Lok Sabha Question No. 1594 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-29
Subject: Atomic Minerals
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1594

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2015

## ATOMIC MINERALS

## 1594.   SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  last  study  conducted  on  the  potential  of  atomic  minerals  in  the country;
- (b) the  approximate  reserves  of  atomic  minerals  in  the  country  according  to  the  last assessment made in this regard; and
- (c) the details of the plan formulated by the Government for their exploration?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH) :

- (a) Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of  Department  of  Atomic  Energy  (DAE),  is  engaged  in  survey  and  exploration activities  to  identify  and  evaluate  reserves  of  atomic  minerals  in  the  country.    The studies carried out by AMD include Heliborne Geophysical Surveys, Multidisciplinary Integrated Geological-Geophysical-Geochemical Surveys and Subsurface Exploration by drilling.  The exploration activities are continuous processes carried out in various geological domains across the country.
- (b) As of June, 2015, AMD has established 2,25,936t in-situ U3O8 (1,91,594t Uranium) reserves  in  the  country  in  varied  geological  domains.  The  reserves  of  Titanium bearing  minerals  (ilmenite,  leucoxene,  rutile),  Monazite  (Thorium  bearing  mineral) and  Zircon  established  in  the  beach  and  inland  placer  deposits  along  the  coastal tracts of India are given below.

(Reserve in million tonnes)

|   Ilmenite+ Leucoxene |   Rutile |   Zircon |   Monazite |   Garnet |   Sillimanite | Total Heavy Minerals   |
|-----------------------|----------|----------|------------|----------|---------------|------------------------|
|                593.50 |    31.35 |    33.71 |      11.93 |   168.33 |        225.97 | 1,064.79               |

- (c) AMD continues its concerted efforts to locate additional resources of uranium along the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country  by  utilising  state-of-the-art  technologies  as mentioned in (a) above.

Details of the Plan formulated by AMD for exploration of atomic minerals during XII Plan period are as under:

| URANIUM INVESTIGATIONS                   | URANIUM INVESTIGATIONS                        | URANIUM INVESTIGATIONS                   |
|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1.                                       | Heliborne Survey (L. km)                      | 3,75,000                                 |
| 2.                                       | Reconnaissance Survey (sq km)                 | 25,000                                   |
| 3.                                       | Geochemical Survey (sq km)                    | 10,000                                   |
| 4.                                       | Detailed Survey (sq km)                       | 1,000                                    |
| 5.                                       | Ground Geophysical Survey ( sq km)            | 2,500                                    |
| 6.                                       | Drilling                                      |                                          |
|                                          | 1. Departmental (m)                           | 3,25,000                                 |
|                                          | 2. Contract (m)                               | 4,90,000                                 |
| 7.                                       | Augmentation of Uranium Reserves (t U 3 O 8 ) | 75,000                                   |
| RARE METAL AND RARE EARTH INVESTIGATIONS | RARE METAL AND RARE EARTH INVESTIGATIONS      | RARE METAL AND RARE EARTH INVESTIGATIONS |
| 1.                                       | Reconnaissance Survey (sq km)                 | 2,000                                    |
| 2.                                       | Detailed Survey (sq km)                       | 20                                       |
| BEACH SAND AND OFF-SHORE INVESTIGATIONS  | BEACH SAND AND OFF-SHORE INVESTIGATIONS       | BEACH SAND AND OFF-SHORE INVESTIGATIONS  |
| 1.                                       | Reconnaissance Survey (sq km)                 | 500                                      |
| 2.                                       | Detailed Survey (sq km)                       | 40                                       |

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