METALLIC MINERALS • Metallic minerals form an important section of mining activity in India

and provide solid base to metallurgical industries in the country.

METALLIC MINERALS

METALLIC MINERALS • Iron ore

• Iron ore is a metal of universal use. It is the backbone of modern civilization.

• It is the foundation of our basic industry and is used all over the world.

• The standard of living of the people of a country is judged by the consumption of iron.

• Iron is taken out from mines in the form of iron ore.

• Different types of iron ore contain varying percentage of pure iron. Following four varieties of iron ore are generally recognized: Haematite, Magnetite, Limonite & Siderite

METALLIC MINERALS • Magnetite: This is the best quality of iron ore and contains 72 per

cent pure iron. It possesses magnetic property and hence is called magnetite. Found in Dharwad and Cuddapah rock systems of the peninsular India. It is found in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

• Hematite: It contains 60 per cent to 70 per cent pure iron and is found in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Found in Dharwad and Cuddapah rock systems of the peninsular India.

METALLIC MINERALS • Limonite: It contains 40 per cent to 60 per cent pure iron. It is of

yellow or light brown colour. Found in Damuda series in Raniganj coal field, Garhwal in Uttarakhand, Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh and Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh. It has the advantage of open cast mining.

• Siderite: It contains many impurities and has just 40 to 50 per cent pure iron. However, due to presence of lime, it is self-fluxing.

METALLIC MINERALS

METALLIC MINERALS • Iron Ore Reserves in India

• Karnataka

• Karnataka is the largest producer and accounts for nearly one-fourth of the total iron ore produced in India.

• High grade ore deposits are those of Kemmangundi in Bababudan hills of Chikmagalur district and Sandur and Hospet in Bellary. Other districts are Shimoga, Tumkur, etc.

METALLIC MINERALS • Odisha

• India's richest haematite deposits are located in Barabil-Koira valley

• Sizeable deposits occur near Gorumahisani, Badampahar in Mayurbhanj district; Sukind area of Cuttack district.

METALLIC MINERALS • Chhattisgarh

• Bailadila mine is the largest mechanised mine in Asia [Ore benefication only done here]

• A 270 km long slurry (a semi-liquid mixture) pipeline from the Bailadila to Vizag plant transports the ore slurry.

• Smelting is done in Vizag iron and steel factory.

• Bailadila’s high grade ore is exported through Vishakhapatnam to Japan and other countries.

• The Dalli-Rajhara range is 32 km long [ferrous content 68-69 per cent] range with significant reserves and provides iron ore to steel plant at Bhilai.

METALLIC MINERALS

METALLIC MINERALS • Jharkhand

• First mine in Singhbhum district in 1904.

• Iron ore of here is of highest quality and will last for hundreds of years.

• Noamandi mines in Singhbhum are the richest.

• Magnetite ores occur near Daltenganj in Palamu district.

• Less important magnetite deposits have been found in Santhal Parganas, Hazaribagh (Lohadarga mines), Dhanbad and Ranchi districts.

METALLIC MINERALS • Manganese

• The most important manganese ore is pyrolusite.

• Is used for making iron and steel and acts as a basic raw material for manufacturing its alloy.

• It is also used for the manufacture of bleaching powder, insecticides, paints, batteries and china-clay.

METALLIC MINERALS • Manganese Ore Production in India

• Orissa and Maharashtra produce more than half of India's manganese ore.

1. Orissa is the largest producer and produces over 37 per cent manganese ore of India. It is obtained from Gondite deposits in Sundargarh district and Kodurite and Khondolite deposits in Kalahandi and Koraput Districts. Manganese is also mined from the lateritic deposits in Bolangir and Sambalpur districts.

2. Maharashtra: It produces about 24 per cent of India's manganese ore. The main belt is in Nagpur and Bhandara districts. High grade ore is found in Ratnagiri district.

METALLIC MINERALS • Copper

• Copper is a good conductor of electricity and is ductile [able to be drawn out into a thin wire].

• It is an important metal used by automobile and defense industries.

• Copper ore is found in ancient as well as in younger rock formations.

• Mining for copper is costly and tedious affair because most of the copper ores contain a small percentage of the metal.

• India has low grade copper ore [less than 1% metal content] [international average 2.5%]

METALLIC MINERALS • Copper Reserves in India

• Rajasthan (50%)

• Madhya Pradesh (24%)

• Jharkhand (19%)

• The rest 7 per cent in AP, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka etc.

METALLIC MINERALS • Copper Production in India

• 1. Madhya Pradesh has become the largest producer of copper in India surpassing Karnataka, Rajasthan and Jharkhand in succession. Malanjkhand copper mines of Balaghat district are the most important ones.

METALLIC MINERALS • 2. Rajasthan has also progressed a lot with respect to production of

copper and is now the second largest producing state in India. Most of the copper reserves are found along the Aravali range. The Khetri-Singhana belt in Jhunjhunu district is the most important copper producing area.

• 3. Jharkhand, has lost much importance and has slipped to third position. Singhbhum is the most important copper producing district where Rakha, Mosabani and some other areas have proved reserves.

METALLIC MINERALS • Bauxite

• Bauxite is an important ore which is used for making aluminium.

• It is an oxide of aluminium. It is not a specific mineral but a rock consisting mainly of hydrated aluminium oxides.

METALLIC MINERALS • Bauxite Production in India

• Odisha alone accounts for 52 per cent. From Niyamgiri hills, Koraput, Kalahandi, Bolanghir, etc.

• Andhra Pradesh 18 per cent.

• Gujarat 7 per cent. From Kheda and Amreli Districts.

• Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra (Ratnagiri) 5 per cent each

• Madhya Pradesh (Balghat) and Jharkhand (Gharjhat) 4 per cent.

• Major bauxite resources are in the east coast in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

METALLIC MINERALS • Gold

• Gold usually occurs in auriferous rocks.

• It is also found in sands of several rivers.

• Gold is also known as international currency.

METALLIC MINERALS • Gold Production in India

• Karnataka is the largest producer of gold in India. Gold mines are located in Kolar, Dharwad, Hassan and Raichur [Hutti Gold Field] districts.

• Andhra Pradesh: Second largest producer of gold in India. Ramagiri in Anantapur district is the most important gold field in AP.

• Jharkhand: Sona nadi in Singhbhum district is important.

• Kerala: The river terraces along the Punna Puzha and the Chabiyar Puzha have tracts of gold.

METALLIC MINERALS • Chromite

• Chromite is an oxide of iron and chromium.

• It is widely used in metallurgical, refractories and chemical industries.

• It is used in iron and steel industry to make the steel stainless.

METALLIC MINERALS • Chromite Production in India

• Orissa is the largest producer, producing 30.47 lakh tonnes out of a total production of 30.66 lakh tonnes for the country as a whole in 2002-03. Sukinda mines are the largest mines.

• Karnataka is the second largest producer but lags far behind Orissa contributing only 19 thousand tonnes.