STATE REVIEWS Indian Minerals Yearbook 2014 (Part- I) 53rd Edition STATE REVIEWS (Assam) (FINAL RELEASE) GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES INDIAN BUREAU OF MINES Indira Bhavan, Civil Lines, NAGPUR – 440 001 PHONE/FAX NO. (0712) 2565471 PBX : (0712) 2562649, 2560544, 2560648 E-MAIL : [email protected] Website: www.ibm.gov.in August, 2016 11-1 STATE REVIEWS ASSAM a depth of 3,962 m within basement to probe the hydrocarbon prospects within Paleocene- Eocene formations. The well has encountered a Mineral Resources few prospective sand ranges within Lakadong + Coal, petroleum & natural gas, limestone and Therria formation and is currently producing minor minerals are the chief mineral resources of oil from one of the tested sands. The discovery the State. Coal occurs in United Mikirs, North of oil in this well has opened up new avenues Cachar Hills, Sivasagar and Lakhimpur districts. for exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbon Coal extracted from the State is friable and in Paleocene-Eocene formations in Sologuri contains high sulphur. Petroleum & natural area. gas occurs in Digboi oilfields, Lakhimpur district and Moran and Rudrasagar oilfields (ii) South Kathaloni 3 (Loc.HVX): The well in Sivasagar district located in Assam Arakan located in South Kathaloni structure within Fold Belt (AAFB), Upper Assam and Assam Hugrijan ML in the Dibrugarh district, Assam was basins. Limestone occurs in Karbi Anglong, drilled down to 3,710 m within basement to North Cachar Hills and Nagaon districts. probe the hydrocarbon prospects within Besides, china clay occurs in Karbi Anglong and Paleocene-Eocene formations. The well has Lakhimpur districts; fireclay in Dibrugarh, encountered a few prospective sand ranges Karbi Anglong, North Cachar Hills and North within Lakadong+Therria formation and is Lakhimpur districts; fuller's earth in Nalbari currently producing oil from one of the tested district; granite in Nagaon, Goalpara, Kamrup sands. The discovery of oil in this well has and Karbi Anglong districts, iron ore (hematite) opened up new avenues for exploration and in Kokrajhar district; iron ore (magnetite) exploitation of hydrocarbon in Paleocene-Eocene in Dhubri, Goalpara & Kokrajhar districts; formations in South Kathaloni area. quartz/silica sand in Nagaon district, and sillimanite in Karbi Anglong & Nagaon districts (iii) Baruanagar 3 (Loc. BE): The Baruanagar (Tables- 1 and 2). 3 well located in Baruanagar structure within Borhat PEL (now converted to Borhat ML) in Exploration & Development the Dibrugarh district, Assam was drilled down to 4,375 m to probe the hydrocarbon prospects GSI carried out exploration for lignite and within Lakodong+Therria formation. The well RM/REE and State Directorate of Geology & has encountered a few prospective sand ranges Mining for Coal in Assam (Table-3). within Lakadong+Therria formation. The ONGC and OIL continued their seismic discovery of oil in this well has opened up a survey and drilling for exploration of petroleum new area for exploration and exploitation of oil in & natural gas. A total of 34 wells with a meterage Baruanagar area. of1,05,111 were drilled in Onshore areas of Assam by OIL. (iv) NHK 610 (Loc. HVJ): The Nahorkatiya 610 well located in East Deohal structure Details of exploration activities conducted within Hugrijan ML in the Tinsukia district, by OIL & ONGC in respect of oil & natural gas Assam was drilled down to 2,984 m to probe during 2013-14 are furnished in Table- 4. the hydrocarbon prospects within Barail Significant discoveries of oil/gas struck by Formation. The well has encountered prospective OIL at various districts in Assam during 2013-14 sand range within Barail Formation and is are as below: currently producing gas from the tested sands. The discovery of gas in this well has opened (i) Sologuri 1 (Loc. DIBC) : The well located in up new areas for exploration and exploitation West Sologuri structure within Dibrugarh PEL in of hydrocarbon in Barail Formation in East Deohal the Dibrugarh district, Assam was drilled down to structure. 11-2 STATE REVIEWS (v) NHK 614 (Loc. NLE): The Nahorkatiya 614 well principal mineral produced in the state, located in the central part of Jaipur Structure contributing 76% of the value of mineral within Nahorkatiya Extension ML in the production followed by natural gas (utilised) Dibrugarh district, Assam was drilled down to a 21% and rest was accrued from coal, minor depth of 3,233 m to probe the hydrocarbon minerals and limestone in 2013-14 (Table-5). prospects within Barail and Tipam formations. Assam was the second largest producer The well has encountered a few prospective of natural gas (utilised) and fourth largest sand ranges within Tipam Formation and is producer of petroleum (crude) accounting for currently producing oil from one of the tested about 8% and 13%, respectively in the total sands. The discovery of oil in the Middle