Efficient and Sustainable Recovery of Strategic Elements from Indonesian Ore Deposits (StratOre) - Sub-project of the BGR working group (work package 3): Mineralogical and geochemical investigation of Cu-Ni-Co-Au sulfide mineralization on Sebuku Island, Indonesia

Country / Region: Indonesia

Begin of project: May 1, 2021

End of project: October 30, 2024

Status of project: May 31, 2024

Metals such as Pt, Co, Ni, Ga, Ge, In and Sc are often called raw materials of strategic economic importance. They are crucial to the German industry, especially for renewable energy and new technologies development. Many of these raw materials are currently extracted as by-products during processing of complex ores (e.g., Zn and Cu ores).
The StratOre project is focused on the exploration of new potential mineral resources and development of beneficiation concepts for several of the above metals in Indonesian ore deposits: Ni, Co, Sc and PGEs from Fe-Ni laterites associated with Ni-sulfide deposits, as well as Ag, In, Sn and Se from polymetallic skarns. This project will explore three case studies (work packages 1 to 3) and BGR leads work package 3. A key factor for the successful conclusion is the intense and productive cooperation between the German and Indonesian partners.
The main focus of the BGR sub-project is directed on the geological and mineralogical characterization of newly found sulfide mineralization on Sebuku Island (Indonesia). Previous observations pointed towards a new type of ore deposit, having elevated concentrations of elements with economic relevance like Cu, Ni, Co and Au. The ores could potentially also contain PGEs. To date, there have been no systematic geochemical and mineralogical studies that could also explain the formation of such ore deposits. The investigation will be performed on drilled cores.

Cooperation project within the framework of the research funding measure "Client II - International Partnerships for Sustainable Innovations" of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Literature:

• Fuchs A., Jacques G., Graupner T., Swamidharma Y., Cahyadi A., Krisnanto Y., Ernowo E., Idrus A., and Vanessa A. (2024) Mineralogical characteristics of a Fe-Ni-Co-Cu sulphide mineralization in Sebuku Island, Indonesia. In: EGU General Assembly 2024, 14.-19.04.2024, Vienna

Partner:

Federal Republic of Germany:

• TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF)
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR)
• Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)
• Umwelt- und Ingenieurtechnik GmbH Dresden (UIT)
• UVR-FIA GmbH (UVR)

Republic of Indonesia:

• Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)
• Indonesia Geological Association (GA)
• P.T. Sebuku Iron Lateritic Ores (SILO)
• P.T. Kapuas Prima Coal (KPC)

Promotion / document number:

033R278B