We are lucky that we are living in a country where natural resources are in abundance .
I always try to find some good about Pakistan and I'm proud to inform you that there are lot of good things but we need to manage it in proper way .
As per one international agency estimate, Pakistan has more then Trillion US Dollar worth minerals depositis .
Based on available information, Pakistan has more than 6, 00, 000 sq.kms of outcrop area demonstrates varied geological potential for 23 metallic / 24 non-metallic mineral deposits.
Non-Metallic
Asbestos, Barite, Brine, Calcite, Cinnabar, Kaolin, Kyanite, Lignite, Limenite, Limestone, Marble, Mica, Rock ,phosphate, Potash, Pyrite, Quartz, Radioactive minerals, Rocksalt, Silicasand, Soapstone, Sulphur, Vermiculite, Vesuvianite, Zircon
Currently about 52 minerals are under exploitation although on small scale. The major production is of coal, rock salt, and other industrial and construction minerals. The value addition in the mineral sector is mainly concentrated in five principal minerals, namely, limestone, coal, gypsum, sulphur, crude oil, and natural gas.
The current contribution of mineral sector to the GDP is about 0.5% and likely to increase considerably on the development and commercial exploitation of Saindak & Reco Diq copper deposits, Duddar Zinc lead, Thar coal and Gemstone deposits
TOP FIFTEEN (15) MINERALS OF PAKISTAN.
1. Aluminum Deposits (Bauxite and Laterite)
Potential Deposits
- Reserves: about 74 millions tons
- Location: Muzffarabad, Ziarat, Kalat, Khushabd
2. Iron Ore
More than 903.4 million tons of iron ores are found in Pakistan and potential ore deposits are the following:
- Kalabagh Iron Ore Deposits
- Dilband Iron Ore Deposits
- Nokkundi Iron Ore Deposits
3. Copper
The significance of copper resources of Pakistan is widely known because of huge investment made in development of saindak copper deposit.
Potential Deposits
More than 1882.5 million tons of Copper reserves are found in Pakistan
i) Reko Diq Copper – Gold Deposits
Location: Distt Chaghi, Balochistan
Reserves: 837 million tons
Copper (0.64% with 50 millions tons)
Gold (9 million ounces)
ii) Saindak Copper – Gold Deposit Balochistan
- Location: 40 km West of Reko Diq project
- Reserves; 400 millions tons
- Production: 15810 tons – blister Copper
(Per year 1.47 tons Gold and 2.76 tons – Silver)
4. Chromite Ore.
Chromite occurrence is wide- spread yet its potential is far from being fully assessed judging from the favorable geological environment. For this reason, chromite deposits of Baluchistan and NWFP must be considered from a regional standpoint that could enable Pakistan to become a major exporter of chromite and /or ferrochrome.
Potential Deposits
i) Balochistan Chromite Deposits
- In Pakistan, Muslim Bagh chromite deposits are of the major commercial source of chromite
ii) NWFP Chromite Deposits
- In Dargai has been spectacular: estimated reserves 0.7 Mt of which 0.3 Mts are proven.
- In Heroshah, open pit reserves of around 0.1 Mt have been proved.
- Similary in Jijal-pattan and Chilas areas (Kohistan) Shunghail prospect appear to contain 0.2 Mt reserves.
5. Zinc / Lead
More than 23.72 million tons of Zinc/Lead reserves are found in Pakistan. The Jurassic rocks of the Lasbela – Khuzdar Belt have the potential to host several WORLD CLASS’ zinc – lead ore deposits. Among the four better known deposits of Surmai Gunga, Dhungei Duddar is the most advanced.
i) Duddar-Gunga-Surmai Lead-Deposits
- Detailed geo-scientific studies through mapping and drilling (46000 meters) an inferred plus indicated geological reserves of 14.31 Mt @ 80.6 % Zn and cut-off 3.2% Pb have been calculated for the Duddar Deposit using + 7% Zn Pb cut-off.
- The resources of Duddar Deposit have been estimated at about 50 Mt.
6. COAL
According to estimates prepared by the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP),
Pakistan has total coal reserves of
185 billion tons, out of which 184 Province Resources Million Tons
Billion tons are in Sindh – one of Balochistan 217
the biggest good quality lignite Punjab 235
deposit in the World. Sindh 184,623
NWFP 90
Azad Kashmir 9
Total 185,173 7. Gypsum / Anhydrite
The gypsum resources in Pakistan have existence in at least three interesting areas in terms of their size, resource, quality, reserves and exploitability.
1. Salt Range of the Punjab
2. Kohat Banu Region of NWFP
3. Suleman Range of D.G. Khan, Punjab
Resources: 5-6 billion tons
Average Production: 384 metric tons per annum
8. Phosphates
NWFP contains Cambrian sedimentary phosphates of marine origin, mainly in the upper clayey dolomite of abbottoabad Formation (cherty phosphate) 0-0 and underlying cherty – silty – sandy beds of Hazara formation.
