High‐sulfidation epithermal–porphyry transition in the Kumbokarno Prospect, Trenggalek district, East Java, Indonesia: Constraints from mineralogy, fluid inclusion, and sulfur isotope studies

Abstract

An indication of high‐sulfidation epithermal–porphyry transition was observed in the Kumbokarno prospect, East Java, Indonesia. The prospect is composed of two Middle Miocene intrusions with tonalitic and dioritic compositions. Tonalite, the main host‐rock was subjected to argillic, advanced argillic, and vuggy quartz alteration, whereas the juxtaposing diorite was subjected to peripheral propylitic alteration. Three types of vein exist in the research area, which are massive quartz, comb quartz, and stockwork vein. In addition, supergene alteration represented by goethite and hematite pervasively superimposed both the hydrothermal alteration and mineralization. Fluid inclusion petrography and microthermometry analysis on three types of quartz veins distinguished primary fluid inclusions into two groups, that is, V30 group composed of vapor (30 vol%)–liquid (70 vol%), and the second group V30H group composed of vapor (30 vol%)–halite (30 vol%)–liquid (40 vol%). The homogenization temperatures of both the groups show a similar range of ca. 350–480°C, but the V30H group has significantly higher salinity (35–50 wt% NaCl eq.) compared to the V30 group (10–20 wt% NaCl eq.). In terms of the vein types, the massive quartz vein has the highest homogenization temperatures, followed by the comb quartz vein and lastly the stockwork veins. The presence of alunite and its sulfur isotope compositions, δ34S = 19.6 (σ = 2.1‰), indicate acidic pH and presence of SO42− in the hydrothermal fluids. The prospect is an intrusion‐centered magmatic‐hydrothermal system reflecting the porphyry‐epithermal transition. The fluid inclusions with high homogenization temperatures up to 480°C and high salinity up to 50 wt% NaCl eq. also support the transition of porphyry to high‐sulfidation epithermal mineralization. The presence of two different types of primary fluid inclusions suggests that boiling process occurred and separated the original magmatic fluid into the liquid and vapor phases. More, this fluid underwent dilution and mixing with meteoric waters. The migration of both the fluids were likely unrelated to the formation of the advanced argillic–argillic alteration halo because the quartz veins cut across this alteration. The prospect was later subjected to intensive weathering process that altered most of the sulfides into iron oxides and hydroxides. Small amounts of copper and minor gold were detected, especially in the iron oxides and hydroxides ones with colloform and bladed textures. The Kumbokarno prospect evidences the potential for high‐sulfidation to porphyry deposits at the Southern Mountain Arc, Indonesia.