Concerted efforts needed to exploit iron-ore potential دہات کے ذخایر کوقابل استعمال بنانے کے لیے متفقہ کوششوں کی ضرورت ہے۔
Islamabad—Pakistan has major raw material used for the production of steel which needed to be exploited to reduce dependence on imports and save substantial foreign exchanges for the country, said a report. “Pakistan has large deposits of iron ore, coal and manganese, however, the reserves are lying waste for the past many decades,” said a report published in Industrial Bulletin of Engineering Development Board. According to the report, total iron ore reserves, discovered in 1952 at Kalabagh exceed 350 million tons of which 165 million tons are proven deposits. “Kalabagh iron ore contains about 30 percent iron, 20-30 percent silica, 0.2-0.5 percent sulphar and 1.5 percent alkalis,” the report added.
High grade iron ore deposits are located at Chitral, the report said adding that the deposit is magnetite having 55 to 65 percent iron with estimated reserves of 3.7 million tons. It said that there are 100 million tons of iron ore deposits in Chinot and Rajoa in Jhang are of Punjab province, however, added that techno-economic study is to be carried out to determine utilization of these deposits in a steel mill. The iron ore deposits deposited by Geological Surey of Pakistan at Dlbund (Kalat), have estimated reserves of 200 million tons, report said adding that the iron content varies from 40-48 percent. Geological and Geophysical studies carried out in the Chigendik areas has proved that 5 million tons of iron ore were in the deposit, with an average iron content of 45 percent, it added.
Similarly there are 45 million proved deposits of iron ore with an average iron content of 49 percent, predominantly magnetite in Pachinkot deposits the report said. Apart from major iron ore deposits, there were other small deposits at Langrial, Galdanina and Churagali areas in Abbatabad, Sheikhren in Khuzdar Pezu in Dera Ismail Khan, Rakhimunh in Dera Ghazi Khan and Qila Saifullah in Balochistan. The report stressed the need that concerted efforts by all those involved in steel production were required to utilize these resources through employing latest technology to upgrade lean ores to ensure optimal resources utilization. It also suggested that for exploiting the huge resources of iron ore, the concerned quarters should either develop indigenous technology or seek assistance from China, where low grade ore is upgraded and vastly used as feed material for steel making.— APP
