Mineral Resources Flashcards
What is BAUXITE? Which are the major bauxite producing states in India? Write a note on bauxite production in India in relation to its global context.
> Bauxite is an important ore (and oxide of aluminium) for making aluminium. It’s not a specific mineral but a rock consisting mainly of hydrated aluminium oxides.
> More than 50% of India's bauxite reserves are in ODISHA and ANDHRA PRADESH. Other states include: • Jharkhand • Madhya Pradesh • Gujarat • Maharashtra • Karnataka • Tamil Nadu • Kerala • Goa • Uttar Pradesh ^Recently extensive deposits have been discovered in the JAMMU and POONCH areas of Jammu and Kashmir ^ Odisha has surpassed Jharkhand as a leading bauxite producer
> The reserves are estimated at about 2500 million tons I.e. About 1% of the worlds total reserves
Indian reserves are 5th largest in the world after Guinea, Australia, Brazil, and Vietnam
About 90% of bauxite in India is of METALLIC GRADE
Significant progress in bauxite production in India, which has increased from about 68,000 tons in 1950-51 to more than 90,00,000 tons in 2004-05
- ODISHA: Kalahandi, Korapur, Bolangir, Sundargarh, and Sambalpur districts. Smelting plants: Damanji and Doragurha.
- Jharkhand: Ranchi, Palamu, Lohardaga, Gumla, Dumka and Munger districts. Smelting plants: Lohargarh and Muri
- Madhya Pradesh: About 10% of total bauxite production in India: Amarkantak Plateau (largest known bauxite deposits in India), Maikala Range, Kanti area of Jabalpur district
- Gujarat: About 15% of total: Jamnagar, Junagarh, Kheda, Kachchh, Sabarkantha, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Kaira, and Surat
- Maharashtra: ~12% : Largest deposits with high alumina content in Kolhapur; other main areas are Ratnagiri, Thane, Satara, Pune, and Kolaba
- Tamil Nadu: Kotagiri and Curzon valley in Nilgiri Hills; Palni and Koddaikanal hills in the Madurai districts; Shevaroy hills in Salem district and; in Kallaimalai hills
- Andhra Pradesh: Vishakhapatanam, East and West Godavari districts
- Kerala: Kannur, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram
- Karnataka: Baba Budan hills, Dakshin Kannad, Belgaum
- Goa
- Uttar Pradesh
What is COAL and its types? Which are the major coal producing states of India? Location of coal mines in India.
- Coal is a NONRENEWABLE resource known as a FOSSIL FUEL
- MOST ABUNDANT fossil fuel on earth
- India is 5th in the world in production
> There are 4 TYPES:
- PEAT:
- LIGNITE/Brown Coal: Low carbon/heat content, Largely power generation
- BITUMINOUS: High carbon/heat content; 3 types:
• Sub-Bituminous: Low carbon/heat content; Power generation, cement manufacture industrial uses
• Thermal/Steam Coal: High carbon/heat content; Power generation, cement manufacture industrial uses
• Metallurgical/Coking Coal***: Manufacturing of iron and steel - ANTHRACITE: MOST DESIRABLE due to its HIGH HEAT CONTENT and SMOKELESS FUEL; Domestic/Industrial, Smokeless fuel
Majority state are in EASTERN PART OF INDIA:
- JHARKHAND: 38% of total reserves; DARLA most important/productive coal field: accounts for 100% of the country’s PRIME COKING COAL production; other regions: Bokaro, North and South Karanpura, Giridih, Ramgarh, Daltonganj, and Rajmahal
- ODISHA: ~13.4% of total; Thalcher (3/4 reserves of the state) and Ranapur Himgir important coal fields
- CHHATTISGARH: Korba, Jhagrakhand, Chirmiri, Sonhat, Jhilmil, Koreagarh etc and MADHYA PRADESH: Umrai, Korar, Sohagpur, Singrauli
- ANDHRA PRADESH: Major coal producing districts: Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, East and West Godavari; Major coal fields: Tandur, Singareni, Kothagudem, and Ramagundam
- MAHARASHTRA: Major coal fields are in eastern part: Nagpur-Wardha Region, Kamthi, Umred, Bander
- WEST BENGAL: Raniganj (largest coal field in WB), Asasol, Mejia in Bankura district (recently found)
TERTIARY COALFIELDS:
- ASSAM accounts for 63% total tertiary coal reserves: Major: Makum, Nazira, Mikir Hills, Dilli-Jeopore; (*India Crude Oil was also discovered in Digboi)
- MEGHALAYA : Darrangiri, Langrin, Siju
- ARUNACHAL PRADESH: Namchik
- NAGALAND: Borjan
LIGNITE COAL FIELDS: Mainly in 2 states: TAMIL NADU (Neyveli*** =Largest Lignite field in India) and GUJARAT (Umarsar); small coalfields are also found in Rajasthan (Palana)
Location of Coal Mines in India
Jharkhand leads in coal production and coal reserves in the country. The important coal fields are (i) Jharia, (ii) Giridih, (iii) North Karanpura, (iv) South Karanpura, (v) Ramgarh, (vi) Bokaro and, (vii) Daltonganj. The Jharia coalfield is the largest in India. It accounts for over 50 per cent of the coal output of the state and produces the best variety of coking coal.
