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Pratap Singh PariharDirector
Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and ResearchDepartment of Atomic Energy
Government of India
Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
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Outline
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Indias three stage nuclear power programme
Stage I Natural uranium used as fuel in
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR)
Fissile isotope U-235 (0.7% of natural U)
will sustain a chain reaction Fertile isotope U-238 on absorbing a
neutron yields fissile Pu-239 The spent fuel is reprocessed to get Pu-239
Stage II
Setting up of Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) FBRs produce more fuel than they
Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
consume Increases fuel utilization by about 60 times
of what is possible with PHWRs
Pu-U (produced in stage-I) Mixed Oxide isused as fuel with Thorium blanket
FBRs generate electricity and build up fuelinventory
Stage III
Setting up of Advanced Heavy WaterReactors (AHWRs). Use U-233 from stage-II
Convert Th into nuclear fuel i.e., Uranium-233
Fuel inventory further increased many fold
along with production of power
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Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
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Exploration methodology
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Major uranium provinces in India
,
,
,
Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
,
,
,
,
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Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand
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Cuddapah basin, Andhra Pradesh
Delhi
Hyderabad
0 200 400 km
Cuddapah Basin
Kaladgi Basin
Bhima Basin
Pakhal Basin
Vindhyan Basin
Chhattisgarh Basin
Khairargarh Basin
Ampani Basin
Abhujhmar Basin
Indravati Basin
Sukma Basin
Shillong Basin
Kunjar Basin
Gwalior Basin
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>50%
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Bhima basin, Karnataka
F F
F
F
F17
0
'
GEOLOGICAL MAP OF BHIMA BASIN5 0 5 10 15Km
Kagna river
F
F
F FF
F
N
EW
S
170
'15
Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
FF
F
F
F
76 150
'
LATERITE
DECCAN TRAP
CHERT BEDS (INTER - TRAPPEANS)
PURPLE SHALE(HARWAL Fm.)
LIMESTONE( KATAMDEVARHALLI Fm.)
SAND STONE/ SHALE(HALKAL Fm.)
LIMESTONE(SHAHABAD Fm)
SHALE
DYKE
YOUNGER GRANITE
YOUNGER SCHIST BELT
PENINSULAR GNEISS
OLDER SCHIST BELT (SARGUR)
ARENITE
FAULTF F
INDEX
SURFACE RADIOACTIVITY
Fracture zone
(RABANPALLI Fm)
F F
FF
76 300
' 76 450
' 770
77 150
' 77 300
'
160
'15
160
'30
160
'45
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North Delhi Fold Belt, Rajasthan & Haryana
ROHIL PROSPECT DISTT. SIKAR , RAJASTHAN
T.S.of BH.NO.GTR-166,81,100, 120,18,19,39 & RHL-16,19,18(p) & 44
Section N-2
Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
3a
GTR-81495.30m
GTR-18
486.90m
GTR-19
486.70m
GTR-39486.20m
RHL-16486.60m
RHL-19
487.10m
RHL-18(P)
489.35m RHL-44
486.82m
50m 0 50 100m
DD.189.75mDD.284.50m
DD.437.35m
DD.619.60m
DD.715.10m
DD.92
5.85m
DD.736.20m
DD.53
8.40m
0.023X2.21m0.126X1.51m
0.055X4.85m
0.077X15.50m
0.030X1.21m
0.041X9.27m
0.039x6.55m
0.057x6.82m
B
0.066x1.16m
WESTEAST
1
41
1
4
1
1a
1
41+73
14
1
4
1
1a
13
3+73
0.041X5.55m
1
1a
1+7
3+73
1+1a4
1+1a
4
1+7
3
1
1+7
1a1+71a1
+73
11a
1+1a
1+7
31
3
1+71a
3a
3
AMPHIBOLITE / BASIC INTRUSIVES
CALC SILICATE /IMPURE MARBLE
QUARTZITE / AMPHIBOLE QUARTZITE a: GRAPHITIC
QBS WITH QUARTZITE INTERCALATIONS a: GRAPHITIC
U - MINERALISATIONS AT 0.020%eU3O8CUT-OFFGRADE
& TRUE THICKNESS
Additional Lodes
1a1
2
3
4
5 ALBITITE /ACID INTRUSIES
ZONE OF ALTERATION7
6
INDEX
QUARTZ VIEN /REEF
OVER BURDEN
GTR-100
DD
402
.40m
100
400
A
BB1
0.041X1.63m
A
B2
4
GTR-120488.22m
0.025X2.15m
0.043X2.22m
DD251.05m
800m
0.035x4.65m
0.064X1.34m
0.037X2.21m
0.103x1.32m0.024x1.15m
0.030x4.59m
0.075x1.58m
0.024x1.16m0.050x1.58m
0.036x1.17*m
0.063X1.53m 0.059X4.17m
0.049x1.08m0.107x1.01m
0.039X4.94m
B3
0.043X3.07m
0.033x4.06m
0.028X1.39m
0.024X1.73m*
0.058X1.34m
A1
0.050x1.49m
B4
0.081x 6.32m
GTR-166
495.01m500m
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
00
-50
-100DD
.793
.95m
0.064 x 7.02m
0.058 x 6.09m
0.078 x 12.79m
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Mahadek basin, Meghalaya
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10%
(
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Promising uranium provinces
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Distribution of uranium deposits
Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
1,84,446 t U3O8(As on June 2012)
7.42 million tonne U3O8(Red Book-2009)
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Future exploration strategy
:
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( / ) ,
/
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Thorium mineralisation
Heavy Mineral Placer Sand deposits
Shoreline Placer
Alluvial Placer Inland aeolian Placer
Late-stage Igneous rocks
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Carbonatite Alkali granite/Pegmatite
Pegmatite
Hydrothermal veins Quaternary sediments
High grade Metamorphic rocks
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Thorium mineralisation
Source for Th and REE
Discovery in the year 1909 from beach sands from
Manavalakurichi, Tamil Nadu. Occurs in placer sands along with ilmenite, rutile,
leucoxene, garnet, zircon & sillimanite.
Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
Monazite-bearing placer sands found along the coast-lineand also inland in aeolian and riverine environments.
Recovered as by-product at:
Chavara, Kerala
Manavalakurichi, Tamil Nadu
Chattarpur, Odisha
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Monazite
Grade in different environments
Beach sands : upto 1%(up to 5% in some places in Kerala,
Tamil Nadu)Teri Sands Tamil Nadu :Upto 0.10%
Siri River, Chhattisgarh: Upto 0.8% (Riverine Placer)
Resurgent India Vision 2020 in Metals and Minerals Sector, September 28, 2012, New Delhi
ThO2 : up to 9-10% (av.)
U3O8 : 0.3%
REO : 60%
P2O5 : 27%
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Beach and inland placer deposits
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Beach placer resources in India
Heavy Mineral Total Resource (March 2012)(million tonnes)
Ilmenite 520.38
Rutile 29.11
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Monazite 10.70Zircon 32.28
Garnet 154.26
Sillimanite 195.85
Total 942.58
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Chavara Deposit, KeralaBerm-line, Pudukottai, TN
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Red sediments, Sattankulam, TN Tandava-Varaha coast, Visakhapatnam, A. P.
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Exploration strategy for thorium
exploration will be continued for inland placers in
areas of paleo-strandlines along the coast. Known beach placer deposits are explored only up
to a depth of 10m. Resources below 10m will be
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exop ore
Exploration for Non-placer resources, particularlyhard rock terrains.
Geophysical techniques for surveying deeperdeposits.
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