Organic petrological and organic geochemical characterisation of the Tertiary coal-bearing sequence of Batu Arang, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract

The Tertiary coal-bearing sequence at Batu Arang in Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia consists of a sandstone–coal–oil shale facies assemblage. A detailed organic petrological and organic geochemical study was carried out on several organic-rich sediments from this sequence. The oil shales are dominated by Botryococcus-derived telalginite and Pediastrum-derived lamalginite. The coals, hypautochthonous in origin, are mainly duroclarite-type, although other minor microlithotypes also occur. Alginite is not observed in the coals, but other liptinitic constituents are very common, particularly thin-walled cutinite and sporinite. The oil shales and the coals are thermally immature. This immaturity has a considerable influence on the biomarker distributions, particularly so on the triterpanes which are dominated by C 31 αβ 22R and C 30 ββ compounds. Interestingly, for Tertiary aged sediments of continental origin, the diagnostic biomarker compounds such as 18 α(H)-oleanane and bicadinanes, normally linked to the higher land plant group of angiosperms, are not observed in the samples analysed. Tricyclic terpanes occur only in very low relative abundance or are virtually absent. A clear distinction, however, in the biomarker distributions of the shales and the coals/carbargilite can be made based upon the distribution of C 27–C 29 regular steranes: the shales, with a source input being predominantly planktonic algae, are dominated by 5 α(H),14 α(H),17 α(H) 20R cholestane, while the coals/carbargilites, with a source input consisting mainly of higher plant material, are dominated by 5 α(H),14 α(H),17 α(H) 20R ethyl cholestane. The depositional environment of the Batu Arang coal-bearing sequence is interpreted as varying from an alluvial flood plain peat-swamp to fluvio-lacustrine depositional setting.