Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia, Volume 81, May 2026, pp. 21 – 29
Platinum group mineral identification in river sediments along the tributaries of Sungai Kapuakan, Ranau
Mohamad Yusof bin Kamaruzzaman1,2,*, Baba Musta2, Muhammad Sufi bin Musa3, Jayawati Fanilla Sahih binti Montoi4
1 Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia Sabah, Jalan Penampang, 88999 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
2 Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
3 Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia, Technical Services Division, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 31350 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
4 Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia, Menara PJH, Tingkat 9, 2, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Presint 2, 62000 Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya, Malaysia
*Corresponding author email address: ucopk94@gmail.com
Abstract: Platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), and osmium (Os) are known as platinum group elements (PGE). Their unique physical and chemical properties contribute heavily to sectors that regulate and develop the modern world. Recognizing the importance of this commodity, a study on the heavy minerals in Sungai Kapuakan, Ranau was conducted to evaluate the occurrences of minerals containing platinum group elements. The occurrences of minerals containing PGE are usually associated with ultrabasic host rock, such as peridotite, which are distributed in several areas within the island of Borneo. Previously, a report discussing the heavy minerals within the area of Sungai Kapuakan, Ranau stated occurrences of platinum group minerals (PGM) in the main river and its tributaries. The accessibility of the study area prompts the initiative for a preliminary study regarding this commodity before exploring other remote areas in Borneo with potential. Through quantitative mineral estimation (QME) analysis on concentrate samples extracted from the area, the main heavy minerals identified were magnetite, chromite, monazite, leucoxene, zircon, rutile, and ilmenite. The mineral identified as PGM via QME was verified through x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis as sperrylite, an opaque platinum arsenide mineral (PtAs2) commonly associated with ophiolitic placers. Another PGM detected by XRD analysis was laurite (RuS2). Based on the results obtained through QME, the minerals associated with PGM for the study area are magnetite (Fe3O4), chromite (FeCr2O4), monazite ([Ce,La,Nd,Th][PO]4), leucoxene (Fe2O3TiO2), rutile (TiO2) and zircon (ZrSiO4).
Keywords: Platinum group minerals, river sediments, heavy minerals, tributaries, quantitative mineral estimation, economic geology
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Manuscript received 4 June 2024;
Received in revised form 28 September 2024;
Accepted 13 February 2025
Available online 29 May 2026
https://doi.org/10.7186/bgsm81202603
0126-6187; 2637-109X / Published by the Geological Society of Malaysia.
© 2026 by the Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License 4.0.
