FIELD REPORT

Report on Geology and Mining Aspects of

Uranium Exploration at UCIL Narwapahar
and Banduhurang Open Cast Mine,
Jharkhand

department of geology

Ug-III, semester vi
Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata | Field Report UG-III,
Semester VI |
[page 1 of24]

Class roll no. - 106

registration no. - 12121511018

Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata | Field Report UG-III,

Semester VI |
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Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata | Field Report UG-III,

Semester VI |
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Chapter 1
Introduction
We, the B.Sc. 3rd Year (Geology Honours) students of Presidency
University, Kolkata, carried out our compulsory fieldwork in and
around East Singhbhum district, Jharkhand during the time
period of 17th February, to 20th February 2015. Major Uranium
deposits like those at Narwapahar underground mine and open-cast
mine at Banduhurang were visited during our field purpose. The
Uranium deposits lie in the Proterozoic meta-sediments of the
Singhbhum Shear Zone (SZZ), a zone of intense and deep
tectonisation in the eastern part of India. This field-tour was ably
guided by our beloved teacher Prof. AMIT KUMAR RAY, whose
immense experience in this aspect of geological studies provided a
clear understanding of the matter of what is being taught and
what is being practised in the geological fieldwork.

Location and Accessibility

Narwapahar Uranium Mine, India is located at Narwapahar, 12
km SE of Jamshedpur, 10 km WNW of Jaduguda, Jharkhand,
India.
Location coordinates are: Latitude= 22.69607, Longitude= 86.27143.
We arrived by ISPAT express at Ghatshila from where we
arranged for private transport on road to Narwapahar Mine.
Similar transport was done from Narwapahar, which was our base,
to Banduharang Mine.

Mining Prospects in the area

The Singhbhum Shear Zone of eastern India is the most important
Uranium producing belt in India. It hosts several Copper and
apatite-magnetite deposits. Additionally, Au, Te, Mo and Ni have
been recovered as by-products of uranium and copper mining.
The Singhbhum Thrust Belt (also known as Singhbhum Copper
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Semester VI |
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belt or Singhbhum Shear Zone) is a zone of intense shearing and

deep tectonization with less than 1km width and known for a
number of copper deposits with associated nickel, molybdenum,
bismuth, gold, silver etc. It extends in the shape of an arc for a
length of about 160 km.
This discovery of Uranium at Jaduguda in this belt paved the way
for intensive exploration work and soon a few more deposits were
brought to light in this area. Some of these deposits like Bhatin,
Narwapahar and Turamdih are well known uranium mines of the
country. Other deposits like Bagjata, Banduhurang and Mohuldih
are being taken up for commercial mining operations. Some of the
other areas like Garadih, Kanyaluka, Nimdih and Nandup in this
belt are also known to contain limited reserves with poor grades.

About UCIL
Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) is one of the
biggest public sector enterprises in India under the Department of
Atomic Energy. Soon after independence,the search for Uranium
ore began in our country. Uranium was first discovered at Jaduguda
in April 1951.UCIL was formed in October 1967 for mining and
processing of uranium ore which fulfils the nuclear demand of our
country.
UCIL plays very significant role in Indias Nuclear Power
Generation Programme with 5 operating mines,2 processing
plants,and a magnetic recovery plant. The company has adopted
the latest-state-of-the-art technology for its mines and processing
plants. Enriched with in-house expertise and a term of dedicated
professionals. UCIL can be truly termed as Company with a mission.
As discovered during the mine visit, the exploration agency for
these mines was Atomic Minerals Division,Govt.of India, which
carried out geological and geophysical exploration of the potent
areas and then handed over the data to the mining agency i.e.
UCIL which launched its operation with the commissioning of an
underground mine and ore processing plant at Jaduguda (1968).
Subsequently, underground mines at Bhatin (1987), Narwapahar
(1995) and Turamdih (2003) were commissioned. All these units
are within 25 km from Jaduguda in the state of Jharkhand.

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Semester VI |
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Mines Operated in Singhbum Shear Zone

There are 7 uranium mines present around Singbhum Shear zone.
These mines are:
1.
Bagjata
2.
Bhatin
3.
Jaduguda
4.
Narwapahar
5.
Turamdih
6.
Banduharang.
Among which Banduharang is an open cast mine and others are
underground.

Singhbhum Thrust Belt

Thus Singhbhum Thrust Belt, hosting a number of vein type
deposits has remained as the primary target area for exploration.
Genesis of these deposits is linked with Singhbhum granite as the
main geochemical derivation of uranium. Mineralization was a
result of weathering of the Singhbhum granite, possibly before the
lower Proterozoic period, syngenetic deposition of detrital
uranium, solubilization of uranium through oxy-atmoversion,
transportation through solution and precipitation in contact with
reductants. The Singhbhum orogenic cycle, represented by
regional metamorphism, emplacement of basic rocks, and shearing
helped in polycyclic mobilization of uranium in favourable
structural and / or stratigraphic locales.

Purpose of the fieldwork:

The purpose of the field work was to study local geology,
geological setting, nature of mineralization, mineralogy, suggested
genesis, reserve, mining method, surface geology of various
economic mineral deposits.

