Ni(Co) Laterite Deposits of Southeast Asia: A Review and Perspective

Southeast Asia has great potential for mineral exploration, and this region is well-known to host huge economic ore deposits located in complex tectonic terranes. Amongst these ore deposits, the Ni(Co) laterite deposits are mainly distributed in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar. There are two...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Minerals (Basel) 2024-01, Vol.14 (2), p.134
Main Authors: Soh Tamehe, Landry, Zhao, Yanpeng, Xu, Wenjie, Gao, Jiahao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Australia
Bedrock
China
Clay minerals
Cuba
Deposits
Dominican Republic
exploration
Garnierite
Geology
Indonesia
Islands
laterite deposit
Laterites
Lithofacies
Lithology
Metamorphic rocks
Mineral deposits
Mineral exploration
Mineral industry
Mining industry
Myanmar
New Caledonia
Ni(Co) ore
Nickel
Ore deposits
Ores
Philippines
Platinum
Rare earth elements
Scandium
Sediments
Serpentinite
Serpentinization
Silicates
Southeast Asia
Tectonics
Tectonics (Geology)
United Kingdom
Weathering
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Southeast Asia has great potential for mineral exploration, and this region is well-known to host huge economic ore deposits located in complex tectonic terranes. Amongst these ore deposits, the Ni(Co) laterite deposits are mainly distributed in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar. There are two main types of Ni(Co) laterite deposits consisting of hydrous Mg silicate (or garnierite) and oxide ores, with limited development of clay silicate type. These deposits are influenced and controlled by the lithology of ultramafic bedrock, topography, climate, weathering, structures, and tectonic environment. The degree of bedrock serpentinization has an important influence on the grade of Ni laterite ore. Given the growing demand of modern society for Ni(Co) ore resources, deep research should be focused on a better understanding of the genesis of this laterite deposit and geological features of Ni(Co) ore, as well as its exploration applications in southeastern Asia. Improving current research and exploration methods by means of cutting-edge technologies can enhance the understanding of the Ni(Co) enrichment mechanism in weathered laterite and lead to the discovery of new deposits in Southeast Asia. Ni(Co) laterite deposits from this region, especially Indonesia and the Philippines, have the potential to be a source of scandium, rare earth elements, and platinum group elements.
ISSN:2075-163X
2075-163X
DOI:10.3390/min14020134