CHAPTER:FOUR

MINERAL AND ENERGY RESOURCES

are one of the most important resources of a country. They are of different types and provide sound base for economic and industrial development. In nature, minerals are normally found in solid, liquid and gaseous states. India is rich in mineral resources. It has fairly abundant reserves of iron ore and mica, and adequate supplies of manganese ore, titanium, bauxite and coal. There is deficiency of copper, lead, zinc and gold. Tin and nickel are available in workable deposits. The country earns foreign exchange from the export of minerals like iron ore, titanium, manganese ore, bauxite and granite. It depends on the imports of copper, silver, nickel, cobalt, zinc, lead, tin, mercury, platinum and graphite. MINERALS
These are natural chemical compounds, uniform in composition and structure, and constituents of rocks and ores. They are formed through various geological processes taking place in the earth.

MINERALS

In all, there are over 3000 mines in India. About 8,00,000 people are employed in the mining sector. It accounts for about 11 per cent of the countrys industrial output. Industrial development of the country depends upon this sector.

TYPES OF MINERALS
Minerals are classified in several ways. Geologists classify minerals according to their chemical composition and crystalline structure. Some minerals consist of only one element, while others of two or more elements. Generally, minerals are classified into two categories metallic and non-metallic. Metallic minerals are subdivided into ferrous (containing iron) and non-ferrous (containing metals other than iron). Some common ferrous minerals are iron ore, manganese ore, chromite, pyrite, tungsten, nickel and cobalt. Some non-ferrous metals are gold, silver, copper, lead, bauxite, tin and magnesium. Some common non-metallic minerals are limestone, nitrate, potash, dolomite, mica, gypsum, coal and petroleum.

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Minerals occur in different types of rocks. Some are found in igneous rocks, while others in sedimentary rocks. Almost all metals are found in the form of ore. The ore contains impurities and, therefore, processing is required before use. Distribution of Minerals In the following pages, we will study distributional patterns of iron ore, manganese ore, copper, lead, bauxite, mica and limestone in India. Iron Ore : Iron ore, the backbone of modern civilisation, is a metal of universal use. It is used for manufacturing of machines, agricultural implements and items of general use. There are four varieties of iron ore : magnetite (contains 72 per cent of iron), haematite (contains 60 to 70 per cent of iron), limonite (40 to 60 per cent of iron) and siderite (40 to 50 per cent of iron). Magnetite and haematite occur in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Orissa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. India shares about 20 per cent of the world reserve of iron ore. Most of the iron ores mines in the country come from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Goa and Karnataka. Some well-known iron ore mines are in Durg and Dantewara districts of Chhattisgarh, Paschim and Purbi Singhbhum districts of Jharkhand, and Sundargarh, Kendujhar and Mayurbhunj districts of Orissa, North Goa district of Goa, Chikmanglur and Bellary districts of Karnataka, About half of the iron ore produced in the country is exported primarily to Japan, Korea, European countries, and gulf countries. Japan buys three-fourths of the total export of our iron ore. Iron ore is exported through the ports of Vishakhapatnam, Paradip, Marmagao and Mangalore. Manganese Ore : Manganese ore is used for making iron and steel and preparing alloys. It is also used to manufacture bleaching powder, insecticides, paints and batteries. About onefifth of the world deposits of manganese ore are found in India. The country stands second in the reserve of manganese ore in the world,

after Zimbabwe. The main reserves of this ore are in Karnataka, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa. India is the fifth largest producer of manganese in the world. 97 per cent of Indias manganese ore is mined in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh produce more than half of the national total. Four -fifths of the production is consumed in the country itself; one-fifth is exported. Only low grade manganese ore is exported. Japan buys twothirds of Indias export. Copper : Copper is used for making utensils, electric wire and alloys. India is neither rich in copper reserve, nor in its production. Indian copper ore contains less than one per cent of copper (international average is 2.5 per cent), and, hence, its mining and smelting is a costly affair. About 90 per cent of the reserves are concentrated in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Production of copper in the country is less than the requirement; hence, it is imported. Lead : The ore of lead is called galena. Lead is a soft and heavy metal. It is a bad conductor of heat. It is used as a constituent in alloys. Lead oxide is used in cable covers, ammunition, paints, glass and rubber making. Lead ore occurs at a number of places in the country. Most of the production comes from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. India produces only about 25 per cent of its requirement; rest is obtained through import from Australia, Canada and Myanmar. Bauxite : Bauxite is an ore from which aluminium is obtained. Aluminium is a light metal used in the manufacturing of aeroplanes, utensils and other household goods. India has vast reserves of bauxite. It is widely distributed in India. However, it occurs mainly in Jharkhand, Orissa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Mica : Mica has insulating properties, and hence, its major use is in electrical and