Orissa ranks second position in coal reserves. The important coalfields are (i) Talcher and (ii) Rampur. They are situated on the Mahanadi basin.
Madhya Pradesh has large coal reserves. The major coal mines are (i) Umaria, (ii) Sohagpur, and (iii) Singrauli.
Chhattisgarh has large coal reserves. (i) Corba coal mine is of great importance. Other mines of notable importance are (ii) Chirimiri, (iii) Jhilimili and Bishrampur.
West Bengal ranks fourth in India in coal reserves. The important coalfields of this area are found in Raniganj. Recently a large coalfield has discovered in (ii) Mejia in Bankura district. The Raniganj coalfield is the second largest coalfield in India.
Andhra Pradesh occupies the fifth position in coal reserves in India. The major coalfields are (i) Singareni, (ii) Tandur, (iii) Kothagudem and (iv) Yellandu.
Maharashtra holds the sixth position in coal reserves in the country. The major coalfields are found in Nagpur-Wardha region. The important mining areas are (i) Wardha, (ii) Ballarpur, (iii) Chanda and (iv) Kampati.
Lignite or brown coal occurs in (i) Neyveli in Tamil Nadu, (ii) Pallu fields in Rajasthan (iii) Masi in Kashmir and (iv) Parts of Assam, Meghalaya and other hilly tracts on the foothills of the Himalayas. By far the largest deposits occur in Neyveli in South Arcot district of Tamil Nadu.
Production: India is the fifth largest coal producing country in the world. The coal production was 295.09 million tons and lignite production was 20.01 million tons in 1996-97.
State the varieties of IRON ORE. Its production and distribution in India.
MINING BAN/ILLEGAL MINING IN GOA, 2012: State government had suspended mining activities in September 2012, after SHAH COMMISSION REPORT on ILLEGAL MINING. Supreme Court lifted the ban in 2014, with a condition that state must issue fresh leases, but mining operations remained suspended pending finalising new policy. 2015: State government has revoked the 2012 ban. The new order will pave the way for resumption.
Following four varieties of iron ore are generally recognized.
- Magnetite: BEST quality of iron ore 72% pure iron; MAGNETIC PROPERTY and hence magnetite: Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
- Haematite: ~60-70% pure iron: Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
- Limonite:~40-60% pure iron. It is of yellow or light brown colour.
- Siderite: many impurities, 40-50% pure iron, PRESENCE OF LIME, SELF-FLUXING.
Production and Distribution:
The total in situ reserves 12,317.3 million tonnes of haematite and 5395.2 million tonnes of magnetite.
Very HIGH GRADE ore are limited and are restricted mainly in BAILADILA sector of CHHATTISGARH and to a lesser extent in BELLARY-Hospet area of KARNATAK and in Jharkhand and Orissa.
MAEMATITE resources are located in ODISHA, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. Magnetic resources are located in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
JHARKHAND has the LARGEST RESERVES accounting for about 25% of the total reserves of India. This is followed by Orissa (21%), Karnataka (20%), Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (18%) and Goa (11%)
At present, over 99 per cent of India s iron ore is produced by just five states of Karnataka, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Jharkhand.
- Karnataka:
LARGEST PRODUCER and accounts for nearly 1/4 of the TOTAL IRON ORE PRODUCED IN INDIA.
Kemmangundi in Bababudan hills of Chikmagalur district and Sandur and Hospet in Bellary district. Most of the ores are high grade haematite and magnetite. The other important producing districts are Chitradurga, Uttar Kannad, Shimoga, Dharwar and Tumkur.