Reserves and Grades:
Grades of two major ore types and their reserves are as under:
1-Dolomitic ore (generally low to medium in P2 O5 & SiO2 and high in MgO).
2-Siliceous ore (generally medium to high in P2O5 and SiO2 and low in MgO.
9. Rock salt
In Pakistan salt deposits occur in the salt Range (160 kms in length, east and west trending mountainous arc between Rivers Jhelum and Indus)
Rock salt is produced at Khewra, Warcha, Kalabagh, Bhadurkhel, Jatta and karak salt Mines by Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation.
Punjab Mineral Development Corporation operates Chakwsal and Khusha salt mines whereas there are about fifteen private mine lease holders who operate in Punjab and NWFP.
According to Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, the rock salt reserves within the area of their mining operation are around 600 million tons.
10. Solar Salt
Bright prospects exist for the development of high purity solar salt facility around the coastal areas of Karachi. Solar salt so produced has export potential to the exponding southeast Asia Chemicals industries and for the growing industries established throughout.
11. Magnesite
PIDC who used to hold the lease for magnesite mines at Kumhar in District Abbottabad established around 11 million tons geological and 3 million tons mine able reserves containing acceptable 46% - 47% magnesium oxide.
Kumhar Magnesite Ore Deposit
Location Hazara at about 35 km west of Abbottabad 14 lenticular bodies of the magnesite ore found in kumhar area
Total Resources 12.0 million tons with an average of 45% MGO content.
12. Limestone for Lime
Pakistan is bestowed with extensive deposits of suitable quality of limestone in the provinces of NWFP, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Northern Areas.
The average annual production of limestone is 8697 Metric tons used mainly in the manufacture of cement. Road making, building construction and in the chemicals industries.
13. Kaolin (China Clay)
Presently the major production comes from shah Dheri, Swat where an elutriation plant has been established. Country’s average yearly production of china clay is 61,403 metric tons.
14. Natural stones As Building Materials
Granite, Marble and Onyx
Pakistan has enormous wealth of decorative and building stones such as granites, diorite, dunite, tonalite, pyroxenite, syenites, serpenites, gobbro, onyx, marble of different shades, recrystallized limestones, fossiliferrous limestones, sand stone and magnesium sandstones etc.
i) Granite
More than 4140 million tons of Granite reserves are found in Northern Areas of Pakistan.
ii) Marble and Onyx
Onyx occurs mainly in Balochistan, Chagi district marbles of different classifications, fossiliferrous limestone, serpentine etc. occur in other provinces mainly in NWFP and Northern Areas.
Out of 160.2 million tons of marble reserves estimated in Pakistan,
- 158 million tons are in the NWFP and
- 2 million tons in Balochistan.
15. Gem Stones
Pakistan ranks amongst leading gem-hosting countries. Owing to favorable geological environments, NWFP, AJ&K and Northern Areas are the major gem hosting regions of the country. The gemstones include; Emerald, Ruby, Pink Topaz, Peridot, Green Ruby deposits of Hunza and AJ&K all other gemstone deposits have not been studied scientifically and are undocumented.
Gemstone Potential
NWFP
Emerald (in Swat) 70 million carats
Pink Topaz (Mardarn) 09 million carats
Peridot (Hazara, Kohistan) 10 million carats
Aquamarine, Tourmaline (Chitral), Garnet (Bajor) (Not assessed)
Northern Areas
Ruby 1.5 million carats Aquamarine 0.2 million carats Tourmaline 0.1 million carats Topaz, Garnet and other Not assessed
Azad Kashmir
Kashmir Ruby 125 million carats
Tourmaline pink beryl etc. Not assessed
Spessertine garnets & aquamarine Not assessed
GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES FOUND IN PAKISTAN
S.No. | Name | S.No. | Name | S.No. | Name |
1 | Actinolite | 11 | Hessonite | 21 | Rodingite |
2 | Agate | 12 | Idocrase | 22 | Rutile |
3 | Aquamarine | 13 | Jadeite | 23 | Ruby |
4 | Amazonite | 14 | Kunzite | 24 | Serpentine |
5 | Azurite | 15 | Kyanite | 25 | Spessartine (garnet) |
6 | Beryl | 16 | Marganite | 26 | Spinel |
7 | Emerald | 17 | Moonstone | 27 | Topaz |
8 | Epidote | 18 | Pargasite | 28 | Tourmaline |
9 | Garnet (alamandine) | 19 | Peridot | 29 | Turquoise |
10 | Garnet (green, grossular) | 20 | Quartz (citrin & others) | 30 | Vesuvianite |
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