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Semester VI |
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Caption: Regional geologic map of the eastern Indian craton

(Singbhum craton) with the location of the North Singhbhum fold
belt, the Singhbhum shear zone, showing all the uranium mines.

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Semester VI |
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Chapter 2
Regional Stratigraphy
The first notable geological work ever carried out on Singhbhum
Thrust Belt by Dunn & Dey (1942) which provided a sound
groundwork for study of regional stratigraphy of the area.
Subsequently, the stratigraphic succession has undergone several
modifications based on some recent systematic studies (structural
and petrographic) supported by recent geochronological data. A
generalized chrono-stratigraphic succession of Singhbhum region is
depicted below:

Generalised Chrono-stratigraphic Succession of the Singhbhum

Craton (after Saha et al., 1988)
Newer Dolerite dykes and sills
Mayurbhanj Granite
Gabbro - anorthosite ultrabasics

C.1600-950 Ma
C.2100 Ma

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unconformity ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jagannathpur lava
Dhanjori - Simlipal lava
Quartzite conglomerate

Dhanjori Group

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Unconformity~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Singhbhum Granite
C. 3100 Ma
Mafic lava, tuff, acidic volcanics
Tuffaceous shales, BHJ and BHQ with
Iron Ore Group
Iron Ores, ferruginous chert, local
dolomite, Quartzite and Sandstone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Unconformity ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nilgiri Granite
Singhbhum Granite
Bonai Granite
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Folding and metamorphism of OMG and OMTG
C.3400 - 3500 Ma
Older metamorphic tonalite gneiss (OMTG)
C.3775 Ma

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Older metamorphic group (OMG):

Pelitic Schist, Quartzite, Para-amphibolite,
Ortho-amphibolite

C.4000 Ma

Geological Setup
The most important metal and non-metal deposits in this belt
occur in the rocks of Iron Ore SuperGroup of Archean age within
the Singhbhum shear zone. These are devided into Chaibasa stage,
the Iron Ore stage and Dhanjori stage, the last one having been
deposited unconformably over the two older stages.
After the deposition of Dhanjori, orogenic forces directed from
north and east came into account,which first developed a series of
folds and ultimately culminated in an overthrust, along the
overfolded southern limb of the geo-anticline. This was
accompanied
by
development
of
drag
folds,flexures
and
crenulations or minor folds on the limb of major fold and also
major,minor cross folds and close,intense shearing,fracturing and
brecciation.The fracturing was possibly localised at the crests and
troughs of the minor fold.
The arcuate trend of the thrust can be traced for a distance over
130 km, from Duarpuram in the west to Baharagora in the southeast. This was due to Singbhum granite massif on the south,acting
as a buttress. The resultant structure is an anticlinorium of
isoclinally folded rocks dipping consistently north and with a
major thrust accompanied by crushing and mylonitisation
developed at its southern limb.
In the central part of the belt,there is a highly metamorphosed
belt of the Chaibasa Group. In the Chaibasa Group there is a
thrust which is against the less altered rocks of the Dhanjori
group to the south. In the eastern part, however the thrust is
within the Chaibasa group itself.
In the central part of the Singbhum thrust belt,the shear zone is
narrow (about 300 metres wide), but in the vicinity of the Gara
Nala towards west it bifurcates into two zones which, when
followed westward gradually diverges further and about 5
km,apart near Chakradharpur. The shear zone also widens and
bifurcate in the SE direction.
While these orogenic movements were still continuing, quartzofeldspathic material was introduced along the shear zones giving
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to what is commonly known as soda granite. The later has also

undergone much shearing. It appears that apatite-magnetite and
also uranium mineralisation were derived from soda granite,
though some workers consider migmatisation processes were
responsible for the same.

Uranium Mineralization
Field observations show that
(i)
(ii)

Uranium mineralisation is confined to the shear zones.

It occurs in close vicinity of the soda granite where the same is
exposed in the eastern and western parts of the belt. It probably also
continues in the central part in depth as it has been met in some of
the deeper boreholes.
(iii) The favourable rocks are quartz-breccia, mylonite, chlorite-sericite
schist and less commonly biotite schist.
(iv) The mineralization is in the form of minute peppered dissemination
and micro-veinlets of uraninite mostly between flakes of platy minerals
like chlorite and along other planes of weakness.
(v)
The ore bodies are lensoid with a sinistral en echelon disposition and the
mineralization is not uniform.
(vi) In the eastern part of the belt there is a close association of uranium
with apatite-magnetite mineralization, and the sulphide mineralization
either coincides with uraniferous zone or runs parallel to it.
(vii) In most places like Jaduguda and Keruadungri the sulphide lodes
occur on the foot-wall side of uranium lodes, but at a few localities
the reverse is the case.
(viii) In the western part of the belt the northern shear is better
mineralized than the south-ern one and the largest deposit located so
far at Narwapahar occurs at the place of splitting of the major shear
zone.

