The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources’ Geological Agency is exploring the potential of rare earth minerals in Indonesia. The exploration is carried out to identify rare earth minerals in the laterite potential areas outside the mining sites, so the government can prepare the mining operation permits.
In 2022, the agency already explored rare earth minerals in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, and Parmonangan in North Sumatra. The exploration takes place in two phases:
- Early exploration: It includes mapping, geo-radar and geo-magnet well or testing ditch and drilling.
- Detail exploration: It comprises of tight drilling and extraction text including characterization, concentration and extraction.
The exploration produced a highest total level of rare earth mineral in Mamuju for 4,571 ppm (parts per million) and in Parmonangan for 1,549 ppm.
Proposal for mining business permit
“There are several proposals of mining business permit areas for rare earth minerals. It was the first in 2022. There were also proposals of location in Mamuju and Parmonangan and several mining business permits areas for rare earth minerals until 2024,” said Acting Head of Geological Agency, Muhammad Wafid, on February 1, 2023.
In 2023, the agency plans to do early and detail explorations of rare earth mineral potentials in Melawi (West Kalimantan), Sibolga (North Sumatra), Mamuju (West Sulawesi), Papua and Bangka Belitung. It also proposes mining business permit areas for rare earth minerals in Mamuju and Parmonangan. In 2024, the agency plans to do detail exploration in Ketapang (West Kalimantan), Sibolga, Tiga Puluh mountains (in the borders of Jambi and Riau) and Papua.
In 2022, the agency explored the potential of rare earth minerals in the area of Sidoarjo mud, East Java. It has discovered Lithium potential for 86-92 ppm, Stronsium potential for 394-451 ppm and rare earth metal for maximum 111 ppm.
China has biggest earth rare reserves
Julian Ambassadur Shiddiq, the energy ministry’s Head of Minerals and Coal Testing Center, said that the 17 rare earth minerals is a group of elements comprising of:
- Scandium (Sc)
- Lanthanum (La)
- Cerium (Ce)
- Praseodymium (Pr)
- Neodymium (Nd)
- Promethium (Pm)
- Samarium (Sm)
- Europium (Eu)
- Gadolinium (Gd)
- Terbium (Tb)
- Dysprosium (Dy)
- Holmium (Ho)
- Erbium (Er)
- Thulium (Tm)
- Ytterbium (Yb)
- Lutetium (Lu)
- Yttrium (Y)
The 17 elements belong to Lanthanide group and are categorized as heavy rare earth elements and light rare earth elements. There are several variations in the utilization of rare earth minerals including nuclear energy, chemical industry, catalyst, electronic and blending for metal and optic. They can also be used to produce lamps and glass coating. For high technology, they can be turned into phosphor, laser, magnet, battery and futuristic technology like super conductor and hydrogen transporter.
“Indonesia is not a big player for rare earths since our reserves of rare earth metals are not significant. So far, they have been considered as a follow-up mineral from tin,” Special Staff of the energy minister Irwandy Arif, as quoted by kompas.com.
China has the largest rare earth reserves of 44 million metric tons, followed by Brazil (22 million metric tons), Vietnam (22 million metric tons), Russia (12 million metric tons) and India (6.9 million metric tons).
Use of 17 rare earth minerals
The utilization of rare earth minerals has incited the development of new materials. These can be applied in industry to increase the quality of products such as in magnet. The rare earth minerals can produce neo-magnet, a magnet with better magnetic field than conventional magnet. The neo-magnet will make it possible for the development of technology to reduce the weight and volume of speakers and the creation of stronger dynamo to move a car. With the existence of rare earth minerals, people can create electric vehicles for longer distance travel and enable the increasingly development of hybrid cars.
Rare earth minerals are a strategic component in developing hybrid cars. For example, the rare earth metal group of Nd, Pr, Dy and Tb are important materials in making electric motorcycles and becoming generator of hybrid cars. Meanwhile, group of metal like La, Nd and Ce are important materials in the making of hybrid car battery NiMH.
In metallurgy industry, the addition of rare earth minerals is also used in making high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel, high carbon steel, superalloy and stainless steel. It is because rare earth minerals have characteristic that can increase the capacity of the materials in strength, stiffness and increase hot resistance.
“Rare earth minerals can also be used as catalyst as activators, a chloride mix like lanthanum, while neodymium and praseodymium are used as catalyst in the oil purification with the concentrate between 1% to 5%,” said Shiddiq.
The mix of rare earth metal chloride is added into zeolite catalyst to increase the efficiency of crude oil change to oil processing products. The utilization of rare earth mineral is a catalyst for oil industry.
