Uranium Exploration in Sulawesi

Uranium exploration was conducted since 1978 covering almost all of Sulawesi Area including Banggai and Sula Islands. Granitic rocks and aluvial placer deposit was targeted as the source and host rock of radioactive minerals deposits in Sulawesi. Alkaline rock also became exploration target of radioactive minerals exploration recently. The methode that was applied in uranium
exploration are combine the geological data, radioactivity
measurement and geochemical analysis. Some area has
high content of uraium, such as Masamba, Pasangkayu, Banggai, Sula, Barru and Mamuju. Uranium content in exploration area usualy not to high except in Mamuju. Uranium minerals can be occurs in rocks as its own minerals, as a substitute element in accessory minerals, adsorbed on Fe and Fe-Ti hydroxides-oxides and clay minerals adsorbed by organic matter, in crystal defects of major rock forming minerals, and dissolved in geologic fluids and fluid inclusions. Uranium also generally low
concentrations (1 to several ppm), most of the uranium is
substituted in the structure of one or several accessory minerals such as apatite, zircon, monazite, xenotime, and titanite, which represent refractory uranium sources for mobilization by most types of geologic fluids. Radioacive minerals was found in Sulawesi such as monazite, allanite, thorianite and titanite group (davidite). Exploration of
uranium in Mamuju area is associaeted with rare earth elements (REE). Development of uranium minerals exploration was focused in Mamuju Area West Sulawesi.