- Odisha:
22%; Major: Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Keonjhar and Koraput districts. INDIA’S RICHEST HAEMETITE DEPOSTS are located in BARABIL-KOIRA valley
- Chhattisgarh:
18-20% of the total iron ore reserves of India: Major: Bastar and Durg districts, high grade. Bailadila in Bastar district and Dalli Rajhara in Durg district are important producers
Bailadila produces high grade ore which is exported through Vishakhapatnam to Japan etc.
The deposits of this range are being worked by the Hindustan Steels Plant at Bhilai. A new broad gauge rail line is planned to connect this range with Jagdalpur. Raigarh, Bilaspur, and Surguja are other iron ore producing districts.
- Goa:
4th LARGEST PRODUCER in India, 18% of the total production of India. Major: Pima-Adolpale-Asnora, Sirigao-Bicholim-Daldal, Sanquelim-Onda, Kudnem-Pisurlem and Kudnem-Surla areas in North Goa; Tolsia-Dongarvado-Sanvordem and Quirapale-Santone-Costi in Central Goa; and Borgadongar, Netarlim, Rivona-Solomba and Barazan in South Goa.
The RICHEST ore deposits are located in NORTH GOA These areas have the advantage of river transport or ropeways for local transport and that of MARMAGAO PORT for exporting the ore. MOST of Goa’s iron ore is EXPORTED to JAPAN.
MOST of the ore is of LOW GRADE limo-mite and siderite. Most of the mines are OPEN-CAST and MECHANISED. ~34,000 people earn their livelihood from iron ore mining and allied activities in Goa.
- Jharkhand:
25% of reserves and over 14% of the total iron ore production of the country. Major: Singhbhum district is of highest quality, other deposits in Singhbhum include those of Budhu Buru, Kotamati Burn (Naomandi mines) and Rajori Buru. Daltenganj in Palamu district. Less important magnetite deposits have been found in Santhal Parganas, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad and Ranchi districts.
Others:
Maharashtra : Chandrapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg;
Tamilnadu : Salem, North Arcot Ambedkar, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore, Madurai, Nellai Kattabomman (Tirunelveli);
Andhra Pradesh : Kumool, Guntur, Cuddapah, Ananthapur, Khammam, Nellore;
Rajasthan : Jaipur, Udaipur, Alwar, Sikar, Bundi, Bhilwara;
Uttar Pradesh ; Mirzapur,
Uttarakhand : Garhwal, Almora, Nainital;
Himachal Pradesh : Kangra and Mandi;
Haryana : Mahendragarh;
West Bengal: Burdwan, Birbhum, Darjeeling;
Jammu and Kashmir : Udhampur and Jammu;
Gujarat: Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Vadodara; and
Kerala : Kozhikode.
Exports:
5th LARGEST EXPORTER in the world. We EXPORT ~50 to 60% of our total iron ore production to countries like JAPAN*** (biggest), KOREA, EU, and Gulf. Major ports handling iron ore export are Vishakhapatnam, Paradip, Marmagao and Mangalore.
Increasing demand for iron ore in the domestic market due to expansion of iron and steel industry in India has adversely affected our export performance.
Petroleum in India: Origin, Reserves, Production
Petroleum in India: Origin, Reserves, Production
Petroleum = Petra (meaning rock) and Oleum (meaning oil) = particularly sedimentary rocks = mineral oil = Inflammable liquid = hydrocarbons (~90 to 95% petroleum + organic compounds (oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and traces of organo-metallic compounds)
Crude petroleum = mixture of hydrocarbons—solid, liquid and gaseous.
Utilisation of Petroleum:
Motive power = The energy (electricity, steam etc) to drive machinery; compact, convenient, and efficient liquid fuel which has revolutionised transportation on land, in the air and on water; Easily transported (tankers and pipelines)
Emits very little smoke and leaves no ash; Provides lubricating agents and raw material for various petro-chemical products.
Origin and Occurrence of Petroleum:
Organic origin (decomposition of animal or vegetable matter = formation of oil) in sedimentary basins, shallow depressions and in the seas (past and present). all sedimentary rocks do not contain oil.
In India mainly Mumbai High, the Khambhat Gulf and the Assam are the most productive areas.
The total sedimentary area including both on shore and offshore comprises 27 basins.
