, mud pools and hot about whereas gas geothermometer which are
springs. Which is mostly hot acid sulfate springs associated based on ratio molal C02 and H2S (Giggenbach, 1990)
with fumaroles at elevation 900 m give result more uniform about 250°C.

Thirteen springs and three gas samples were collected Soil mercury surveys have been carried out over the area.
from selected sites during 1990. The results analyzed are anomalous results are located over the steam heated zones
reported in Table 1. By the chemical constituents of hot in the Pagaralam and Datarajan, which is associated with
springs, they can be classified as sulfate waters and several fault systems. There is large areas of elevated soil
chloride waters. This combination is typical of high mercury content grater than 260 ppb and occasionally
temperature liquid water geothermal system in mountain coincide with thermal features (Figure 3).
terrain.
 Figure Compilation map Ulubelu prospect
105 Figure 4 Temperature gradient of
South Indonesia Sumatra,Indonesia

TEMPERATURE
0

-
E
120

160

240

20 70

GEOPHYSICS trending faults, parallel and subparallel to the

Sumatra fault system. The second structure is NE trending
Geophysical data including resistivity, gravity and faults, which is associated with intensive altered rock and
magnetic surveys show a prospective area of about 30 some fumaroles. These faults likely control the
converted by some of young breccia and andesitic permeability of geothermal systems in this area. The
lava flow. The result of the traversing Schlumberger array reservoir is inferred to be associated with fractured
= m is shown in Figure 3. Neogen sediments and Pre-Tertiary basements overlain by
Quaternary volcanics. No specific geological event or
It can be seen that the area has a apparent resistivity of feature has been identified as the probable cause for
less than 10 Ohm-m occurs in the central region, which is emplacement of the heat source for the system, but the
most likely associated with a zone of active hydrothermal chemists indicates that deep alkali chloride water ascend
fluid upflow. The gravity and magnetic surveys were also and that deep H2S oxidizes discharged as acid sulfate in
completed for structural controlling and delineating the central region. This is also reflected by mercury
prospect. However anomalies pattern does not provide any anomalies, it is supposed to be a corresponding with up
clear indication of boundary and subsurface structures but flow zone.
it could be important components of the geothermal
system. A shallow well bore is currently being drilled at A notable feature of the discharge in
the central anomalies. The result of measurement shown moderate terrain indicating a liquid dominated system
thermal gradient is relatively high (Figure 4). The occurs in the Ulubelu prospect. In addition, a pattern of
temperature tends to rise continuously and approximately 10-15 resistivity extend to the flat terrain and
an C temperature difference existsbetween the bottom might reflect an outflow structure of neutral hot water.
and top of the water level (Pertamina, 1992). There is an Due to their acidity and shallow mixture with other waters,
indication that a little or no variation in thermal pattern no reliable data from surface liquid discharges in high
within the well, which is reflected a conductive zone. terrain which can provide useful information about
subsurface temperatures, whereas the gas geothermometer
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION gives the temperature of 260°C.

The prospect occurs in moderate-high terrain with the By using these data are inferred three dimensional model
presence some discharges boiling neutral spring and geothermal of Ulubelu prospect as can be seen in figure 5.
fumaroles. There are two principle local structural trends Initial explorationdrilling should be planned to investigate
 106
the deep characteristics of the reservoir within boundary ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
prospect close to shallow well bore ULB-2, which is
considered base on several prospect data and accessibility We would like to thank the management of Pertamina for
aspects. their permission to publish this paper.

Figure S
REFERENCES
3 D Model of Ulubelu geothermal prospect
M, Soenaryo and Hantono D, 1993,
Resource characterizationandDevelopment of
South Geothermal Prospects, Indonesian
Petroleum Association.

-
O for Pertamina, 1993,
Evaluation of the UlubeluGeothermalArea SouthSumatra,
(Unpublished)

A S . , 1991,StructuralAnalysis of the
Bay, Lampung, South Sumatera, Indonesian
Association of Geologists p .354-3 73.

Masdjuk M., 1990, Geologi daerah

Lampung, Pertnmina Report (Unpublished).

Rock N.M.S. Permian to Recent Volcanismin

Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, A Preliminary Study at its
distributionchemistry&peculiarities. Bull. Volcanolog ique

Serba Multi Sarana for 1992, Survey

C 0 2 didaerah Ulubelu, Lampung Selatan. Internal report
(Unpublished)

Jayaguna for Pertamina, 1992, Pemboran

landaian suhu daerah Ulubelu,Lampung. Internal
(Unpublished).

TABLE 1 SPRING AND GAS CHEMISTRY OF ULUBELU

NUB-2 98 1.8 3 3 1.8 0.84 0.01 - 5 2770 0.1 0.1 65

NUB-3 98 1.8 7 6 12.5 5.57 0.01 3 3420 0.2 - 255
NUB-4 95 4 8 2 7.0 2.00 2.20 2 - 121 0.30 63
NUB-5 96 5 13 6 10.4 7.00 0.02 3 - 178 426
SUB-3 99 7 479 37 14.8 2.00 0.04 799 30.1 61.4 2.5 16.1 195 13.0 49.6 195.80 178.23
SUB-5 99 7.8 402 35 24.4 0.51 1.59 - 590 111.0 50 1.6 12.4 171 11.8 47.6 205.39 169.53
SUB-6 99 7 543 56 16.9 2.30 0.01 853 24.6 66.2 3.0 18.5 277 12.9 46.1 219.64 203.28
UWL-27 98 8.2 458 40 19.8 0.40 1.61 0.08 705 85.0 60 1.7 19.7 295 11.8 35.8 205.64 208.07
UWL-31 96 8.1 470 38 12.3 0.10 1.70 0.16 725 47.0 81 1.9 19.7 337 9.0 36.7 199.41 218.52
UWL-32 95 7.7 393 32 10.8 0.40 1.27 0.16 584 114.0 49 1.7 16.0 260 11.9 36.4 199.98 198.56
UWL-36 98 7.9 554 57 14.6 0.10 2.03 0.24 876 24.0 72 2.4 23.4 420 12.2 37.4 219.44 236.83
UWL-49 98 8.1 500 45 13.6 0.10 1.79 0.16 775 27.0 66 2.3 19.7 283 11.7 39.3 208.11 204.90
UWL-158 97 8.2 560 55 12.9 0.10 1.84 0.24 856 31.0 58 2.5 22.2 424 14.8 38.6 215.44 237.65

96.60 2.80 0.55 0.0397 205 254.77

97.50 0.00010 2.22 0.06 0.2270 230 259.22
96.44 0.00026 3.10 0.13 0.2780 260 252.89
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