Jurnal Bahasa Inggris: Mathematical Method for Predicting Nickel Deposit Based on Data from Drilling Points

Abstract: In this article we discuss several methods for predicting nickel ore content inside the soil under a given area/region. The prediction is the main objective of the exploration activity which is very important for conducting the exploitation activity from economic point of view. The prediction methods are based on the data obtained from the drilling activity at several „points‟. The data yields information on the nickel density at those points. Nickel density over the region is approximated (with an approximate function) by applying interpolation and/or extrapolation based on the data from those points. The nickel content is predicted by applying integral of the approximate function over the given region.

Keywords: Nickel, exploration, drilling, prediction methods, interpolation – extrapolation.


Introduction

This article was motivated by the site visit of Mathematics Department, Universitas Haluoleo, to PT Aneka Tambang (Persero) Tbk in Pomalaa, Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi. We then call the mining company as PT Antam. The main purpose of the visits, which are conducted to some industries in regular basis every year, is to improve the quality as well as the quantity of applied mathematics researches in industrial fields. This activity also promotes the applications of mathematics in a practical way in improving industrial processes including efficiency, effectiveness and accuracy of a process. This article is one of the examples of mathematics application in the nickel mining industry (Ni). Another motivation of this study is the fact that only a few literatures have discussed the nickel ore mining in Indonesia, two references that authors are able to trace include by Guiry and Dalvi [5] and by van Leeuwen [8].

As in other mining processes, nickel ore mining activities also involve the exploration, exploitation, and processing of mining products in factories. Exploration activities include geological mapping in the form of structural materials, bedding planes, fracture and fault whereas drilling is to determine the mineral deposit and the ore depth.

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