PENGUKURAN RADIOAKTIVITAS DAN ESTIMASI SUMBER DAYA TORIUM DI DAERAH BATUBESI, BELITUNG TIMUR: RADIOACTIVITY MEASUREMENT AND RESOURCE ESTIMATION OF THORIUM IN BATUBESI AREA, EAST BELITUNG

Rachman Fauzi (Pusat Riset Sumber Daya Geologi, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional)
Adhika Junara Karunianto (Pusat Riset Teknologi Pertambangan, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional)
Ersina Rakhma (Direktorat Pengelolaan Laboratorium, Fasilitas Riset, dan Kawasan Sains Teknologi, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional)
Ngadenin Ngadenin (Pusat Riset Teknologi Daur Bahan Bakar Nuklir dan Limbah Radioaktif, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional)
Frederikus Dian Indrastomo (Pusat Riset Teknologi Daur Bahan Bakar Nuklir dan Limbah Radioaktif, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional)
Tukijo Tukijo (Pusat Riset Teknologi Daur Bahan Bakar Nuklir dan Limbah Radioaktif, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional)

Buletin Sumber Daya Geologi
Vol. 18 No. 2 (2023): Buletin Sumber Daya Geologi

Thorium is radioactive element which can be used as the main element of nuclear fuel beside of uranium. Belitung island is located at The Southeast Asian Tin Belt where it has much radioactive mineral potential. The purpose of this study is to conduct radioactivity measurement and inferred resource estimation of thorium (Th) in study area. The lithology of study area consists of meta-sandstone unit, biotite-granite unit, and hornblenda-granite unit. Contact zones between these lithological units have become radioactive anomaly area which have dose rate of 300-360 nSv/hour, eU grade of 12-18 ppm, eTh grade of 48-96 ppm, and eK grade of 1.5-1.8%. XRF analyses show that grades of U and Th are 0.7-51.8 ppm and 0.8-344.8 ppm, respectively. Based on estimation result it is shown that the value of inferred resource of thorium at Block I-V in study area is 197.448 tonnes. In order to enhance geological assurance of the category of those resources, it is necessary to implement more detail and systematic exploration methods.