West Bengal Minerals | Bharat Mera Garv

INVENTORY OF MAJOR MINERALS OF WEST BENGAL (Based on database of Directorate of Mines & Minerals, Government of West Bengal)
Sl. No.	Mineral / Commodity	Location	Estimated Resource	Grade	Proximity to forest boundary	Nature of Ore body/ Mineralization
1	Base Metal (Copper)	Mouza Tamakhun, PS Manbazar, Dist purulia	0.2 miillion tonnes existing (upto 50m depth), so far reported.	1.5 % Cu	0.50 km away	Drill core study reveals that sulphides have the affinity for Calc-rich portions of the schist and mineralization is generally confined within calcite bands & patches within phyllite schist. Mineralization found mainly along faults and shear zones. Analysis of drill cores reveals poor mineralization which is restricted mainly between the depths of 8m and 30m. In some cases the depth persists upto 70m (approx.). Further appreciable mineralization observed in drill cores of 4 boreholes which is restricted between the depth of 9m and 19m in 3 holes and 23m to 26m in one hole.
2	Baryte	Mouza: Chuna PS Kashipur, Dist purulia	66 tonnes (upto assumed depth of 1m) / 334	Not Determined	1.01 km away	Host rock is Gneissic .
3	Clay	Mouza: Mahatomara-Bandulahar-Taldih, PS Jhaldah, Dist Purulia	1.32 Mahatomara: 0.72 mi. tonnes (upto 21 m depth), Bandulahar: 0.15(upto9.5m depth) Taldih: 0.45 (upto 6.8m depth)	Kaolinite in nature, plasticity moderate , blending with plastic clay is required for body composition.	2.28 km away	Surface covered by laterite. Clay occurs between the depths 1.40m & 21.35m b.g.l. in Mahatomara area, 1.80m & 9.55m b.g.l. in Bandulahar area and 1.55m & 6.81m b.g.l. in Taldih area with variations in colour and composition.
4	Do	Mouza: Khariduara, PS Manbazar, Dist Purulia	0.389 ( upto 49 m)[ Intercalated White Clay (0.136 million tonnes) & Dark Grey Clay ( 0.253 million tonnes)]/323	Poorly plastic, beneficiation and application of masking glaze required.	1.27 km away	Intercalated Clay bands (strike length : 700m) occur along TPSZ sandwitched between CGG and Iron Ore Stage of rocks. Probably derived from kaolinization of granitic rocks.
5	Do	Mouza: Hankasara, PS Jhalda, Dist Purulia	0.3 mi. tonnes (approx.)	After beneficiation quality of clay shows good plasticity which may be used in the formation of body composition by blending with more plastic clay.	3.80 km away	Maximum thickness of clay bed is reported as 9.78m. Allthe clay deposits occur within the granitic terrain by kaolinization of feldspar.
6	Do	Mouza: Katachua and around Belpahari, P.S. Belpahari, Dist West Midnapur.	Upto a vertical depth of 15m bgl : 0.14 mi. tonnes (Katachua), 0.24 mi. tonnes (Kadamdiha), 0.037 mi. tonnes (Chirugora) , 0.015 mi. tonnes (Balichu) and 0.12 mi. tonnes (Banspahari)	Washing clay of: Katachua yields 18% of Grade-I, 16% of Grade-II and residue 66%. Moderate to low plasticity; Kadamdiha yields 16% Grade-I, 46.5% Grade-II and residue 37.5%. Low plasticity by hand feel. Clay of Chirugora and Balichua: hard and semi-plastic	Within Forest	Clay of Katachua appears to have originated from granite mainly. Formation of clay in other areas are mainly from the alteration of Phyllitic rocks.
7	Do	Mouza: Gagnabad, PS Kashipur, Dist Purulia	2.07 (upto 7m depth approx)/ 324	Ferruginous, moderately plastic, beneficiation and application of masking glaze required	0.38 km away	Product of kaolinisation of feldspar in granitic rocks. Country rocks include Granite gneiss, Biotite granite, with Pegmatite,Vein Quartz and Amphibolite. Regional strike : N80°W-S80°E & Dip : 55° – 70°.
8	Do	Mouza: Dalimbhija, PS Sarenga, Dist Bankura.	4.2 (upto 6m depth) Overburden: 0.5m to 3.0m	Poor to moderate with off-white colour. Blending with suitable plastic clay and using masking glaze required, for using in pottery, stone wares etc.	3.79 km away	The clay deposit occurs as pockets under the lateritic cover of about 0.5 to 3m thick as overburden. Clay is associated with weathered mica schist in this area. The clay have been formed possibly after the kaolinization of feldspar of pegmatites.
