The document discusses trends in mineral prospecting in India from 2004-2007. It summarizes that base metals, gold-diamond-bearing rocks, and atomic minerals received the most attention. Iron ore, manganese, bauxite and chromite deposits were also studied significantly. Demand increased prospecting for coal and lignite. The document describes the geological settings and formation processes of various mineral deposits in India, including their locations, for base metals, gold, diamond, iron, manganese, chromite, uranium, molybdenum, tungsten and coal.

1. Mineral Prospecting & Deposits
in India - An Overview
AKHIL PRABHAKAR
3rd Year, Intg. M.Tech
Geophysical Technology
09411004

2. INTRODUCTION
• A scrutiny of research work on
mineral prospecting in India
during the period from January
2004 to January 2007 reveals
that study of base-metals
received maximum attention.
• This was followed by gold-
diamond-bearing rocks
(kimberlite and lamproite), and
atomic minerals.
• Besides, prospecting of iron ore,
manganese, bauxite and
chromite received significant
attention.
• Increasing demand in the power
sector has witnessed a thrust on
prospecting for coal and lignite.
• Besides geological prospecting,
geophysical prospecting
employing different
methodologies have also
received attention.

3. 1. BASE METALS
• A few old workings besides profuse malachite
encrustation, bornite, covellite and chalcopyrite are the
main surface manifestations of mineralisation in
RAJASTHAN.
• Mainly metasoda rhyolite, garnet mica schist and
metavolcanics host mineralisation in Bhagal block.
• The copper mineralisation is, by and large, controlled by
the structural elements.
• Chalcopyrite is main copper ore mineral in the area. The
other ore minerals are pyrrhotite, pyrite and magnetite
in the decreasing order of abundance.
• Ilmenite, Haematite, Graphite and Sphene are present as
minor minerals whereas Limonite/goethite, Sphalerite,
Pentlandite, Machinawite and Tennantite occur as
accessory minerals.
• Mineralisation occurs as veins, veinlets, stringers, fracture
fillings, patches and disseminations.

4. …COPPER

5. …LEAD-ZINC DEPOSITS
• Most of these deposits are Carbonate
hosted Lead-Zinc Ore deposits.
• Source: host carbonate sequence
where diagenetic recrystallisation
occurs
• The trapped deposits are formed by
replacement processes in the
presence of trapped hydrocarbons.
• Sulfide minerals such as Galena,
Sphalerite, Marcasite and Pyrite thus
form.
• Often the prospectivity of particular
carbonate formations for lead-zinc
deposits of this nature is first
identified by core drilling by oil
explorers.

6. 2. GOLD
•Recently, there has been a gold rush in
Eastern Singhbhum.
•Gold deposits here, occur along the shear
zone with Uranium and copper deposits.
•Greenstone belts
•Geology, structure & mineralization comparable
to SA
•Preferentially concentrated in vein quartz, often
associated with sulphides
• These gold prospects represent typical Archean
hydrothermal lode gold mineralisation.
• Some deposits are hosted within sulphic banded
iron formation. Ex.: Mallapokanda deposits (South Gold mines of Chittoor
Kolar) are closed as they are
•Mineralisation is hosted by hornblende schist in not economically
the western part of the schist belt viable
•Whereas in the eastern part mineralisation occurs
in the felsic volcanic of the Champion Gneiss.
•Mineralisation is controlled by shear zones

7. GOLD…

8. 3. DIAMOND
•Thrust for diamond prospecting was noticed
in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Karnataka andOrissa.
•New kimberlite/lamproite fields have been
located in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A
few lamproite bodies have also been reported
from Orissa.
•Investigations forkimberlite/lamproite was
carried out in the Krishna River Basin.
•Discovery of three kimberlite pipes from the
Basin in Gadwal area, Mahboobnagar district,
Andhra Pradesh came into light in 2004.

