Mineral Investigations in Northeastern Thailand GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 618 Prepared on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme Project of the Mekong Committee in cooperation with Royal Thai Department of Mineral Resources Mineral Investigations in Northeastern Thailand By HERBERT S. JACOBSON and CHARLES T. PIERSON, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, THAWISAK DANUSAWAD, THAWAT JAPAKASETR, BOONMAI INTHUPUTI, CHARLIE SIRIRATANAMONGKOL, SANER PRAPASSORNKUL, and NARIN PHOLPHAN, ROYAL THAI DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 618 Prepared on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme Project of the Mekong Committee in cooperation with Royal Thai Department of Mineral Resources UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1969 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WALTER J. HICKEL Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. GS 69-378 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Mineral prospects Continued Page Abstract.._________________________________________ 1 Manganese prospects.____ 17 Introduction- ______________________________________ 1 Gold prospects._________ 18 Scope of report.________________________________ 1 Nonmetallic prospects. --- 18 Previous investigations __________________________ 1 Limestone. __.-_-_-- 18 Background and objectives of present investigation. 3 Barite. _____________ 18 Methods of operation.__________________________ 3 Anhydrite-gypsum ___ 18 Geochemical and geophysical field procedures. _____ 4 18 Traverse-line preparation ____________________ 4 Economic development potential _____________--_-_-- 18 Geochemical soil surveys___________________ 4 Mineral reserves________.---_------_------------ 18 Magnetic surveys.__________________________ 4 Copper__ ------------------------------------ 19 Electrical surveys.__________________________ 5 Iron____ --------------------------------------- 19 Resistivity. ____________________________ 5 Nonmetallic mineral deposits. -------------------- 19 Self-potential__ _-_______---____-___--_ 5 Recommendations for future work- ------------------- 19 Electromagnetic ________________________ 5 Description of mineral prospects and deposits._________ 20 Induced polarization ____________________ 6 Base metals.... _____--.------------------------ 20 Acknowledgments__ ___________________________ 6 Phu Han-Phu Sang prospect.__ .___-_- - 20 Geography _ ______________________________________ 6 Phu Lek (Ban Na Muang prospect) _.__.--- 22 Topography ________________________________ Tagua and Phu Suan prospects-___-_-_-_ -- 22 Climate and vegetation__________________________ Huai Hob prospect ________--__-_-----_--- 22 Proposed Pa Mong dam___._____________________ Ban Khok Na Dok Kham prospect.___ 22 Regional geology___________________________________ Phu Sam Rua prospect______--_-----_------- 23 Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks---______- ._ Phu Tham Sua prospect. -------------------- 23 Devonian or older rocks____________________ Phu Hin Lek Fai area________--------------- 23 Devonian and lower Carboniferous rocks_____ 9 Phu Hin Lek Fai deposit-________-_----- 23 Carboniferous and Lower Permian rocks_______ 9 Geology-____--__-_---------------- 23 Triassic to Cretaceous rocks (Khorat Series) 9 Geochemical survey -___.___-.----- 25 Quaternary alluvium and laterite--________-__ 10 Geophysical surveys---. _______ 25 Igneous rocks__________________________________ 10 Phu Hin Lek Fai North prospect-- 25 Structure______________________________________ 10 Tonnage and grade____----------------- 25 Metamorphism ________ _ ______________________ 11 Conclusions and recommendations._____.- 29 Mineral deposits._______________________________ 11 Rong Rae and Khok Peng prospects____ 29 Regional magnetic information. ______________________ 11 Phu Thong Daeng copper deposit.______-_--- 29 Aeromagnetic surveys.__________________________ 11 Geology. ___ _--_ ---- --- 29 Magnetic interpretation- _ _ ______________________ 11 Geochemical and geophysical surveys. ... - 30 Geochemical reconnaissance._________________________ 13 Tonnage and grade____-------_--------- 30 Sampling and analysis_________________________ 13 Conclusions and recommendations.____.-- 30 Geochemical background- _______________________ 13 Phu Poon-Phu Pa Phai prospect_____._------ 30 Geochemical anomalies._________________________ 13 Phu Baw Lek prospect________---_---------- 32 Mineral prospects_________________________________ 15 Non Khok Kaw prospect..--..-------------- 32 Base-metal prospects..__________________________ 15 Phu Khum 1 (Ban Khok Mon) prospect -- 35 Copper-Iead-zinc deposits.