EXPLORATION & DEVELOPMENT Indian Minerals Yearbook 2018 (Part- I : GENERAL REVIEWS) 57th Edition EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT (FINAL RELEASE) GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES INDIAN BUREAU OF MINES Indira Bhavan, Civil Lines, NAGPUR – 440 102 PHONE/FAX NO. +91712 – 2565471,2562216 PBX : +91712 - 2562649, 2560544, 2560648 E-MAIL : [email protected] Website: www.ibm.gov.in February, 2020 4-1 EXPLORATION & DEVELOPMENT 4 Exploration & Development NATIONAL MINERAL POLICY • Introduces the concept of Exclusive Mining he Hon'ble Supreme Court in its judgement Zones having in-principle statutory Tdated 2.8.2017 in the Writ Petition (Civil ) No.114 clearances for grant of mining lease. It also of 2014 inter alia directed the Union of India to proposes to identify critically fragile revisit the National Mineral Policy (NMP), 2008 ecosystem and declare such areas as ‘no-go and announce a fresh and more effective and areas’/inviolate areas. meaningful policy. • It emphasises implementation of all relevant In compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble Acts/Rules related to rehabilitation & Supreme Court, Ministry of Mines (MoM) vide its resettlement and welfare of tribal communities Order No. 15/1/2017-MV dated 14.08.2017 had while grant of mineral concessions. constituted a Committee. • Encourages states to auction mineral blocks The Committee included representatives from with pre-embedded statutory clearances. Central Ministries, State Governments, Industry • To institutionalise the mechanism for ensuring Associates, Professional Bodies and it also sustainable growth of Mining Sector an inter- consulted NGOs and many other Stakeholders. The ministerial body is proposed. Committee went about the cosultative process with problem-solving approach and held four meetings • Endeavors shall also be made to grant mining wherein exhaustive discussions on the issues raised the status of Industry. by the stakeholders were deliberated. • In case of small deposits of precious metals The Committee submitted its report to the and base metals, the establishment of common Ministry on 31.12.2017. Based on the report smelting and refining facilities shall be submitted by the committee, Ministry of Mines encouraged. prepared a draft National Mineral Policy (NMP), 2018 • It seeks to align downstream regulations for and uploaded it on the official website of the Ministry the exploration, development and acquisition on 10.01.2018 for seeking comments/suggestions of overseas mineral assets for ensuring its from the stakeholders. adequate supply which are not available in Based on the Committee Report and the inputs the country. received from stakeholders during subsequent • It focuses on a long term export-import policy consultations, the Ministry of Mines prepared the for the Mineral Sector to provide stability for National Mineral Policy 2019. The Union Cabinet in investing in large scale commercial mining its meeting held on 28.02.2019 approved the activity. “National Mineral Policy 2019”. The salient features of the “National Mineral Policy 2019” are as follows: • Efforts shall be made to benchmark and • It proposes to increase the production of harmonize royalty and all other levies and major minerals by 200% in 7 years. It also taxes with mining jurisdiction across the world. proposes to reduce trade deficit in mineral • It also introduces the concept of Inter- sector by 50% in 7 years. Generational Equity which is also recognised • It aims to attract private investment by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in various through incentives like financial package, judgments. right of first refusal at the time of auction etc. The complete report of NMP-2019 is given in or any other appropriate incentive as per the review on 'Mineral Policy and Legislation' in international practice. ''General Reviews'. 4-2 EXPLORATION & DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED UNFC system was adopted in 2002 replacing the GSI, DGMs of various States, Public Sector earlier resource classification based on Indian companies like NMDC, MECL, MOIL, etc., continued system. Subsequently, NMI as on 1.4.2005 and their efforts in respect of surveying, mapping and 1.4.2010 were updated and updating of NMI as on exploration of new deposits and re-assessment of 1.4.2015 was completed for all 71 minerals including old deposits/mines during 2017-18. 