ANALYSIS OF WATER CHARACTERISTICS IN RELATIONSHIP WITH ABUNDANCE OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS AND LITHIUM IN THE PATUHA GEOTHERMAL FIELD, BANDUNG REGENCY

• Main Author: Firmansyah, Ilham
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/72805
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Geothermal is a green energy, categorized as new and renewable energy. Indonesia is the largest geothermal potential in the world. Patuha Geothermal Field is located about 37 km Southwest of Bandung City. Purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics, types of water as geothermal manifestation and further explained by research on Rare Earth Elements (REE) and lithium in geothermal system. Method used in this study is water analysis, based on field and laboratory test. Tests in the field were carried out to obtain the physical and chemical properties of water directly, while the laboratory test were carried out using Ion Chromatography to determine the major ions, stable isotope values of 2H and 18O was carried to get origin of fluids and Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry was conducted to determine the REE and lithium content. There are four types of water, sulphate water, sulphate-chloride water, sulphate-bicarbonate water and bicarbonate water. Based on the stable isotope values of ?2H and ?18O, the water shows geothermal water are mixing with meteoric water, and some samples were resulted from H2S exchange and reactions with minerals. The order of REE abundance from highest to lowest at the study site was Ce > Nd > La > Pr > Sm > Gd > Dy >Er > Eu > Ho > Tm, the distribution of LREE dominates compared to HREE, and based on the spider diagram plot a positive Eu anomaly is obtained with Eu/Eu* values ranging from 1.01 – 3.77. The presence of REE is controlled by the level of acidity of pH, the presence of sulfate anions and chloride anions, which is indicated by a strong correlation of these three parameters. The field is not lithium-rich site, but correlated with Mg, Na, and pH.