By Iftikhar Mashwani
ISLAMABAD:Pakistan’s mineral resources can improve the country’s economy, iron ore and coal reserves in Kalabagh and Chiniot will be enough for 70 years.
According to the experts nature has given enough reserves of iron ore and coal in the districts of Kalabagh and Chiniot in Punjab province which will be enough for the needs of the country till 3000 AD.
Pakistan has the world’s largest reserves of copper and gold – Ricoh, chromium, bauxite (aluminum), cobalt, uranium, lead, graphite, tungsten, coal, limestone, granite, rocksalt, marble, fireclay and iron ore. There are vast deposits of all minerals except iron ore extracted with the help of foreign companies or private sectoris going 15 years ago.
The Department of Mines and Minerals of the Punjab Government started a serious effort to make Pakistan self-sufficient in steel production.
The Punjab Mineral Company was formed by the government to eliminate the delays in petty bureaucratic procedures and to speed up the exploration of iron ore.
The Geological Survey of Pakistan in collaboration with the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) conducted surveys for mineral resources at various locations with the help of the government or UNDP.
It usually takes 10 to 14 years to discover minerals through surface studies, determine location through test drilling, estimate quantity and quality, and formulate a feasibility report.
Over 8.543 thousand barrels of oil have been explored from Karak in the last 11 months.There are 70 million carats of the best emeralds in Swat and the market price of 220 carats ranges from $4,000 to $6,000.Over 40 tons of fluorite was exported from Khyber this year.
In 11 months, 65000 Mcf gas has been got from Karak. 1935 tons of nephrite were mined in Mohmand this year.
Malakand has 200 million tons, Swabi block has 100 million tons of marble. Over 1,360,000 tons of marble are exported in Mohmand.
Chitral, South Waziristan and South Pakhtunkhwa produce 640,000 kg of Chalgoza annually, which fetches Rs 18,000 per kg in China.
30,000 to 35,000 vehicles pass through the Kohat tunnel daily and the fare is Rs 80 to Rs 450 per vehicle and is controlled by NLC.
Over 5000 tonnes of coal is explored daily from Dhaka district of South Pakhtunkhwa. Over 350,000 tonnes of coal is mined from Dara Adamkhel every year.
There are 2 billion tons of marble in Bunir and Mardan. Chitral has one billion tons of marble. Korma alone has 2 million tonnes of coal, along with iron ore.