9	Do	Around village Tipan, Mouza: Lakhyatapol, PS Simlapal, Dist Bankura	0.05 upto 5.79m depth b.g.l.. Overburden 0.50 to 2.00m	White to greyish and yellowish white with brown and at places reddish patches clay of medium to high plasticity, low fusible which can be used , after wsahing and proper blending with more plastic clay , for making low cost ceramic products and pottaries.	0.50 km away	The extent of clay mineralization covers an area of 0.04 sq km. The area is characterized by granite gneiss, pegmatites and laterite. Under the laterite capping, clay occurs in major part of the area. At places, clay is exposed at the surface. The clay belongs to the Archaeans and is supposed to form due to the kaolinization of feldspar of pegmatite and granite.
10	Do	Mouza: Makdumnagar, PS Mohd. Bazar, Dist Birbhum	The estimated reserve is 0.1 million tonnes approx. upto to the depth of 6 meters with an average thickness through out the area of about 48,000 sq. m.	The colour of crude clay varies from off-white to light cream & light buff.As per CGCRI the plasticity of beneficiated clay is very good & blending with suitable plastic clay would be absolutely necessary to develop adequate workiability & dry strength for handling the wares.The clay may be utilised in potteries, making tiles, stone wares etc.	Forest boundary map not available.	The clay possibly formed by the kaolinisation of feldspar of granite gneiss occur under the overburden of laterite/lateritic gravel, alluvium & sandy soil at places, which varies from 2.1m to 4.95m.
11	Dolomite	Mouza: Boch, PS Manbazar, Dist Purulia	1.05 mi. tonnes (upto 60m depth, inclusive of all grades) [Grade I: 0.13, II: 0.18 & III: 0.74]	CaO+MgO%: >45(Grade-I), 40-45(Grade II) & 40(Grade III); Acid insoluble%: <5 (Grade-I), 5-10(Grade II & 10-30(Grade III)	2.78 km away	Dolomite bands and lenses occur within a hillock of E-W trend and dipping 50^o-70^o northerly which are interbedded with meta-sediments(mainly phyllites) with occasional presence of specks of chalcopyrite & pyrite . The hillock lies in the east of Tamakhun.
12	Quartz	Mouza: Janipur, PS Boro; Dist Purulia	1.46 (upto 20 m depth)/334	SiO2>99%; Fe2O3 approx 0.5%	0.50 km away	Strike length -80m width : 50m.. Quartz veins occur within the mica-schist & phylite
13	Do	Mouza: Gobindapur PS Barrabazar, Dist Purulia	Recoverable reserve: 62,400 tonnes/334	SiO2: 98.64% to 99.18%; Fe2O3: 0.42% to 0.73%	1.77 km away	Strike length -100mX avg width : 25m. Quartz veins occur within Schistose meta-basic
14	Do	Mouza: Berada, PS Barrabazar, Dist Purulia	153,000 tonnes (upto 20m depth)/334	SiO2 > 99%; Fe2O3 approx 0.5%	5.56 km away	Strike length -140mX avg.width : 30m.). Quartz veins occur within the mica-schist
15	Do	Mouza: Kendapara, PS Belpahari, Dist W.Midnapur	3.36 ( upto 20 m depth)/334	SiO2: 97.5% to 99.6%;	mostly within the forest	Strike length -450mX width : 100m.(Garpahar) & 550mx130m.(Kendapara). Quartz veins occur within the mica-schist
16	Tungsten	Thanpahar, Cheradungri and Purnapani-Parasia Query sectors under Ghoraduba & Purnapani Mouzas (near Chhendapathr village) of Ranibandh (presently Barikul) P.S. of Bankuraq district. Chhenda pathar area, PS Ranibandh, Dist Bankura	Tentatively 1,73,063 tonnes of Tungsten Ore upto a vertical depth of 20m. [ Thanpahar : 82,012 tonnes, Cheradungri : 42,564 tonnes & Purnapani -Parasia: 48,487 tonnes].	0.15% WO₃ in average.	1.27 km away	Wolframite bearing pneumatolytic and hydrothermal quartz vein system is hosted by the meta-sediments and meta-volcanics of the Proterozoic Singbhum Group which were subjected to deformation, metamorphism and hydrothermal activity in a number of tectonic phases. Besides wolframite bearing quartz veins, tungsten is significantly concentrated also in metapellites and metavolcanics. The area is also characterized by the presence of other ore minerals like magnetite, ilmenite, haematite, goethite, cuprite, arsenopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, galena, malachite, azurite, massive copper, chalcocite and covellite. In addition to tungsten the area also yields significant quantities of Cu, Bi, Mo and Pb.
Note : The Resources may be considered for further prospecting / Exploration of higher level as per guidelines of UNFC.