Reserves:
The Indian Petroleum and Natural Gas Statistics put the total reserves of crude oil at 581.43 million tonnes in 1986-87.
The prognosticated hydrocarbon resource base in Indian sedimentary basins including deep water has been estimated at about 28 billion tonnes.
Of this ~1/4 reserves have been established as on 2002. About 70 per cent of the established hydrocarbon reserves is oil and rest is gas.
Production:
India was a very insignificant producer of petroleum at the time of Independence and remained so till Mumbai High started production on a large scale.
A number of short term and medium term measures such as early production from satellite fields, use of state-of-the-art technology i.e. horizontal drilling, drain hole drilling, etc. were initiated in 1993.
1990-91 to 2003-04, ~2/3 of production of crude oil is provided by the off-shore fields.
Petroleum Refining:
Oil extracted from the oil wells is in its crude form and contains many impurities. It is refined in oil refineries before use. After refining, various products such as kerosene, diesel, petrol, lubricants, bitumen, etc. are obtained.
INDIA’S 1st OIL REFINERY @ DIGBOI, Assam, 1901; 1954 that another refinery at Tarapur (Mumbai)
Seventeen public sector refineries are located at Guwahati, Barauni, Koyali, Haldia, Mathura, Digboi, Panipat, Chennai, Narimanam, Bongaigaon, Mumbai (HPCL), Vishakhapatnam, Mumbai (BPCL), Kochi, Numaligarh, Tatipaka (ONGC) and Bina (M.P.) Bina refinery was inaugurated in June 2003. Aggregate refining capacity of these plants is 75.95 million tonnes per annum.
Private sector refinery of Reliance Petroleum Limited was commissioned at Jamnagar in 2001. With an installed capacity of 27 million tonnes, it is the biggest refinery in the country.
Imports:
Consumption of oil and its products has always outstripped production in India.
Our oil import bill increased from less than 9 per cent of the total imports in 1960s to 30 per cent following the first oil crisis in 1973-74 and to 75 per cent in 1980s after the second oil crisis.
In recent years our oil imports account for three times of our indigenous oil production.
MICA production and spatial distribution in India
INDIA IS A MAJOR, No.1. PRODUCER, ~60% of worlds total production; 95% of of India’s mica is found in just 3 states: Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan
MICA (Abhrak), Non-Metallic Mineral; INSULATING properties, can WITHSTAND HIGH VOLTAGE, LOW POWER LOSS FACTOR: electrical industry
THREE MAJOR TYPES found in India:
- MUSCOVITE/White Mica (adj. of, or pertaining to, or characteristic of Moscow): Common LIGHT COLOURED mica used as an ELECTRICAL INSULATOR
- PHLOGOPITE: Magnesium-rich mica, yellowish-/reddish-brown
- BIOTITE: Very common, black, dark-brown, or dark-green sheets and flakes: important constituent of igneous and metamorphic rocks
Found mainly in: JHARKHAND, ANDHRA PRADESH, and RAJASTHAN
The total in situ reserves of mica are placed at 59,065 tonnes. ~60% in JHARKHAND
- JHARKHAND: RICHEST ~ 60% of India’s production: GAYA district of Bihar to HAZARIBAGH and KODARMA (>50% of India’s)
- ANDHRA PRADESH: 2nd LARGEST, 25% of total: NELLORE
- RAJASTHAN: Main belt from JAIPUR to UDAIPUR: Bhilwara, Jaipur, Tonk, Sikar, Dungarpur and Ajmer.
Other Producers: Some mica is produced in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. These areas account for just 1% mica production of India.
Short note of URANIUM deposits in India
Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL), Singbhum, Jharkhand, is a PSU (Department of Atomic Energy) for uranium mining and uranium processing; founded in 1967 and is responsible for the mining and milling of uranium ore in India.
The firm operates mines in JHARKHAND: Jaduguda, Bhatin, Narwapahar, Turamdih and Banduhurang
Uranium reserves have been found in KADAPA, ANDHRA PRADESH and work has started on my the underground mines.
Jaduguda:
1st URANIUM MINE of India,1967. The ore from Bhatin and Narwapahar mines is also processed here.
Bhatin :
This mine is located 3 km away from Jaduguda and shares most of the infrastructure with the Jaduguda mine.
Narwapahar:
This mine was commissioned in April 1995. It is known to be the most modern mine of the country.