25 minor minerals. Mineral wise chapters in respect The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) of 71 minerals for “NMI:An Overview (As on and Oil India Limited (OIL), the two National Oil 01.04.2015)" were prepared and uploaded on IBM Companies (NOC) and a few private and joint web portal as a part of dissemination of information venture companies were engaged in exploration and on resources of minerals in the country. production activities of oil and natural gas, including GSI Coal-bed Methane in the country. GSI pursued its most fundamental and basic IBM mapping programme of systematic geological Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), as a facilitator mapping in 2017-18 and had completed 9960.51 to the Mineral Industry, provides technical sq. km large-scale mapping, 112.3 sq. km detailed consultancy services for conducting feasibility mapping and 1,29,710 m drilling as against previous studies, environment impact assessments, year's achievement of 8043.10 sq. km large-scale environment management plans, etc; to play mapping, 145.63 sq. km detailed mapping and the role of National Repository of mineral data 1,39,071.98 m drilling. Out of the total mappable areas through maintaining a data bank of mines and of 3.146 million sq. km of the country, 3.119 million minerals by developing advanced IT based sq. km has been covered so far by systematic Mineral Information System; carries out mining mapping bringing the total coverage to 99.14%. research project on need-based aspects of mining; Resources Established conducts mineral beneficiation studies, including mineralogical testing and chemical analysis Resources augmented by GSI during 2017-18 are and prepares mineral maps. given below: During 2017-18 (up to September, 2017), i) A total resource of 113.53 million tonnes high 98 multi - mineral lease hold maps on a scale of grade iron ore (including 12.71 million tonnes 1:50,000, with corresponding forest overlays low grade) has been estimated in Gandhalpada in respect of various states were under finalisation. South-East, Part -B, Kendujhar district, Odisha. To encourage value addition and mineral ii) A total resource of 13.34 million tonnes of low conservation, IBM carried out 2,425 ore dressing grade iron ore (including 2.88 million tonnes investigations, 21,092 chemical analysis, 1,254 high grade) has been estimated in Jhumka- mineralogical examinations and 5 in-plant study. Pathiriposhi, west block, Sundargarh district, The Project on Mining Surveillance System Odisha. (MSS) was undertaken by the Indian Bureau of iii) Iron ore resource of 16.20 million tonnes of high Mines, Ministry of Mines and BISAG grade (including 1.13 million tonnes low grade) (Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications has been established in Rengalabehra North- and Geo-informatics) of Ministry of Electronics and East extension block in Kendujhar district, Information Technology (MEITY) to develop a Odisha. system for detection of incidence of illegal mining by use of space technology and Surveillance of area iv) Estimated iron ore resources in Gandhalpada up to 500 m outside the lease boundary to check South block, Kendujhar district, Odisha is 61.72 incidences of illegal mining. million tonnes at >45% Fe cut-off. IBM undertakes preparation of National v) Estimated a net 361.909 million tonnes of Inventory of mineral resources on a quinquennial limestone resources in Umkyrpong area, Litang basis. Under this programme, implementation of Valley, East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya. 4-3 EXPLORATION & DEVELOPMENT vi) Estimated 289.269 million tonnes of cement grade submerged ridges and surface/subsurface limestone resources in Samasi-Pala block, Litang sediments east of Chetlat Island around Valley, East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya. Lakshadweep Group of Islands, Arabian Sea. vii) Estimated 630.02 million tonnes of blendable/ 4. SR-033: Preliminary search for phosphorite over beneficiable/portland cement grade limestone sea mount (Calicut Mt.) off Calicut, Kerala. resources in East of Laphet area, Litang Valley, 5. SR-034: Preliminary assessment of lime mud in East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya. the continental margin off Gujarat (Block IV). Marine and Coastal Survey 6. SR-036: Preliminary assessment of lime mud in the continental margin off Gujarat (Block V). Marine Survey 7. SR-037: Swath bathymetric survey of the middle GSI continued its offshore geoscientific studies fan segment of Bengal Fan within the EEZ off both in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Territorial Pentakota to Pudimadaka, Andhra Pradesh. Waters (TW) of India. Survey in the near-shore 8. SR-038: Study of morphological and tectonic set zones i.e. 0 m to 10 m isobaths were carried out using up along with Geology of Andaman Sea within hired mechanical boats. EEZ of India. Marine and Coastal Survey Division (M&CSD) 9. SR-039: Investigation for Rare Earth Elements & has completed seabed mapping of 1,32,585 sq. km Yttrium (REY) in the Fe-Mn crust in the southern out of 1,50,000 sq. km in 5 km × 2 km grid within Part of the West Sewell Ridge. Territorial Water and 18,42,552 sq. km out of 18,64,900 sq. km in the Exclusive Economic Zone beyond RV Samudra Kaustubh Territorial Waters on reconnaissance scale. Total 1. ST-259: Systematic shallow seismic surveys EEZ coverage including TW is 19,99,784 sq. km out within the territorial waters in the shelf area off of a total EEZ area of 20,14,900 sq. km. During field Dalhousie Island (Sunderban Delta), West session 2017-18, R.V. Samudra Ratnakar carried out Bengal. 56,130 sq. km of multibeam bathymetry. Seabed 2. ST-260: Systematic shallow seismic surveys survey of an area of 6,650 sq.