Uranium and Thorium exploration in India

Transcription

1 Uranium and Thorium exploration in India Pratap Singh Parihar Director Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research Department of Atomic Energy Government of India

2 Outline Uranium exploration methodology Major uranium provinces of India Promising provinces India s uranium resources Thorium exploration in India Beach and inland placer deposits Thorium resources 2

3 India s three stage nuclear power programme Stage I Natural uranium used as fuel in Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) issile isotope U-235 (0.7% of natural U) will sustain a chain reaction ertile isotope U-238 on absorbing a neutron yields fissile Pu-239 The spent fuel is reprocessed to get Pu-239 Stage II Setting up of ast Breeder Reactors (BRs) BRs produce more fuel than they consume Increases fuel utilization by about 60 times of what is possible with PHWRs Pu-U (produced in stage-i) Mixed Oxide is used as fuel with Thorium blanket BRs generate electricity and build up fuel inventory Stage III Setting up of Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWRs). Use U-233 from stage-ii Convert Th into nuclear fuel i.e., Uranium- 233 uel inventory further increased many fold along with production of power 3

4 Uranium exploration 4

5 Exploration methodology 5

6 Major uranium provinces in India North Delhi old Belt, Rajasthan and Haryana Mahadekbasin, Meghalaya Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand Kaladgi basin, Karnataka Bhimabasin, Karnataka Vein type Sandstone type Unconformity related Dolostone hosted Stratabound North Cuddapah basin, Andhra Pradesh South Cuddapah Basin, Andhra Pradesh 6

7 Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand Sixteen low grade -small to medium size uranium deposits Six production mines One mine under construction Two mills Only producing mines in India so far 7

8 Cuddapah basin, Andhra Pradesh 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 Cuddapahbasin accounts for >50% of India s uranium Hold potential for more resources A mine and mill commissioned recently in Tummalapalle deposit 8

9 Bhima basin, Karnataka GEOLOGICAL MAP O BHIMA BASIN Km N 17 0 ' 15 W S E Kagna river 17 0 ' racture zone 16 0 ' ' 30 GOGI LATERITE DECCAN TRAP CHERT BEDS (INTER - TRAPPEANS) PURPLE SHALE(HARWAL m.) LIMESTONE( KATAMDEVARHALLI m.) SAND STONE/ SHALE(HALKAL m.) LIMESTONE(SHAHABAD m) SHALE ARENITE DYKE INDEX YOUNGER GRANITE (RABANPALLI m) YOUNGER SCHIST BELT PENINSULAR GNEISS OLDER SCHIST BELT (SARGUR) AULT SURACE RADIOACTIVITY 16 0 ' ' ' ' ' 77 30' 9

10 North Delhi old Belt, Rajasthan & Haryana ROHIL PROSPECT DISTT. SIKAR, RAJASTHAN T.S.of BH.NO.GTR-166,81,100, 120,18,19,39 & RHL-16,19,18(p) & 44 Section N-2 WEST 50m m EAST 500m GTR m GTR m GTR-100 GTR m GTR m GTR m GTR m RHL-16 RHL m m RHL-18(P) m RHL m DD m DD m DD m DD m 0.126X1.51m DD m DD m DD m 0.041X9.27m DD m 0.066x1.16m 0.063X1.53m 0.039x6.55m 0.024x1.16m 0.050x1.58m 0.057x6.82m x1.17* 0.024x1.15m m 0.030x4.59m 0.033x4.06m 0.037X2.21m 0.043X3.07m 800m x 7.02m x 6.09m x 12.79m 0.043X2.22m X4.94m B B X2.15m a 1+1a 0.035x4.65m 0.041X5.55m 0.064X1.34m 0.023X2.21m A A X1.39m 1a1+71a 0.055X4.85m X15.50m 0.024X1.73m* 0.030X1.21m a 3a x1.32m A 1 B B B3 B x 6.32m DD m a 1a DD m DD m 1a X1.63m 0.058X1.34m 0.059X4.17m 0.107x1.01m 0.049x1.08m 0.075x1.58m 0.050x1.49m 1+1a a 2 1 1a 1+1a INDEX OVER BURDEN ZONE O ALTERATION QUARTZ VIEN /REE 5 ALBITITE /ACID INTRUSIES AMPHIBOLITE / BASIC INTRUSIVES QUARTZITE / AMPHIBOLE QUARTZITE a: GRAPHITIC CALC SILICATE /IMPURE MARBLE QBS WITH QUARTZITE INTERCALATIONS a: GRAPHITIC U - MINERALISATIONS AT 0.020% eu3o8 CUT-O GRADE & TRUE THICKNESS Additional Lodes 10

