Uranium and thorium resources in India: UNFC system P.S.Parihar Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research Department of Atomic Energy Government of India 1 21/08/2013 Government of India’s Policy on Atomic Minerals The federal status of the DAE and the powers invested in it under the Indian Atomic Energy Act (1948 and 1962) as amended from time to time, bestow upon it several rights to facilitate atomic mineral exploration. The more significant ones are- . Exclusive rights to conduct exploration for uranium, thorium and other prescribed minerals such as beryllium, lithium, niobium, tantalum and rare-earth elements all over the country . Exclusive rights to buy prescribed minerals from private mine owners produced incidental to mining of other economic minerals. 30/10/2013 - . Rights to access to surface and sub-surface data on areas under exploration or mining/recovery for oil, coal, minerals and ground water by Government or Public Sector Organisations. The facility includes carrying out of gamma-ray logging of boreholes and checking of mine workings and collection of samples etc. 2 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC Government of India’s Policy on Atomic Minerals Uranium exploration, production and utilisation are under the control of Central Government. Only public sector companies under Government of India are allowed to explore and mine atomic minerals viz. U, Th, etc. Present system of reporting of uranium reserves in India is as per the IAEA system of uranium resource classification . Indicated – [Reasonable assured resources (RAR)] 30/10/2013 - . Inferred – [Inferred resources (IR)] . Prognosticated resources (PR) . Speculative resources 3 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC NEA-IAEA classification of uranium resources Identified Resources Undiscovered Resources Reasonably Inferred Prognostigated Decreasing economic economic Decreasing kgU Assured Resources Resources Resources USD <40/ – Reasonably Inferred Prognostigated Assured Resources Resources kgU Resources USD 40 USD 80/ - Reasonably Inferred Prognostigated 30/10/2013 kgU - Assured Resources Resources Cost of recovery of Cost viability Resources USD 80 USD 160/ Speculative resources Speculative – Reasonably Inferred Prognostigated kgU Assured Resources Resources Resources 4 USD 130 USD 260/ UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC Decreasing confidence in estimates . Two agencies, viz., Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) and Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) under the Department of Atomic Energy are engaged in the exploration and mining of uranium, respectively for its exclusive use as fuel in the nuclear power stations owned by Government of India. As per UNFC, reporting of resources are to be done by numerical coding on three axes (E,F&G). The geological details (G) and feasibility status (F) of almost 30/10/2013 - all the Indian uranium and thorium deposits have been widely reported, but the details related to the economics (E) is not reported. As a result, the classification with reference to E axis may be 5 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC difficult for Indian deposits. UNFC system for uranium resource classification- suggested system for indian uranium resources A new plane E0 is suggested for those countries who want to keep the uranium production cost confidential. 30/10/2013 - 6 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC Thorium resources . All the evaluated thorium resources in India is confined to the mineral monazite occurring in the beach sand heavy mineral suite of East and West coasts. Indian resources fall under the category “VI. Placer and residual deposits of hill and valley wash” of UNFC system and the deposits have been classified in the geological and Feasibility axes . 30/10/2013 - . Economic axis depends on the associated heavy minerals and needs to be addressed separately. Numerical codes for E axis has not been worked out for Indian thorium deposits. 7 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC India’s uranium resources and UNFC coding 30/10/2013 - 8 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC UNFC workshop, New Delhi - 30/10/2013 India’s uranium resources 9 UNFC workshop, New Delhi - 30/10/2013 Major uranium deposits Major uranium 10 Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand 30/10/2013 - Seven production mines Two mills for beneficiation Uranium deposits/occurrences 11 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC 11 Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand Sixteen low grade - small to medium tonnage uranium deposits G and F axes fairly well established Seven producing mines Two mills Only U producing mines in India so far Accounts for 30% (≈ 55000t U O ) of country’s 30/10/2013 3 8 - UraniumSeven production resources mines Two mills for beneficiation Uranium deposits/occurrences 