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electronic industries. It has the quality to withstand high voltage. Mica occurs in several states of India, but most of the reserves and production are confined to Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. India produces about 60 per cent of the worlds production of mica. Because of substitutes for mica developed in recent years, its demand in international market has decreased. The U.K., the U.S.A., Russia and European countries are the main buyers of Indian mica. It is exported mainly through the ports of Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam. Limestone : Limestone is found associated with rocks composed of calcium carbonates or calcium and magnesium carbonates. It is of sedimentary origin and is found in almost all geological for mations except in the Gondwana. Major (75 per cent) use of limestone is in cement industry; rest is used for smelting of iron and in chemical industries. Almost all states have some quantities of limestone, but about three-fourths of the countrys production comes from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kar nataka and Himachal Pradesh. Conservation of Minerals We all know that minerals are non-renewable; once consumed, they cannot be created or renewed. We have to use these minerals in such a way that sizeable amount is left for future generation as well. We have to use them in a planned way. Wastage in the process of mining and processing has to be reduced to the minimum. Export of minerals should be minimised. We should think about the use of substitutes in order to save minerals. Wherever necessary, we should encourage recycling of metals.

sources of energy; some of them are coal, petroleum, natural gas, solar energy, wind energy and hydel energy. Some of them are exhaustible and some are non-exhaustible. Sources of energy are categorised as conventional and non-conventional. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and electricity (both thermal and hydel) are conventional, while solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, atomic energy and biogas are non-conventional sources of energy. Conventional sources of energy have been in use for quite sometime, while nonconventional sources are new. On the basis of use, we have two categories of energy resources : non-commercial and commercial. Non-commercial sources of energy are firewood, charcoal, cow dung and agricultural wastes. The commercial sources of energy comprise coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydro-electricity and nuclear energy. Conventional Sources of Energy Coal : It is the main source of power generation in India. About 67 per cent of the countrys requirement of power is met by coal. It is the prime source of energy in the manufacturing of iron and steel. It is also used as a raw material mainly for chemical industry. Coal originated from wood and is found today in sedimentary rocks beneath the earths surface. The wood took several million years to become coal. Coal is so useful that it is often called black gold. There are four types of coal anthracite, bituminous, lignite and peat. The first one is of the best quality and the last is of low quality. Anthracite contains more than 80 per cent carbon. It is hard, black and compact. It is found only in Jammu and Kashmir. Bituminous coal is the most widely used. It contains 60 to 80 per cent carbon. It is found in Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Lignite contains about 60 per cent carbon. It is of lower grade and is known as brown coal. It is found in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir. Peat contains less than 50 per cent carbon. It burns like wood and gives more smoke and less heat.

ENERGY RESOURCES
Energy is an indispensable requirement in modern life. It may be manual or animal and mechanical or electrical. Electricity is used to operate various kinds of machines. Availability of energy is a pre-requisite of modern economic activities. There are several

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India has a coal reserve of about 2,14,000 million tonnes. At present, it produces over 330 million tonnes of coal and lignite in a year. The mining of coal provides employment to about seven lakh persons. Most of the coal fields of India are located in the north-eastern part of the peninsula (Fig. 4.1). About two-thirds of the annual production of coal comes from Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh produce about one-third of the total production. Lignite is produced in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Neyveli mines of Tamil Nadu are located in Villupuram district. Over two-thirds of the coal produced in India is consumed for generation of electric power, about 10 per cent for making iron and steel, 4 per cent in cement industry, and the rest in chemical and fertiliser industries, and is also used for domestic purposes. Petroleum : It is also called mineral oil. It is obtained from sedimentary rocks. The mineral oil emits very little smoke, leaves no ash and can be used up to the last drop. The oil reserves of India are estimated to be about 4,000 million tonnes; only one-fourth of this is exploitable. India produces about 33 million tonnes of crude petroleum. About 63 per cent of it is produced from Mumbai High, 18 per cent from Gujarat and 16 per cent from Assam. Small quantity of oil is also produced in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. In western India, Mumbai High, Bassein and Aliabet are important off-shore oil fields. In Gujarat, important oil fields are in Ankleshwar, 80 km south of Vadodara. Oil of this field is refined at Trombay and Koyali. Lunej and Kalol oil fields are located near Ahmedabad. In north-eastern India, oil is produced in Assam. It is the oldest oil producing state of the country. Here, there are three important oil fieldsDigboi, Naharkatiya and MoranHugrijan. Oil from these fields is refined at Digboi, Numaligarh, Guwahati and Bongaigaon in Assam and Barauni in Bihar.