11 Mahadek basin, Meghalaya Holds nearly 10% of India s uranium resources Ore body occur as a blanket at shallow level (<50m) Suitable for opencast mining Prospect for more resources in the basin 11

12 Promising uranium provinces Lesser Himalayas Western Rajasthan Surficial type Gondwanabasins of Central India Kaladgi basin Dharwar QPC Dharmapuri Shear zone Vindhyan basin Bijawar basin Shillong basin Chhattisgarh basin Dongargarh Province Abujhmar basin Indravati basin 12

13 Distribution of uranium deposits 1,84,446 t U 3 O 8 (As on June 2012) 7.42 million tonne U 3 O 8 (Red Book-2009) 13

14 uture exploration strategy Conventional exploration inputs are augmented with: Airborne Geophysical Survey TDEM and Z-TEM Gradient Gravimetry Hyper Spectral Remote Sensing Radiometric and Ground Geophysical and Geochemical Surveys Delineation of potential target zones by Geochemical maps Alteration studies Geo-modeling of exploration data Quick and accurate analytical and other laboratory inputs Development of Potential Target Zones (Systematic Reconnoitory/Exploratory Drilling) aster, deeper and accurate drilling with modern rigs Optimisationof drilling grids and reserve calculation by state of the art statistical techniques/ softwares 14

15 Thorium exploration 15

16 Thorium mineralisation Heavy Mineral Placer Sand deposits Shoreline Placer Alluvial Placer Inland aeolian Placer Late-stage Igneous rocks Alkaline Complexes Carbonatite Alkali granite/pegmatite Pegmatite Hydrothermal veins Quaternary sediments High grade Metamorphic rocks 16

17 Thorium mineralisation Source for Th and REE Discovery in the year 1909 from beach sands from Manavalakurichi, Tamil Nadu. Occurs in placer sands along with ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, garnet, zircon & sillimanite. Monazite-bearing placer sands found along the coast-line and also inland in aeolian and riverine environments. Recovered as by-product at: Chavara, Kerala Manavalakurichi, Tamil Nadu Chattarpur, Odisha 17

18 Monazite Grade in different environments Beach sands : upto 1% (up to 5% in some places in Kerala, Tamil Nadu) Teri Sands Tamil Nadu :Upto 0.10% Siri River, Chhattisgarh: Upto 0.8% (Riverine Placer) ThO 2 : up to 9-10% (av.) U 3 O 8 : 0.3% REO : 60% P 2 O 5 : 27% 18

19 Beach and inland placer deposits 19

20 Beach placer resources in India Heavy Mineral Total Resource (March 2012) (million tonnes) Ilmenite Rutile Monazite Zircon Garnet Sillimanite Total

21 Berm-line, Pudukottai, TN Chavara Deposit, Kerala Red sediments, Sattankulam, TN Tandava-Varaha coast, Visakhapatnam, A. P. 21

22 Exploration strategy for thorium exploration will be continued for inland placers in areas of paleo-strandlines along the coast. Known beach placer deposits are explored only up to a depth of 10m. Resources below 10m will be exoplored Exploration for Non-placer resources, particularly hard rock terrains. Geophysical techniques for surveying deeper deposits. 22

23 Thanks 23