STM Shares Mineral Exploration Expertise with UGM Students
Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT Sumbawa Timur Mining (STM), a copper exploration company operating the Hu’u Project, held its STM Goes to Campus programme with the Department of Geological Engineering at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta.
The event combined a donation of core samples from the Onto Deposit with knowledge-sharing sessions on various aspects of mineral exploration.
STM Principal Geologist Paulo Renata said in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday that collaboration between industry and universities could strengthen the link between education and field practice.
“We hope to build a productive synergy between industry and education, so that both can support one another,” he said.
The Onto Deposit is a copper-gold deposit discovered in 2013 within STM’s operating area in the Hu’u Project, Dompu Regency, West Nusa Tenggara. The discovery is strategically significant because of the technical challenges and exploration methods involved, as well as its economic potential.
UGM Department of Geological Engineering head Professor Wahyu Wilopo said interaction with industry practitioners could help students understand challenges in the field.
“Through this programme, students will gain a broader and more detailed picture of problems they might encounter in the field, enabling them to learn about and anticipate these challenges,” he said.
STM Goes to Campus was held at the Department of Geological Engineering building in UGM’s Faculty of Engineering and was attended by around 70 students from cohorts graduating between 2022 and 2026.
Six STM practitioners shared insights into various aspects of developing the Hu’u Project. Paulo Renata opened with an introduction to the project, followed by a presentation from Senior Business Analyst Desi Lusianingtyas on project cost and schedule planning.
Principal Geologist Nurhadi Wibowo explained how geological indicators are read and interpreted in exploration.
Students also learned about geotechnical and hydrogeological aspects through presentations by Geotechnical Engineer Mulia Fatwa and Principal Hydrogeologist Wawan Darmawan.
At the event, themed “Unlocking Geological Insights: Learning from the Onto Deposit”, the lessons were complemented by discussion and practical exercises identifying alteration and mineralisation in Onto Deposit rock samples.
This format enabled students to understand how the different aspects of an exploration study are connected and how they underpin decisions on whether a project is viable for development.
One participant, Gina Rahmatillah, said the event had broadened her understanding of mineral exploration.
“I gained a great deal of interesting insight and have come to know STM better,” said the student, who is from Bima, West Nusa Tenggara.