___________________ 15 Phu Khum 2 (Ban Nong Ya Sai) prospect-__-_ 36 Phu Han-Phu Sang prospect. ____________ 15 Ban Huai Phuk prospect...- ------------ 38 Phu Hin Lek Fai area_--_-_--__--_-----_ 16 Khum Thong prospect---------------------- 38 Phu Thong Daeng deposit. ________- -__ 16 Iron.. 40 Phu Poon-Phu Pa Phai prospect._________ 16 Pone Bak Thek prospect -- - 40 Lead-zinc deposits. _________________________ 16 Phu Lek (Chiengkarn) deposit __--_-_ 40 Phu Khum 1 (Ban Khok Mon) prospect_ 16 Phu Yang deposit ._. --- --- --- 40 Phu Khum 2 (Ban Nong Ya Sai) prospect- 16 Iron prospects..________________________________ 17 Geology-.----.-.-- _.._.---- - 44 Phu Lek (Chiengkarn) deposit______________ 17 Magnetic survey ________ ______--_ 44 Phu Yang deposit_____________________ 17 Tonnage and grade--.-...-------------- 44 Phu Hia deposit.___________________________ 17 Conclusions and recommendations_____.-- 46 Phu Ang deposit__________________________ 17 Phu Hia deposit-.- ---- ____-- 46 IV CONTENTS Recommendations for future work Continued Geologic logs at diamond-drill holes Continued Iron Continued Base-metal prospects and deposits Continued Page Phu Kaeo Yai prospect _ ___________________ 47 Phu Hin Lek Fai diamond-drill hole2_______ 71 Phu Lek (Ban That) prospect. _______________ 47 Phu Hin Lek Fai diamond-drill hole 3_________ 71 Ban Sup prospect _ ________________________ 50 Phu Thong Daeng diamond-drill holes l-3_ _ _ _ _ 72 Phu Lek (Ban Mak Bit) prospect _ __________ 50 Phu Khum 1 (Ban Khok Mon) diamond-drill Ban Rei Tham prospect-____________________ 50 hole 1________________________ 72 Phu Noi prospect___________._______________ 50 Phu Khum 1 (Ban Khok Mon) diamond-drill Phu Luak prospect __ ______________________ 50 hole 2________________ ________ 73 Phu Ang deposit __ ________________________ 53 Phu Khum 1 (Ban Khok Mon) diamond-drill Geological and geophysical studies. _______ 53 hole3_______________________ 73 Geology- __________________________ 54 Phu Khum 1 (Ban Khok Mon) diamond-drill Magnetic survey____________________ 56 hole 4____________-___________ 73 Tonnage and grade. ____________________ 56 Phu Khum 2 (Ban Nong Ya Sai) diamond-drill Conclusions and recommendations. _______ 57 hole 1__________________________ 73 Pa Pao prospect- _-__---___---_____-________ 57 Iron deposits----------------------------------- 74 Phu Fai Mai prospect- _---___-____________-_ 57 Phu Lek (Chiengkarn) diamond-drill hole !____ 74 Phu Khok-Phu Khum Thong prospect _ ______ 58 Phu Yang drill holes 1-10-._-_.______-___ 74 Phu Din Baw Eelert prospect- _______________ 58 Phu Hia diamond-drill hole 1 ____________ 76 Phu Phun prospect ___ _____________________ 58 Phu Hia diamond-drill holes 2-4______________ 76 Other iron prospects__-_----_-_____-________ 58 Phu Ang drill holes 1-22___________________ 77 Manganese- ___________________________________ 58 Wang Saphung anhydrite-gypsum deposit________ 82 Huai Muang mine_ _________________________ 59 Wang Saphung gypsum drill holes 1 and 2_____ 82 Phu Lon mine__ _ ___________________________ 60 Chaiyaphum salt deposit-------- ____________ 83 Huai Khok Kha mine________-______________ 61 Chaiyaphum holes l-5__ __________________ 83 Huai Kan prospect.____-_-___-______________ 61 Chemical analyses.__________.__-___----_-_____-____ 84 Prakit prospect______---_--_--______________ 62 Base-metal deposits________-----------._----___- 84 Ban Dong Mak Fai prospect______. __________ 62 Phu Hin Lek Fai base-metal deposit, drill holes Huai Tad mine________-____________________ 62 1 and2__________--_-----_-----__----_-_- 84 Deposits southeast of Chiengkarn__ ___________ 63 Phu Thong Daeng copper deposit, drill holes Phu Hin Lek Fai prospect. ______________ 63 1-3 and Phu Khok trench 1____________ 85 Phu Tham Mup mine___________________ 63 Iron deposits-_-____------------------------_-_- 85 Deposits in the Ban Chiang Klom area. _______ 63 Phu Yang iron deposit, drill holes 1-10________ 85 Huai Nam Kam and Huai Tab Chang Phu Hia iron deposit, drill holes 1-4-_________ 86 prospects- ___________________________ 63 Phu Ang iron deposit, drill holes 2-12, 14-22. __ 87 Huai Pla Kang prospect_________________ 63 Pha Baen limestone deposit------------.----.---- 89 Gold__ ___________ _ __ _ ___________ 63 Wang Saphung anhydrite-gypsum deposit, drill holes Ban Phia prospect- ___--------______________ 63 1 and 2___________________________ 89 Ban Kham Duang prospect___-______________ 64 Chaiyaphum salt deposit-_______________________ 90 Limestone. ____________________________________ 65 Composition of composite drill-core samples.-.. 90 Pha Baen limestone (cement-grade) deposit. ___ 65 Analysis of core samples.____________________ 90 Barite. __ -______-.__ _ _____ ___ _ ___ __ __ 66 Semiquantitati ve spectrographic analyses ______________ 91 Ban Huai