Mineral oil is obtained from oil wells in crude form. It is refined in oil refineries. Today there are 18 oil refineries in the country (Fig. 4.2). The refining capacity of these refineries is 112.54 million tonnes a year. The demand for petroleum and petroleum products has increased in recent years. At present, there is a demand for about 102 million tonnes per year. This is expected to increase 145 million tonnes by 2007 to 176 million tonnes by 2012. About 50 million tonnes of petroleum and petroleum products are imported at present. The country spends a heavy amount of foreign exchange on the import of petroleum. Natural Gas : Natural gas is found associated with or without petroleum. About 23 billion cubic metres of natural gas is consumed in India. India has recoverable reserves of 700 billion cubic metres of natural gas. Large reserves of natural gas have been discovered in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Andaman reserves alone have 47.6 million cubic metres of natural gas. A huge natural gas field has recently been discovered in the Krishna-Godavari basin. India produces about 27,860 million cubic metres of gas per year. Over three-fourths of the production comes from Mumbai High, 10 per cent from Gujarat, 7 per cent from Assam and the rest from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Rajasthan. The gas supplied for household use is called LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), and the one used for running vehicles is called CNG (compressed natural gas). Transportation, processing and marketing of natural gas in India is done by the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL). It is the largest company in India for marketing natural gas. It operates over 4200 km of pipelines in the country and supplies gas to power plants and fertiliser factories. This company has seven LPG recovery plants - 2 in Madhya Pradesh, 2 in Gujarat and one each in Assam, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. India has developed a large network of pipelines for transportation of petroleum and gas.

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E N N

Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. Government of India Copyright, 2003 The territorial water of India extends into the sea to a distance of twelve nautical miles measured from the appropriate baseline. The administrative headquarters of Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab are at Chandigarh. The interstate boundaries between Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya shown on this map are as interpreted from the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971, but have yet to be verified. The interstate boundaries between Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and Bihar and Jharkhand have not been verified by the Government concerned. The responsibility for the correctness of internal details rests with the publisher.

Fig. 4.1 Major coal deposits in India

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Tatipaka

Narimanam

Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. Government of India Copyright, 2003 The territorial water of India extends into the sea to a distance of twelve nautical miles measured from the appropriate baseline. The administrative headquarters of Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab are at Chandigarh. The interstate boundaries between Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya shown on this map are as interpreted from the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971, but have yet to be verified. The interstate boundaries between Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and Bihar and Jharkhand have not been verified by the Government concerned. The responsibility for the correctness of internal details rests with the publisher.

Fig. 4.2 Refineries in India

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In recent years, India has become a big producer, consumer and importer of petroleum products. At the current rate of consumption, Indias known reserves of oil will last for about 30-40 years only. Import of petroleum and its products will put heavy strain on our economic development. Transport sector consumes about 50 per cent of the total consumption of petroleum products (petrol and diesel), road transport alone consumes 37 per cent of this consumption. 16 to 20 per cent of the oil products are consumed by industries. Agricultural sector uses diesel. Kerosene and LPG are used in the domestic sector for cooking and lighting in urban and rural areas. Electricity : For progress and prosperity of individuals and the nation, electricity is an important requirement. Today India has an installed capacity of 1,04,917 MW (Fig. 4.3). The per capita consumption of electricity in India is 379 kwh (one of the lowest in the world) it is 746 kwh in China and 11994 kwh in U.S.A. Thermal electricity : This type of electricity is obtained by using coal, petroleum and natural gas. There are over 310 thermal power plants
INDIA INSTALLED CAPACITY OF ELECTRICITY (1998-99)
NUCLEAR 2%

HYDRO 24%

DIESEL & WIND 2%

STEAM (COAL) 62%

in India. Assam, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal produce mainly thermal power. Other significant producers are Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Orissa and Delhi (Fig. 4.4). In the total production of electricity in India, the share of thermal electricity is about 70 per cent. Hydro electricity : It is produced from water which is a renewable resource. For generating hydroelectricity, water is released at great force from a high head, and hence, dams are constructed across rivers to store water. Other sources of energy, namely coal, petroleum and gas, are non-renewable resources. Hydroelectricity accounts for 25 per cent of total electricity produced in India. The hydel energy will play a major role in the prosperity of India in future. The total hydel power potential of India is estimated at 150,000 MW, of which only onesixth has been developed so far. The total installed capacity of the hydel power projects of the country is 23,488 MW. Important hydel power producing states are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa and Punjab. Nuclear electricity : It is produced from uranium and thorium, which are available in Jharkhand and in the Aravalli range of Rajasthan. Monazite sands of Kerala also contain uranium. India has vast deposits (about 50 per cent of the world) of thorium. There are six nuclear power stations in the country. They are located at Tarapur (Maharashtra), Kalpakkam, near Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Rawatbhata near Kota (Rajasthan), Narora (Uttar Pradesh), Kakrapara (Gujarat) and Kaiga (Karnataka) (Fig. 4.4). The gross electricity generated from nuclear plants is 2720 MW per year, which is little less than 4 per cent of the total production of energy. Non-conventional Sources of Energy With increasing demand for energy, the nonconventional sources of energy, namely sun, wind, tide, biomass and energy from waste material, have gained importance in recent years. The non-conventional sources are

