Determination Mineralogical Ore Types of Pomalaa HPAL Project: Study of Semiquantitative XRD Mineral Analyses

PT.
INCO SOROWAKO
Exploration & Mines Development Dept.
Determination Mineralogical Ore

Types of Pomalaa HPAL Project:
Study of Semiquantitative XRD
mineral analyses
Asriati Latief
Edi Kurniawan, Hendrik Pakiding
Rosalyn Wullandary, Ade Kadarusman
Motivation
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
Acid Leaching processing of laterite ore is very sensitive on variability of

chemical, physical and mineralogical of the ores. The information
characteristic of the Pomalaa ores has been established spatially ranging
from the bed rock type, degree of serpentinization of the bedrock, chemical
assay distribution, fraction size distribution and thickening rate.
Detailed Mineralogical characteristic of the ores (limonite and saprolite)

were only conducted from the few samples using advance technology
QEMSCAN analyses; the data described distribution of metal in mineral in
the ores based on certain fraction size. However, spatial distribution of the
minerals has not been done yet, therefore the mineral distribution in the
ores need be to established in order to estimate variability of the ores
based mineral domain.
Result of this study will be combined with others ore type parameters such
as chemistry and geological ore types. The mineral domain maps can be
used as guidelines to select location for metallurgy test work.
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
Methodology
Powerful tools for mineral identification in laterite ores is

Semiquantitative X-Ray Diffraction Analyses (XRD). It
can identify various minerals (crystalline and
amorphous) with semi quantitative results.
In addition to above purpose, the XRD analyses also will

identify presence asbestos minerals in Pomalaa laterites
ores (hopefully, asbestos is not present).
For this study, we will not use either QEMSCAN analyses

or EDX, due to both methods are more expensive and
takes more time consuming than XRD analyses.
MINERALOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SEMIQUANTITATIVE XRD
ANALYSES OF FOUR PTI LATERITE SAMPLES
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
The semiquantitave XRD analyses have been used for identify Pomalaa latarite samples (the
thickening test sample) in 2007. This method has been used as quality control of QEMSCAN
analyses (see next slide). Generally, the XRD result match with QEMSCAN analyses, except XRD
can not identify various goethite minerals.
XRD RESULT OF PTI LATERITE SAMPLES

THICKENING TEST SAMPLE XRD RESULT
80
70 Pom Old, Mgl pile Pom New, Blend Lo Hi Alumina
% Semi Quantitative
Sor Old, Mgl pile Sor New, blend Lo Hi Alumina

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Mineral/mineral Group
QEMSCAN ANALYSES RESULTS FOR POMALAA SAMPLES BASED ON THE SIZE
FRACTION, THIS METHOD IS ABLE TO DETERMINE METAL CONTENT IN EACH MINERALS.
LIMONITE MGL TOP SAPROLITE

METAL CONTENT IN EACH MINERAL IN POMALA LATERITE
FROM EDX ANALYSES, THE RESULT COMPARABLE WITH QEMSCAN
ANALYSES
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
Sample types for XRD analyses
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
4 types of samples:
1. Limonite Ore Samples, drilled holes sample collected from Limonite ores
layer with grade in ranges of 1.1-1.5% Ni (150 samples).
2. Saprolite Ore Samples, drilled holes sample collected from Saprolite Ore
layer with grade in ranges >1.8% Ni (110 samples)
3. Asbestos presence testing, sample collected from Bottom Hole/Bed

Rock samples which contain medium to high serpentinization (20
samples)
4. Ore Profile Samples, sample collected from one full drilled holes with
covering completed layer (Lim-Sap-Bedrock, 20 samples).
TIMETABLE
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
SEMIQUANTITATIVE XRD ANALYSES
No Description Action By March April May June July

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
1 Contract Paper work HW
2 Selection of Sampling Point AL & HPAL team
3 Selection of Samples from drilled hole AL & HW
4 Sample collection DH & Pomalaa Team
5 Sample preparation and packaging DH & AL
6 Delivery Sample first batch AL & DH
Delivery Sample second batch AL & DH
7 Semiquantitative XRD Analyses SGS
8 Receiving the Result AL & AK
9 Data processing & domaining AL, AK & HPAL Team
10 Reporting Mineral spatial domaining AL, AK & HPAL Team
The spatial mineral domain map for limonite will be available

at the end of June
Sample Locations
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
Domaining minerals map will be concentrated in Pomalaa

