• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.307-321
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• 2015

The study area, Bophi Vum, Myanmar, is composed of the harzburgite, serpentinite and dunite, those are covered by Quaternary alluvium. The chromite ore bodies are developed within dunite and harzburgite bodies, mainly within dunite bodies. To identify the extension of the chromite ore bodies, we carried out trench surveys in the 5 different sites. The chromite ore bodies have 0.3-1.5 m wide, and several meters of extension, and deformed strongly as a sigmoid and a boudin shapes with dunite and harzburgite bodies by ductile deformation. The ductile deformation have a top-to-the-west shear sense, indicating the existence of a westward thrusting. The NW-SE trending distribution of ore bodies is related to the dextral ductile shearing and/or to the block rotation as a book-shelf structure by dextral strike-slip movement.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.499-508
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• 2019

Based on the preliminary surveys for the occurrences of the Muwellut chrome-nickel mineralized zone ($800km^2$) in northwestern Myanmar, Bophivum area was selected as the detailed exploration area after considering data source, geological potential, metallogenic province, necessity of resource development on target mineral, exploration activity, grade, ore deposit type, nearby operating mine, infrastructure and exploration prediction effect. From 2013 to 2016, KIGAM and DGSE carried out geological and geochemical survey with 1:1,000 scale, magnetic survey(areal extent, $1.672km^2$), trench survey(19 trench, total length 392 m), pitting survey(18 pit, total depth 42.6m), exploration drilling(6holes 600m, 2015; 13holes 617.4m). We analyzed Cr and Ni contents of 77 drill cores with specific gravity in Yangon DGSE analytical center. Considering surface geological survey, geochemical exploration, magnetic survey, trench survey and drilling data, we divided Bophivum area into 8 blocks. Resource estimation are divided into measured and indicated resources. Measured resource is about 9,790t and indicated resource is about 12,080t with the average grade of Cr 11.8% and Ni 0.34%. In case of Bophivum area, if we develop by tying up Webula chrome mineralized zone in the south, it will be possible to upgrade the medium-scale mine. Geologically, the ophiolite belt are distributed in the western and eastern part in Myanmar. So, the exploration technology obtained from exploation in Bophivum area will be helpful to discover the hidden chromitite ore body in Myanmar ophiolite belt in the future.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.351-362
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• 2014

In order to grasp the geological characteristics, the occurrence mode of ore body and development potential of Bophi Vum chromite mineralized zone in northwestern Myanmar, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources(KIGAM) and Department of Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration(DGSE) carried out joint exploration targeting on the $6km^2$ areas within the mineralized zone. Chromitites occur as a major Cr-ore body in the Bophi Vum area, and are enveloped by dunitic peridotites. As a result of geological survey, the geological map of Bophi Vum was drawn in the scale of 1:1,000, and we discovered that the chromitite ores are mainly distributed at the elevation range between 200 and 400 m. The soil geochemistry was conducted by collecting total 114 soil samples in the interval of 50 m after pitting ground surface under 0.7-1 m. Geochemical anomaly maps of Cr, Ni, Fe, and Mn were prepared by ICP-AES.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2014

For analyzing the distribution of chromite, magnetic survey was carried out on the chromium mineralized belt in Bophi Vum area, northwestern Myanmar. As a result, the magnetic susceptibility of chromite is lower than those of dunite and harzburgite, which are background rocks of chromite. Also, the locations of low magnetic anomaly zone and low magnetic susceptibility models of 3D magnetic inversion result are spatially well matched with those of chromite occurrences confirmed by the surface geological survey and trench survey. Some of low magnetic effects are expanded to the periphery area of chromite occurrences. Considering the magnetic susceptibility characteristics of various rocks in this area, the expanded low magnetic anomaly zones are estimated as the high potential areas bearing chromite. For confirming the potential area of chromite pointed by coarse magnetic survey, the additional detail exploration need to be carried out in future.