Alluvial tin mining by spray-suction borehole method: a case study on remaining alluvial tin reserves in Bangka Belitung, Indonesia

Abstract

The area of the Bangka Belitung Islands, which is a potential area for alluvial tin deposits in Indonesia, has been affected by the destruction of tin reserves on the mainland due to rampant artisanal mining, which has left remnants of small-dimensional reserves. The remnants of these reserves can no longer be mined using the hydraulic mining of open pit method due to the small dimensions of the deposits. The hypothesis is that such sedimentary conditions can only be mined by the borehole method. This research aimed to design tools and perform test mining using the borehole method with a spray-suction mechanism. This research produced a novelty, namely, a method and parameters for alluvial tin deposits mining using borehole mining methods, such as the excavation capacity, excavation radius, mining recovery, and dilution factor. The benefit of this research is expected to provide an opportunity to increase the amount of onshore alluvial tin reserves to support tin production.