9. 4. FERROUS GROUP

10. …IRON ORE DEPOSITS
The iron ore deposits of India can be broadly
divided in to the following six groups on the
basis of mode of occurrence and origin:
1. Banded Iron Formations (BIF) of Pre-Cambrian
Age
2. Sedimentary Iron Ore Deposits of Siderite and
Limonitic Composition
3. Lateritic Ores derived from the Sub-Aerial
Alternations
4. Apatite-Magnetite Rocks of Singhbhum
Copper belt (Very rare – Pathargora)
5. Titanifereous and Vanadiferous Magnetites
6. Fault and Fissure Filling Deposits
Locations:
2.Rich Iron Ore group: Noamundi (W.
Singhbhum) – Singhbhum, Keonjhar
3.Western Dharwar Craton (along with
some Mn) – Bellary & Goa

11. …CHROMITE DEPOSITS
1. Sukinda Formed in
2. Nushai Ultra-basic
3. Jojohatu
rocks
4. Kimsiburu
Magmatic
layering
due to
segregation

12. …MANGANESE
• Important Manganese deposits are found in Bonai-Kendujhar belt and Eastern Ghat,
Granulite belt in Orissa.
• In the Eastern Ghat Granulite belt, discontinuous manganese mineralization was associated
with khondalite group of rocks.
• Manganiferous horizon with syn-genetic manganese ore from the granulite belt was also
reported.
• The manganese ore occurrences of Eastern Ghat are of syn-genetic type.
• These were later remobilized in different phases of structural deformation by meteoric water
along the weak planes of associated host rocks to form the secondary minerals.
• In Bonai- Kendujhar belt, the mineralization is associated with a low grade volcanic
sedimentary sequence, belonging to the Koira Group of Iron Ore Supergroup.
• A formational status was proposed to the manganiferous horizon in Bonai-Kendujhar belt.

13. 5. URANIUM
India's identified conventional uranium resources (RAR and Inferred) are estimated to amount to 105 900 tU
and are hosted by the following type of deposits
Majority of these resources occur in following 3 uranium
provinces.
(i) Singhbhum uranium province, located in the Eastern Region.
All the deposits, presently being exploited, such as Jaduguda,
Narwapahar, Turamdih, and Bagjata occur in this province. The
other deposits in this belt are Mohuldih, Nandup, Rajgaon,
andGaradih . All these occurrences are of vein type.
(ii) Mahadek uranium province, located in the
Northeastern Region. The Cretaceous Mahadek Formation in
Meghalaya contains the largest and richest sandstone-hosted
uranium deposit of the country at Domiasiat (KPM deposit) in
West Khasi Hills district. Another deposit of similar nature is
at Wahkyn where exploration activities are in progress.

14. URANIUM…
iii) Cuddapah uranium
province, located in the
Southern and South Central
Regions. It contains the
Proterozoic unconformity
related uranium deposit
at Lambapur-Peddagattu in
Nalgonda district, Andhra
Pradesh. The Cuddapah
basin also hosts a unique
stratabound uranium deposit
associated with siliceous
dolostone at Tummalapalle in
Cuddapah district, Andhra
Pradesh.

15. 6. MOLYBDENUM & TUNGSTEN
• The tungsten mineralization occurs at
Balda, Rajasthan.
• The Balda granite is spatially associated
with mineralization that owes its genesis
to the associated magmatic
hydrothermal system.
• The wolframite mineralization is confined
to quartz veins and greisenized
pegmatites located along the shear zones
in Balda granite.

16. 7. COAL
1. The chief source of commercial energy
in the country.
2. Economically exploitable Indian coals
are broadly
3. restricted to two geological times —
Permian Gondwanas and Tertiaries.
4. More than 99% of the known geological
resources are contained in the
Gondwanas of well-defined
5. belts of Damodar-Koel, Son-Mahanadi,
Narmada (Satpura), Pranhita-Godavari
valleys and Rajmahal basin.
6. Economic deposits of Tertiary coal
occur mainly in the northeastern India
and a few small deposits along Jammu
foothills.
7. The spread of Gondwanas has also been
reported from beneath the Bengal
Basin, eastern India and the Deccan
Traps in central India.

17. SUMMARY
• Trends of Mineral Prospecting in INDIA
• Mineral Deposits
• …their Locations and Geological settings
• …and Processes by which they form

18. THANK YOU