12 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC 12 Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand Sixteen low grade - small to medium tonnage uranium deposits G and F axes fairly well established Seven production mines Two mills Only U producing mines in India so far Accounts for 29% of country’s Uranium resources 30/10/2013 - (55549t U3O8) Seven production mines Two mills for beneficiation Uranium deposits/occurrences 13 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC 13 Uranium resources in Cuddapah basin, Andhra Pradesh 0 200 400 km Delhi Hyderabad Cuddapah Basin Kaladgi Basin Bhima Basin Pakhal Basin Vindhyan Basin Chhattisgarh Basin Khairargarh Basin Ampani Basin Abhujhmar Basin Indravati Basin Sukma Basin Shillong Basin Kunjar Basin Gwalior Basin 30/10/2013 - • Cuddapah basin accounts for ≈ 50% of country’s uranium reserves 14 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC • Hold potential for immense additional resources Uranium resources in Cuddapah basin, Andhra Pradesh 30/10/2013 - TUMMALAPALLE 15 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC STRATABOUND CARBONATE HOSTED Tummalapalle uranium deposit ≈ 70,000t U3O8 Uranium resources in Cuddapah basin, Andhra Pradesh 30/10/2013 - TUMMALAPALLE 16 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC STRATABOUND CARBONATE HOSTED Tummalapalle uranium deposit – 72,181t U3O8 Srisailam-Palnad sub-basins, Cuddapah basin 30/10/2013 - 17 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC Srisailam-Palnad sub-basins, Cuddapah basin Unconformity type deposits Four deposits viz. Lambapur, Peddagattu, Chitrial and Koppunuru G axis fairly established ≈ 20,000t U3O8 established so far Similar type of deposits in Canada and Australia are high grade-large tonnage 30/10/2013 - 18 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC Srisailam-Palnad sub-basins, Cuddapah basin Unconformity type deposits Four deposits viz. Lambapur, Peddagattu and Koppunuru G axis fairly established More than 20,000t U3O8 established so far ≈ 20,000t U3O8 Similer type of deposits in Canada and Australia are high grade-large tonnage 30/10/2013 - Super High grade deposits are associated with this type of deposits 19 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC Uranium resources in NDFB Mewaragujarwas 76° 00' 70° 00' 72° 00' 74° 00' Dhanota 78° 00' Jhunjhunu 28° 28° Badhaura Kushlawali Dhani Antri 00' Panchlangi 00' Kanthi Goga Temple Karoth Ki Dhanian Kerpura Sior Sikar Alwar J Diara Siswali Rohil - Ghateshwar Ladi-ka-bas Bharatpur J Nagaur J J Kalatopri J Badhaura a J J J J J J J J J a Jaisalmer JAIPUR a J J J J J J J a J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J Durgapura J J J J J Kunchalwara J Jodhpur J J J J 26° 26° 00' Devpura Swai Madhopur 00' a Pali Barmer 72° 00' Jalor Bhilwara Bundi Alluvium Kota Sandstone & Conglomerate/Laterite r r Kherpura r r V V Deccan Trap r Putholi 30/10/2013 a Abur Beds r - r Kalamagra V V J J Jurassic Formations Jhalawar V V V Bap Beds Udaisagar r Chitorgarh V V Udaipur Umra r Vindhyan Supergroup r V V V V V Haldughati Prasad r V V V Malani Rhyolite V Palanpur V V V 24° Erinpura Granite 24° V V V V 00' Kharbar V V Delhi Supergroup 00' V V V Dungapur r r Raialo Series V V V V Aravalli Supergroup/Basic & Ultrabasic Rocks Banswara V Granite/Nepheline Syenite V Hy derabad V Banded Gneissic Complex (BGC) 0 50 100 km V V V 76° 00' Uranium Occurrence 74° 00' V 20 UNFC workshop, New Delhi workshop, UNFC GEOLOGICAL MAP OF PART OF RAJASTHAN SHOWING URANIUM OCCURRENCES Uranium resources in NDFB 76° 00' 70° 00' 72° 00' 74° 00' Mewaragujarwas 78° 00' Na metasomatite type uranium mineralisationJhunjhunu Dhanota 28° 28° Badhaura Kushlawali Dhani Antri 00' Panchlangi 00' Kanthi Goga Temple mainly in the Khetri sub-basin.Karoth Ki Dhanian Also occurrences in Kerpura Sior Sikar Alwar J Alwar and Lalsot-Bayana sub-basinsDiara Siswali Rohil - Ghateshwar Ladi-ka-bas Bharatpur J Nagaur J J Kalatopri J Badhaura a J J J J J J J J J a Jaisalmer JAIPUR Middle Proterozoica J J J J J J J meta-sedimentary rocks with a J J J J J J J J J J acidic intrusivesJ J J J J J J J J J Durgapura J J J J J Kunchalwara J Jodhpur J J J J 26° 26° 00' Devpura Swai Madhopur Zone00' of extensivea soda metasomatism Pali Barmer 72° 00' Jalor Bhilwara Bundi EstablishedAlluvium a low grade uranium depositKota in Rohil Sandstone & Conglomerate/Laterite r r Kherpura r r villageV V Deccan Trap r Putholi 30/10/2013 a Abur Beds r - r Kalamagra V V J J Jurassic Formations Jhalawar V V V Bap Beds Udaisagar r Chitorgarh V V Udaipur Umra r Vindhyan Supergroup r V V V V V Scope for similar mineralisationHaldughati in other sectors of Prasad r V V V Malani Rhyolite V Palanpur V V V 24° Erinpura Granite the sub-basin 24° V V V V 00' Kharbar V V Delhi Supergroup 00' V V V Dungapur r r Raialo Series V V V V Aravalli Supergroup/Basic & Ultrabasic Rocks Banswara V Belt underGranite/Nepheline active Syenite