Turamdih:
Turamdih mine is located 24 km to the west of Jaduguda and five km south to Tatanagar railway station which is on howrah Mumbai main line. It was commissioned in 2003. Turamdih Processing Plant has been set up to treat the ore from Turamdih, Banduharang and Mohuldin mines.
As of 2014, there has been a DECLINE of 10-15% in the domestic production of uranium after the production at the richest mine in Jaduguda has been stopped by the state government due to rise in the production cost (also due to the expiry of UCIL lease). Low quality ore from the other mines have pushed the production cost upwards making overall production unsustainable.
Production and Distribution of Gold in India:
Production and Distribution of Gold in India:
It is a valuable metal which occurs in AURIFEROUS LOADS and some of it is found in SANDS OF SEVERAL RIVERS. Used chiefly for making ORNAMENTS and as RESERVE CURRENCY.
Production and Distribution:
India’s contribution to world gold production is an insignificant 0.75%
3 gold fields:
- KOLAR, Karnataka
- HUTTI, Karnataka
- RAMGIRI, Andhra Pradesh
Alluvial Gold: PLACER DEPOSITS:
Gold is often liberated from the rocks by weathering and its particles get concentrated at certain places in the rivers. Such deposits are called placer deposits from which gold is recovered by PANNING.
KARNATAKA is the LARGEST PRODUCER of gold in India: mainly in Korar, Dharwad, Hassan and Raichur districts. Some gold reserves are also reported from a number of scattered localities in Gulbarga, Belgaum, Bellary, Mysore, Mandya, Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts
ANDHRA PRADESH: 2nd largest: The main deposits are found in Ramagiri in Anantapur district; other areas of gold deposits are Bisanattam and Palachchur in Chittoor district and Jonnagiri in Kumool district.
JHARKHAND: Important producer, both Alluvial and Native gold: Alluvial gold is obtained from the sands of the SUBARNAREKHA (gold streak) river and the streams draining the Sonapat valley. Native gold is found near LOWA in Singhbhum district and in some other parts of CHOTA NAGPUR PLATEAU.
Kerala:
KERALA: The river terraces along the PUNNA PUZHA and the CHABIYAR PUZHA have tracts of gold.
Alluvial gold is found in the AMBANKADAVA PUZHA, Chabiyar Puzha and in the rivers near MANNARKKAT
Small quantities of gold are collected from rivers in Shimla and Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, Kargil area along the terraces of the Indus River and in alluvial and morainic deposits of Dras River in Jammu and Kashmir, Balaghat, and Seoni districts in Madhya Pradesh, Bastar, Raipur and Raigarh in Chhattisgarh and parts of Purulia district of West Bengal.
Which state in India would you find reserves of Tungsten?
Southwestern Rajasthan
Which state in India would you find reserves of Lead and Zinc?
Rajasthan and Gujarat
Which state in India would you find reserves of Chromite?
Jammu and Kashmir, MH, Karnataka, TN, Andhra, Odisha, Jharkhand
Which state in India would you find reserves of Copper?
HP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, TN, Telangana, Andhra, 36, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Meghalaya, MP
Which state in India would you find reserves of Manganese?
Rajasthan, Gujarat, MH, Karnataka, Andhra, 36garh, Jharkhand
Which state in India would you find reserves of Silver?
Karnataka, Jharkhand
Diamond production of India
The PANNA belt in Madhya Pradesh is the main diamond producing area. Here the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) of India operates the COUNTRY’S ONLY DIAMOND MINE @ MAJHGAWAN, Panna.
India is the LARGEST PROCESSOR OF DIAMOND IN THE WORLD. By volume, India accounts for over 90% of the global market share in diamond cutting and polishing but for nearer 60% by value.
De Beers, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton (in joint venture with Dwyka diamonds), Oropa and Indian Resources are exploring for diamonds in several states of India.
Locate the proven basins with commercial production of oil and gas in India
Southern coast extending up to Central to Northern Region of Gujarat (Kosamba, Hazira, Ankleshwar, Vododara, Koyali, Ahmedabad, Mahesana, Sidhpur, Gulf of Khambhat, and Tapi Basin) and Western coast of Maharashtra and Goa (Bombay High, Trombay etc)
Eastern Assam (Digboi, Naharkatiya, Dibrugarh, Sibasagar etc) spilling over to border areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland
