STUDY CHARACTERISTICS OF LATERITE NICKEL DEPOSITS AND EVALUATION OF TWINHOLE DRILLING METHOD IN TAPUNOPAKA AREA, NORTH KONAWE,SOUTHEAST SULAWESI

• Main Author: Steven O. Naibaho, Jeremy
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Geologi, hidrologi & meteorologi
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/74873
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The Tapunopaka Prospect Area, North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi is one of the nickel mining locations in Indonesia, known for its laterite nickel deposits. Nickel is one of the hard metals that is widely used in various types of industries, such as electronics, military products, and automotive. Laterite nickel deposit is formed through processes like weathering, elemental leaching, laterization processes, and supergene enrichment in ultramafic rocks. Nickel enrichment in laterite nickel deposits is influenced by bedrock characteristics and geomorphology of the study area. Exploration activities conducted in the study area during the 2000s had limited exploration drilling tools, so it is necessary to be reanalyzed using a new tool. Therefore, this study aims to determine the characteristics of laterite nickel deposits, the relationship between bedrock characteristics and geomorphology to nickel enrichment, and evaluate the twin hole drilling method in the study area. This research was conducted by analyzing the corebox photo and geochemistry data to determine the characteristics of laterite nickel deposits, rock sample and petrography analysis, as well as geochemical analysis are used to determine the relationship between bedrock and nickel enrichment. Additionally, field data and secondary data (DEM, geochemical data) analysis are used to determine the relationship between geomorphology and nickel enrichment. In evaluating the twinhole drilling method, geochemical analysis and three-dimensional modeling were carried out to assess changes in laterite volume within the study area