NATURAL GAS 10%

Fig. 8.3 Installed capacity of electricity in India

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Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. Government of India Copyright, 2003 The territorial water of India extends into the sea to a distance of twelve nautical miles measured from the appropriate baseline. The administrative headquarters of Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab are at Chandigarh. The interstate boundaries between Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya shown on this map are as interpreted from the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971, but have yet to be verified. The interstate boundaries between Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and Bihar and Jharkhand have not been verified by the Government concerned. The responsibility for the correctness of internal details rests with the publisher.

Fig. 4.4 Nuclear and thermal power plants

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abundant, renewable, pollution-free and ecofriendly. Therefore, this energy has a bright future. According to energy experts, the nonconventional energy potential of India is estimated at about 95,000 MW. Solar Energy : India, being a tropical country, has enough scope for production and utilisation of solar energy. It is about 20 MW per square kilometre per annum. Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity. Solar energy is becoming popular in different parts of the country and can be used for cooking, pumping, heating of water, refrigerator and street lighting. SOLAR PLANT
A solar plant operates by direct absorption of solar energy by using the reflecting mirror systems. Many movable mirrors reflect solar rays to the top of a central tower, where a steam boiler and electric generator are located. Another way to produce electricity from solar radiation is to generate it directly with solar cells. These cells use special materials, such as crystalline silicon, which absorb solar radiation and convert it into electricity.

Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Lakshadweep. The largest wind farm cluster of 150 MW is located in Tamil Nadu. Gujarat is very favourable for wind farm. Biogas : Shrubs, farm wastes, animal and human wastes are used to produce biogas for domestic consumption in rural areas. Decomposition of organic matter yields gas, which has higher thermal efficiency in comparison to kerosene, dung cake and charcoal. Biogas plants are set up at municipal, cooperative and individual levels.

IMPROVED CHULHAS
The traditional chulhas in rural areas used wood and cow dung, which gave a lot of smoke. Improved chulhas do not emit smoke and use less wood. Such chulhas have saved several million tonnes of firewood and reduced health hazards to women.

Other Non-conventional Sources : This includes small hydel plants with a generation capacity of less than 5 MW, geothermal energy, tidal energy and wave energy. Conservation of Energy Resources For conservation of energy resources in India, an Energy Conservation Act, 2001 was enacted, which came into effect in March 2002. It provides measures for efficient use of energy and its conservation. To conserve energy we should : Use more and more of public transport system and less of individual vehicles. Switch off electricity whenever not required. Use power-saving devices. Check the power equipments regularly. Emphasise on greater use of nonconventional sources of energy.

Thar desert can become the biggest solar power house of India. Solar power plants have been installed at several places in the country. The largest solar plant of India is located at Madhapur, near Bhuj, to sterilise milk cans. In many areas, solar domestic lights, solar lanterns and solar streetlights have been installed. Solar energy can be used to keep the building war m in cold seasons in cold areas. Wind Energy : This energy requires only initial cost on the establishment of the wind farm. India has a wind power potential of 20,000 MW. About 85 sites, with a potential of 4500 MW, have been identified in the country. These are located in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala,

MINERAL AND ENERGY RESOURCES EXERCISES

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1. Answer briefly the following : (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) (ix) (x) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) Give three examples of metallic and three examples of non-metallic minerals. Name four important iron ore-producing states of India Name four manganese ore-producing states of India. Name four bauxite-producing states. Name three states which are known for the production of mica. What are commercial sources of energy? What are conventional sources of energy? Name six non-commercial sources of energy. Name three most important coal producing states of India. Mention three areas where petroleum is found in India. Metallic and Non-metallic minerals, Commercial and Non-commercial energy, Conventional and Non-conventional sources of energy, Anthracite and Bituminous coal, Natural gas and Biogas.

2. Distinguish between :

3. Describe the distribution of iron ore in India. 4. Describe the distribution of coal in India. 5. Why do you think that solar energy has a bright future in India?

PROJECT WORK
(a) On an outline map of India, show the distribution of the following : (i) bauxite (ii) iron ore (iii) copper (iv) limestone (b) Collect specimens of these minerals. (c) Write the uses of each of them. (a) On an outline map of India, show the following : (i) (ii) (iii) Petroleum producing areas Oil refineries Gas pipelines

(b) Prepare a brief write up on petroleum producing areas of India. (c) Collect information about precautionary measures for the use of LPG.