Mineral index up by 5.85 points

New Delhi, June 1 (UNI) The Annual Report today said the performance of the mineral sector during 2006-07 was remarkable as the index grew by 5.85 points.

The index for mineral production, excluding fuel and atomic minerals base (1993-94=100) was 161.10 against 155.25 in 2005-06, showing a positive growth.

During the year under review, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered a resource of 1.51 million tonnes (MT) of gold ore with an average grade of 2.47 gram per tonne gold has been established at Parasi in the Ranchi district of Jharkhand.

One more gold ore resource of 0.58 MT has been established with an average grade of 3.65 gram per tonnes in Pahardi block of West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand.

GSI has also discovered gold reserves at Ajjanahalli East block in Tumkur district of Karnataka.

Kimberlite pipe at Timasamudram village, Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh yielded a total number of 350 gem quality diamonds weighing 82.19 carats. The biggest crystal weights about 2.035 carats.

In Karnataka, investigation for Plantinum Group Elements (PGE) mineralisation in the Shimoga belt at Hanumalapura block, Davanagere district, has estimated a resource of 0.294 MT of PGE ore with average grade of 1.79 parts per million over a width of 1.43 metre (m). This is the second occurance of PGE in the country, in addition to the Baula Nausahi in Orissa.

Similarly, GSI has also discovered iron ore body of maximum 200 m strike length and width varying between 10 m to 15 m, having Iron content from 60.78 per cent to 65.50 per cent, located in Pathuriapenth-Patherguda area in Keonjhar district of Orissa.

Iron ore bands in Burhipada (100 m by 8 m) and in Pangaposi (300 m by 50 m) were identified having iron content varying from 64.88 per cent to 66 per cent.

They have also identified selected free-hold areas for iron ore in the NMDC blocks of Bellary district of Karnataka revealing a BIF band of 3.8 kilometre strike length and width varying from 100 m to 150 m.

The bauxite resource was of the order of 1.968 MT, with aluminium content varying from 40.10 to 57.42 per cent estimated for the part of Bonai-Keonjhar belt and 62.46 per cent in Malangtoli block in Orissa.

GSI has also found coal and lignite resources to the tune of 2228.75 MT and 417.59 MT respectively, the report added.

UNI