Characterisation of barite bodies from Camal Island (Kenyir Geopark), Terengganu, Malaysia

The aim of this study is to understand the geological aspect and characterisation of barite bodies in Camal Island, a part of Kenyir National Geopark, in Terengganu state, Malaysia. Methods included a desk study, field investigations, and laboratory analyses including petrographic analysis, XRD, and SEM. Based on the field investigation and petrographic analysis, the host rock of the Camal Island barite body is mainly shale and mudstone with minor chert and siltstone (regionally called Kerbat Shale). The barite bodies here can be categorised into three types: stratiform, vein, and residual bodies. Thin sections of barite samples confirmed the type of barite bodies with different crystal structures. XRD analysis identified several phases including barium and barium sulfate as primary phases, sulfur, oxygen, calcium and strontium as secondary phases as well as quartz and other minor phases suggesting complex formation processes. SEM analysis of several barite samples also revealed that barite in stratiform body has fine-grained, tabular and bladed crystals, while barite in both vein and residual bodies has coarse-grained, irregular forms. These findings improve the understanding of the geology and barite mineralization of three types of barite bodies (stratiform, vein, and residual bodies) in the study area. The existence of this mineral should be protected to support the development and conservation of the Kenyir Geopark.