Get Ready! KESDM Plans To Auction 2 Rare Land Metal Mining Areas

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is known to plan to auction off rare earth metal mining areas (LTJ) or rare earth. This was conveyed by the Head of the Geological Agency (Bageol) Muhammad Wafid when met by the media at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Building.

Wafid said Bageol had proposed two regions to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Acting Director General of Mineral and Coal.

"We are trying to propose two regions, if I'm not mistaken for LTJ, I think it's just a follow-up with the Director General of Mineral and Coal," said Wafid, quoted on Tuesday, April 2.

Wafid said that later the auction would be carried out by the Directorate General of Mineral and Coal (Ditjen Minerba) who had received technical data from the Geological Agency.

"Yes, we have conveyed it directly to the Minister (ESDM) and he gave directions for mineral and coal auctioning as usual," continued Wafid.

Wafid explained that previously his party had conducted research and exploration related to the potential of LTJ in Mamuju, West Sulawesi and Parmonangan, North Sumatra. These activities include mapping, georadars and geomagnets, wells or test trenches, and drilling.

Wafid also said that the Geological Agency had also carried out detailed explorations through more close drilling and extraction tests, including characterization, concentration, and extraction. The exploration resulted in the highest total LTJ levels in Mamuju of 4,571 ppm and Parmonangan of 1,549 ppm.

Based on the planned auction, Wafid also revealed that the Geological Agency has completed the construction of a boundary line to form and mark WIUP (Delineation) and Information Data Compensation (KDI).

"We are from Bageol, like the existing deliniation, we have proposed the KDI, so it's just a matter of what kind of management readiness will be," added Wafid.

However, Wafid agreed to say the exact time when the LTJ mining area would be auctioned. Wafid only hopes that the auction process can be carried out in the near future.

"Yes, I don't know (the auction), if we want it to be auctioned soon because we continue to follow the others," concluded Wafid.