Mineral Resources

Submitted by admin on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 18:34

The NER is quite rich in respect of its deposit of mineral resources. Available mineral resources in this region include coal, petroleum crude, natural gas, lime stone, siliminite, dolomite, uranium, china clay, kaolin, fuller's earth, feldspar etc. Though a huge quantity of coal is available in the NER, the coal has high sulphur content and hence is not fit for use in power generation. Among the various states of this region, the maximum amount of coal is produced in Assam and Meghalaya. Besides the substantial reserves of oil and natural gas in Assam, small reserves of petroleum crude is also available in the Changleng district of Arunachal Pradesh and in Baramura area in Tripura. Total current reserve of crude oil in the proven oil fields of NER is estimated at 158 million tones.

NER is well blessed by nature in respect of natural gas too. Natural gas is available in Assam and Tripura. Total reserve of natural gas in the entire region is estimated at about 23000 million cubic meter. In spite of having a huge quantity of natural gas, the NER could utilize only a very insignificant portion of the same leading to flaring up of huge quantity of natural gas regularly. Digboi Refinery of IOC (AOD) has been using natural gas for over four decades for firing of boilers and later for generation of electric power. Assam Gas Company Ltd. is also supplying natural gas through its pipeline to various tea gardens of Assam for use in tea processing, Numrup Thermal Power Station for power generation, to Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corpn. Ltd. for production of fertilizer, Assam Petrochemicals Ltd, Numrup for production of methanol and to NRL for refining of crude. Gas so produced by ONGCL at Baskandi and Adamitila in Barak Valley is utilized for generating power by private generation Co. (DLF Power Ltd.) and in the tea gardens. Abundant quantity of non-associated natural gas is also available in Tripura. Of this only a small portion, about 25% is utilized for generation of electricity. ONGCL has a proposal to install a gas turbine power plant of 35 MW installed capacity at Rokhia (Tripura).

 

In NER, adequate quantity of limestone is available on the basis of which a few cement factories have come up in the region. Sikkim Mining Corporation has been extracting Copper, Zinc and Lead concentrates in minor quantities.

 

 

Mineral Resources of Different States of N.E. Region

 

States

Minerals

Key Points

Arunachal Pradesh

Coal, Limestone, Petroleum, Dolomite

The state has a substantial deposit of Minerals, which includes petroleum (Crude) coal, dolomite and limestone. The production of petroleum is 44,000 MT (approx).

Assam

Coal, Limestone, Petroleum, Granite, Silimanite, Iron ore, Quartzite, Feldsper, Clay, Natural Gas, Oil

Assam has a host of mineral deposit among which coal, oil and natural gas have only been commercially exploited. The coal reserve is estimated at 371 million tons and the production rate of crude oil is estimated 4.80 mm tons per annum. Assam has potential to tap natural gas @ 5.93% million cubic meters per day. Assam is therefore rich in energy. Of the 463 million tons of reserve of limestone, over 400 million tons are located in Umrangshu which therefore has almost all the cement plants of the region.

Manipur

Chromite, limestone

The state accounts for very little extractable mineral. Although reserve of copper, coal, iron, nickel, as well as petroleum oil / natural gas are reported, no estimation or prospecting has been actually undertaken, There are however deposits of semi-precious stones like Lapis Lazoli, Serpentine rocks and Jades, which are being extracted.

Meghalaya

Coal, Limestone, Granite, Sillimanite, Iron ore, Quartzite, Felsper, Clay

The state has a vast deposit of coal at a estimated reserve of 564 million tons. Although the reserve for limestone is 4147 million tons but the currently extractable reserve of limestone is 0.24 - 0.30 million tones. Meghalaya is also known to have reserves of uranium.

Mizoram

Coal, Limestone, Oil, Natural Gas

The mineral resources of the are not fully explored. Some deposits of petroleum oil and natural gas are forecasted but no exploration has been conducted. The forecasting is based primarily on the gas reserve of Tripura and Cachar.

Nagaland

Coal, Limestone, Petroleum, Slate, Marble

Although oil and natural gas has been under production for a while but all mining activities have been suspended due to political reasons. No record of any state earning for past five years.

Sikkim

Zinc, Lead, Copper, Dolomite, Coal, Quartzite, Graphics, Talc

The state has good resource of all the minerals, Commercial exploitation of some of these minerals have been made by the Sikkim Mining Corporation.

Tripura

Kaolin, Iron Ore, Limestone, Coal, Natural Gas

Tripura has substantial reserves of natural gas. According to ONGC's exploration results, the region has a production potential of 3.5 million cubic meter of gas per day.

Source: Statistical Hand Book of different States

 

 

Production of minerals in NER during-2005-06

 

Value - Rs. '000

State

All minerals

Fuels

 Lime stone

Coal

Petroleum crude

Natural gas

Value

Total value

Quantity (th.tonne)

Value

Quantity (th.tonne)

Value

Quantity In million cubic metres (Gas Utilised).

Value

Quantity (th.tonne)

Value

Arunachal Pradesh

575233

573710

-

-

103

573710

-

-

 - -

Assam

30888808

30819876

1100

1798886

4487

24992590

2238

4028400

 406 62550

Manipur

2866

 

-

-

-

-

-

-

  -  -

Meghalaya

8609059

8469165

5781

8469165

-

-

-

-

 550 97014

Mizoram

755

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 - -

Nagaland

1774

-

-

-

 -

 -

-

-

 - -

Sikkim

4038

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 - -

Tripura

866421

864000

-

-

-

-

-

-

 - -

Sourcs: Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Mines

 

 

Mineral Production in NER-During 2002-03

 

Quantity - in the tonnes

Value - in the tonnes

State

Total Fuels

Total Mettalic Minerals

Total Non-Mettalic Minerals

Total of All Minerals Value

Quantity

Value

Quantity

Value

Quantity

Value

Arunachal
Pradesh

75

413980

-

-

-

-

415503

Assam

7189

30193865

-

-

555

122821

30323068

Manipur

-

-

-

-

-

-

2432

Meghalaya

4406

2753750

-

-

239

53103

2820596

Mizoram

-

-

-

-

-

-

922

Nagaland

-

-

-

-

-

-

755

Sikkim

-

-

NA

5852

-

-

5852

Tripura

446

802800

-

-

-

-

818497

Source: Basic Statistics of NER 2006

 

State-wise Consumption of Salt in NER

(In ' 000 MT)

States

2002

2003

2004

Arunachal Pradesh

6.9

2.6

7.0

Assam

243.1

232.7

273.4
Manipur

2.3

4.7

2.3
Mizoram

0.9

4.6

4.6
Meghalaya

8.5

7.0

4.7
Nagaland

9.2

11.4

9.1
Sikkim

3.0

2.6

6.9
Tripura

14.3

33.0

21.1

Source: indiastate.com