Block 1 Tetenggala, sample selected based on distribution of
boundary Limonite Ore and Saprolite Ore, and Location of
sample in Mine Plan Boundary HPAL until 20years.
The Sample Selection also representatives for characteristic of

Geological setting, bedrock type, Serpentinization/LOI
distribution and Chemistry domain maps.
Semiquantitative XRD Analyses will be conducted in SGS Lab

Canada.
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
SAMPLE SELECTIONS
-Samples are selected from drilled holes sample that already in pulp state
keeping in Sample House Storage
- Pulp samples have to mix from all the representative sample for each
layer to produce representatives samples
- The mix sample homogenous by rolling methods until 32 times.
ASBESTOS SAMPLE SELECTION
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
Location of Asbestos Sample

- Sample selected in Bottom Hole or Bed Rock samples which contain
serpentine minerals (Asbestos is Serpentine Group Minerals)
- Samples locations are selected based on Distribution of Boundary Quarry
HPAL.
Bottom Hole or Bed Rock

samples
Bottom Holewhich highly
Sample which
serpentinization
using selected
for Asbestos Sample,for
Asbestos
with presence
contain testing
serpentine.
Sample Selection Location for XRD Analyses within Saprolite Ore
and Limonite Ore Zones
PT. INCO SOROWAKO

Sample Selection Location for XRD Analyses within Acid Demand Zones
PT. INCO SOROWAKO

Expected Results From This Study
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
• Mineral Domain Map per each Saprolite and Limonite ores. For
instance : high/low goethite ores or talk/no talk contains ores
distributions.
• This Mineral Domain distribution will be overlapped with other
distribution/parameters such as Chemistry distribution and geological
ore types. It is interesting to see if some area shows high Al or high
MgO, then it will be presented with specific mineral domain or vice
versa.
• After combining all parameters, then we will have specific ore type
distribution for make selection area of ores for metallurgical / pilot test
work.
• This approach will give us better understanding ores characteristic and
variability, and to prevent failures of plant in future due to unknown
variability ores.
POMALAA ORE TYPES DISTRIBUTION
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
• GEOLOGICAL MAP
• BED ROCK TYPE
• SERPENTINIZATION DEGREE DISTRIBUTION
• ORE TYPE
• CHEMISTRY DISTRIBUTION
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
Geological Map
of Pomalaa
CoW
Ultramafic Rocks
Ultramafic Conglomerate
Metamorphic Rocks
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
Bedrock
Litology of
Pomalaa CoW
Lherzolite
Harzburgite
Ultramafic Conglomerate
PT. INCO SOROWAKO
Serpentinization
Degree of
Bedrock of
Pomalaa CoW
Pomalaa Ore Type
PT. INCO SOROWAKO

Ni Distribution at Pomalaa Block 1 Tetenggala
PT. INCO SOROWAKO

Fe Distribution at Pomalaa Block 1 Tetenggala
PT. INCO SOROWAKO

Al Distribution at Pomalaa Block 1 Tetenggala
PT. INCO SOROWAKO

MgO Distribution at Pomalaa Block 1 Tetenggala
PT. INCO SOROWAKO

Laterite Mineralogy of Bulong Australia
PT. INCO SOROWAKO


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PT.

Determination Mineralogical Ore

Acid Leaching processing of laterite ore is very sensitive on variability of

Detailed Mineralogical characteristic of the ores (limonite and saprolite)

Powerful tools for mineral identification in laterite ores is

In addition to above purpose, the XRD analyses also will

For this study, we will not use either QEMSCAN analyses

XRD RESULT OF PTI LATERITE SAMPLES

Sor Old, Mgl pile Sor New, blend Lo Hi Alumina

LIMONITE MGL TOP SAPROLITE

3. Asbestos presence testing, sample collected from Bottom Hole/Bed

SEMIQUANTITATIVE XRD ANALYSES

No Description Action By March April May June July

The spatial mineral domain map for limonite will be available

Domaining minerals map will be concentrated in Pomalaa

The Sample Selection also representatives for characteristic of

Semiquantitative XRD Analyses will be conducted in SGS Lab

Location of Asbestos Sample

Bottom Hole or Bed Rock

PT. INCO SOROWAKO

PT. INCO SOROWAKO

PT. INCO SOROWAKO

PT. INCO SOROWAKO

PT. INCO SOROWAKO

PT. INCO SOROWAKO

PT. INCO SOROWAKO

PT. INCO SOROWAKO

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