production of respective mineral items in the Tipam Formation has opened up a new reservoir country. During 2013-14, the production of for exploration and exploitation of oil in sulphur increased by 34% and coal by 10% while Jaipur area. that of natural gas (utilised) decreased by 1%, petroleum (crude) by 3% and limestone 48% as (vi) NHK 405 (Loc. HDL-II): The Nahorkatiya compared to the previous year. 405 well lies in the South Nagajan area of Greater Jorajan oilfield within Hugrijan ML in the The value of production of minor minerals Tinsukia district, Assam and has discovered was estimated at `31 crore for the year 2013-14. gas on testing the new/unappraised Upper The number of reporting mines in 2013-14 Tipam Sand during workover operations. The was six as against nine in the previous year. discovery of gas in this well has opened up a new reservoir for exploration and exploitation of The index of mineral production in gas in South Nagajan area. Assam (base 2004-05 =100) was 103.2 in 2013-14 as compared to 106.2 in the previous year. Production The value of mineral production in 2013-14 in Mineral-based Industry Assam at ` 11,308 crore decreased by 3% as The present status of each mineral- compared to that in the previous year. Assam is based industry is not readily available. However, ranked ninth and contributed about 4% to the the principal large and medium-scale mineral- total value of mineral production in the country based industries in the Organised Sector in during 2013-14. Petroleum (crude) was the the State are given in Table- 6. Table – 1: Reserves/Resources of Coal as on 1.4.2014 : Assam (In million tonnes) Coalfield Proved Indicated Inferred Total Total 464.78 46.85 3.02 514.65 Singrimari - 4.13 - 4.13 Makum 432.09 20.70 - 452.79 Dilli-Jeypore 32.00 22.02 - 54.02 Mikir Hills 0.69 - 3.02 3.71 Source: Coal Directory of India, 2013-14. 11-3 Table – 2 : Reserves/Resources of Minerals as on 1.4.2010 : Assam Reserves Remaining resources Mineral Unit Proved Probable Total Feasibility Pre-feasibility Measured Indicated Inferred Reconnaissance Total Total STD111 (A) STD211 STD331 STD332 STD333 STD334 (B) Resources STD121 STD122 STD221 STD222 (A+B) China Clay '000 tonnes ----- 131 - 392 - 3520 - 4043 4043 Fireclay '000 tonnes --------- 3161 - 3161 3161 Fuller’s earth tonne --------- 18860000 - 18860000 18860000 Granite (Dim. ST stone) '000 cum -------- 800 583150 - 583950 583950 A TE REVIEWS 11-4 Iron Ore (Hematite) '000 tonnes -------- 8600 4000 - 12600 12600 Iron Ore (Magnetite) '000 tonnes --------- 15380 - 15380 15380 Limestone '000 tonnes 183788 152562 - 336350 10902 9828 4257 154644 34200 897161 - 1110992 1447342 Quartz- silica sand '000 tonnes --------- 1790 - 1790 1790 Sillimanite tonne -------- 850000 6700 3748000 4604700 4604700 Figures rounded off. The proved and indicated balance recoverable reserves of crude oil and natural gas as on 1.4.2014 are 178.79 million tonnes and 184.31 billion cu m, respectively. STATE REVIEWS Table – 3 : Details of Exploration Activities in Assam, 2013-14 Agency/ Location Mapping Drilling Mineral/ Sampling Remarks District Scale Area No. of Meterage (No.) Reserves/Resources estimated (sq km) boreholes GSI Coal Dhubri Adjacent to 1:10000 3 2 346.45 - Regional exploration under G-3 stage Sukchar- was taken up at the border of Assam Singrimari and Meghalaya to explore the area behaviour and the extension of Gondwana coal and their resource potentiality. A total of 346.45 m was drilled in two boreholes SK- I and 2. Exploration revealed 0.9 m thick coal seam occurring at a depth of 109 m. -do- Shalibhuin- 1:10000 1.4 --- The new project of Assam and West Nakaigiri- Garo Hills of Meghalaya is under Ujanggiri abeyance due to adverse ground area conditions. RM/REE Goalpara In southern 1:12500 6 -- 187 Reconnaissance stage investigation part of Agia (G-4) was carried out to evaluate around Suju- potentiality of REE within Precam- kona hill and brian Gneissic Complex. The studied Tukureswari hill area exposes banded gneiss, migmatitic granite gneiss, basic granulite, quartz-biotite gneiss± sillimanite, metadolerite with thin and occasional quartz and pegmatite veins. Shear zones of very restricted extent are observed south of Phuphunga Hill with a cumulative thickness of about 30 m, around Bormohora with a thickness of approximately 7 m and along Dwipkai Nala. A small pyrite- rich shear zone within mylonitised biotite gneiss is exposed in the western flank of Sijukona Hill. Sulphide mineralisation in the form of pyrite and pyrrhotite (?) has been noticed south of Phuphunga. Samples collected across the shear zones and sulphide zones were submitted for chemical analysis. Analytical results are awaited. State Directorate of Geology & Mining Coal Karbi Anglong Sapra Teron 1:25000 2.6 04 168 - One coal seam is encountered in an Gaon, Laldera average depth of 13.5 m to 15 m Nepali Basti with thickness varying from 1.5 m to 4.5 m.