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.
State-wise Estimated Reserves of Coal, 2021-22 and 2022-23:
(As on 31st March) (In Million Tonne)
States | Proved | Indicated | Inferred | Total | Distribution (% ) | |||||
2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 31 | 31 | 40 | 40 | 19 | 19 | 90 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.02 |
| Assam | 465 | 465 | 57 | 55 | 3 | 3 | 525 | 522 | 0.15 | 0.14 |
| Meghalaya | 89 | 89 | 17 | 17 | 471 | 471 | 576 | 576 | 0.16 | 0.16 |
| Nagaland | 9 | 9 | 22 | 22 | 416 | 448 | 446 | 478 | 0.13 | 0.13 |
| Sikkim | 0 | 0 | 58 | 58 | 43 | 43 | 101 | 101 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| All India Total | 177179 | 187105 | 146949 | 147250 | 27998 | 27054 | 352126 | 361409 | ||
| Distribution (% ) | 50.32 | 51.77 | 41.73 | 40.74 | 7.95 | 7.49 | 100 | 100 | ||
Source: Energy Statistics 2023, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Government of India
State-wise Estimated Reserves of Crude Oil and Natural Gas, 2021-22 and 2022-23:
(As on 31st March)
States Region | Crude Oil (Million Tonnes) | Natural Gas (Billion Cubic Metres) | ||||||
2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | |||||
Estimated Reserves | Distribution (%) | Estimated Reserves | Distribution (%) | Estimated Reserves | Distribution (%) | Estimated Reserves | Distribution (%) | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 3.64 | 0.6% | 2.89 | 0.4% | 3.14 | 0.2% | 7.3 | 0.6% |
| Assam | 153.05 | 25.9% | 148.6 | 22.8% | 166.55 | 12.1% | 165.09 | 14.5% |
| Tripura | 0.07 | 0.0% | 0.07 | 0.0% | 29.27 | 2.1% | 30.35 | 2.7% |
| India Total | 591.92 | 100.0% | 651.77 | 100.0% | 1372.37 | 100.0% | 1138.67 | 100.0% |
Source: Energy Statistics 2023, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Government of India
Source: Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Mines
State-wise Number and Area of Existing Mining Leases in North East India, 2017 to 2021:
(As on 31st March)
States | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (P) | |||||
Number | Area (In Hectare) | Number | Area (In Hectare) | Number | Area (In Hectare) | Number | Area (In Hectare) | Number | Area (In Hectare) | |
| Assam | 7 | 889.5 | 7 | 889.5 | 7 | 889.5 | 7 | 889.5 | 7 | 889.5 |
| Manipur | 1 | 132.78 | 1 | 132.78 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Meghalaya | 17 | 601.29 | 22 | 849.34 | 21 | 789.34 | 21 | 789.34 | 21 | 789.34 |
| Sikkim | 3 | 96.32 | 3 | 96.32 | 3 | 96.32 | 3 | 96.32 | 3 | 96.32 |
| North East India | 28 | 1719.89 | 33 | 1967.94 | 31 | 1775.16 | 31 | 1775.16 | 31 | 1775.16 |
| India | 4382 | 366010.88 | 3834 | 325876.2 | 3529 | 316290.55 | 3437 | 312645.72 | 3314 | 306398.76 |
Note : Excluding Atomic Minerals, Coal, Lignite, Petroleum and Natural Gas & Minor Minerals. The data received from respective regional offices of IBM have also been taken in account wherever necessary
Source : Indian Bureau of Mines, Govt. of India. (ON3075) & Past Issues (through Indiastat.com)