Business · Energy & Commodities · 4 hrs ago
Indonesia's Perminas explores rare earth deposits in West Sulawesi
Indonesia's state-owned Perminas is exploring rare earth deposits in Mamuju, West Sulawesi.
The company is drilling across two blocks covering 200 hectares, and says work has reached about 10%, with 72 drill points completed.
Rare earth minerals are important materials for electronics, electric vehicle batteries and defence products.
Earlier geological work found a maximum total rare earth concentration of 4,571 parts per million in Mamuju.
Perminas aims to complete exploration next year and then calculate the resource and potential reserves, with a qualified expert expected to assess the results.
The findings will clarify how much of the sought-after minerals the area may contain, but the final estimate is not yet available.
Perminas is exploring rare earth deposits in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, across two blocks covering 200 hectares.
The company is conducting close-spaced drilling to refine earlier work by Indonesia’s Geological Agency and estimate resources and potential reserves.
Drilling has reached 72 locations, about 10% of the planned work, according to Perminas technology and business development director La Ode Tarfin Jaya.
Perminas plans to drill 200 points and aims to complete exploration next year.
The Geological Agency previously reported a maximum total rare earth content of 4,571 parts per million in Mamuju.
- Who
- PT Perusahaan Mineral Nasional, known as Perminas, is conducting the exploration.
- What
- It is exploring rare earth deposits and drilling to estimate resources and potential reserves.
- When
- Exploration began after permits were secured in 2026; the work is targeted for completion next year.
- Where
- Two blocks in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, covering 200 hectares.
- Why
- To refine earlier exploration results and establish the amount of rare earth resources and potential reserves.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Perminas received an exploration mining business licence from Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.
The exploration work plan and budget were issued.
La Ode Tarfin Jaya said drilling was underway at 72 points, about 10% of the work across the 200 hectares.
Perminas aims to complete exploration.
- Exploration area
- Two blocks covering 200 hectares in Mamuju, West Sulawesi
- Drilling progress
- 72 points, about 10% of the planned work
- Planned drilling
- 200 points
- Mamuju rare earth content
- Maximum total content of 4,571 ppm reported by the Geological Agency
- Target completion
- Next year
What people are saying
We are now carrying out close-spaced infill drilling across those 200 hectares; we are currently only at 10%, at 72 points, with a spacing of 50 by 50.
We will drill 200 points; after that, we will calculate the reserve estimate, and then a competent person will make a statement on how much we actually have.