Within the zone of shearing and local brecciation, the uranium

mineralization appears to have been localized by
(a)Post shearing migmatization in eastern and western sectors.
(b)
Biotitization in the eastern sector and chloritization and
sericitization observed as distinctive wall rocks alteration in the western
and central sectors, perhaps suggestive of deuteric alteration.
(c) Major cross-folding and especially their minor synformal warps.
(d)
Small scale structures like fracture cleavages, shear planes, cleavage
slip schistosity, mineral foliation or axial planes schistosity (S 2) and
strain slip planes (S3), the latter being more prominent and closely placed
within the shear zones.

In the Singhbhum Thrust belt the ore mineralization seems to

have taken place in three successive paragenetic sequences with
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the falling temperature gradient, viz. apatite and magnetite

followed by uraninite, and lastly chalcopyrite and other sulphides.
From association with widespread silicification, tourmalinization
and alteration of the earlier silicate minerals and formation of
new ones, most observers (Saha et al. 1968) are of the view that the
uranium mineralization is a hydrothermal phenomenon, having
taken place around 400oC. In the uranium and copper deposits in
the belt, uranium is associated with pyrrhotite, pyrite,
pentlandite, chalcocite, molybdenite and a host of other sulphide
minerals. Molybdenite occurs as discrete tiny flakes parallel to the
foliation of the host rock and appears to have been deposited
during the late phase.The nickel occurs as violarite and
pentlandite in pyrite and also in chlorite and tends to be
concentrated more in the deeper levels of the uraniferous deposits,
e. g. Jaduguda.The uranium occurs mainly as minute discrete
cubic and octahedral crystals but also in other minerals like
chlorite, apatite and magnetite. For example, in Narwapahar only
73 per cent occurs as discrete crystals of uraninite and 27 per
cent is looked up as minute grains of uraninite in chlorite,
magnetite, quartz etc. The uraninite crystals are corroded by and
embedded in the later chalcopyrite and at some places (e.g.
Bhalki-Kanyaluka are) also by fluorite. At the extreme western
end of the belt, uranium occurs in the form of sooty pitchblende,
which according to Kaul (1964) is probably indicative of the falling
temperature and mobilization away from the hydrothermal source.

Chapter 3
Definitions of some common
terms related to ore and
Mining Geology
1)
Ore: It is a mineral or an aggregate of minerals from which
one or more elements is/are economically extracted today or there
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is a possibility of doing so in foreseeable future for industrial /

strategic use.
2)
Ore zoning: It is a systematic variation of chemical and /or
mineralogical composition of an ore body / deposit. This variation
may occur along any dimension of the ore body / deposit.
3)
Ore Shoot: It is the richest part of an ore body. It is often corelatable with some structures in the deposit itself or with the
host rock. It can be delineated on the assay plans of a working
mine or on the level plans.
4)
Stratiform deposit: When an ore deposit appears like a stratum
or layer in an ensemble of layered sedimentary or Sed-Volcanic
rocks. Usually such deposits are formed by sedimentation
diagenesis or may be formed by guided replacements in some
cases.
5)
Stratabound deposits: A stratabound ore deposit should be
essentially confined within the limits of a stratum or lithounit but
is not necessarily parallel with the interfaces of the unit with
other units (ore deposit bounded by two strata).
6)
ADIT: A tunnel like horizontal entrance to a mine from
surface or a horizontal exploratory opening which continued up to
the ore body from the surface.
7)
ASSAY PLAN: Plan of the mine or a part thereof in which the
metal content (tenor) in different parts of an ore body is
displayed (in the form of contour lines).
8)
DRIVE OR DRIFT- A tunnel like working along the trend
(strike) of an ore body.The drives are named as sill, drill, haulage
drive depending on location and function. The drives are very
useful for exploring the orebody over the strike length from one
end to other and serve the transport route of ore and development
waste from the stopes.
9)

FACE: It is the wall at the end of a drive or stope working.

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Semester VI |
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10) LEVEL: A group of tunnel like workings that are lying

approx. the same distance below a datum plane from the surface
in a given mine.
11) RAISE: A narrow vertical
upwards from an ore body.

or

inclined

working

excavated

12) WINZE: A narrow vertical or inclined working excavated

downwards from ore body.The downward excavation for winze is
carried out by hanging chain ladders or fixing iron ladder from
the levels and sublevels. The upward driving is done with the help
of fixing iron ladder upward and making temporary platform for
overhand drilling and blasting. The development speed can be
expedited by employing mechanized raise climber fitted with
guide rails and fitted with temporary platform for drilling
upward.
13) SHAFT: A narrow working excavated from the surface, either
vertical or inclined, drawn in order to reach the ore body
underneath.The deposit located or continues in-depth is accessed
by sinking a well on stable ground adjacent to the footwall side of
dipping orebody. It is known as shaft in mining terminology.
14) STOPE: An underground working from which ore is being
mined out presently or has been mined out in the past.
15)

QUARRY: An open excavation for mining of an ore body.

16) CROSSCUT: The workings running at right or acute angle

across the elongation of the orebody are called crosscut with
further classification as main drill, ore and exploration crosscut.
Orebody across for true width, mine development, production and
ore transfer passage.
17) CROWN AND SILL PILLAR- The ore which is blocked and left
at the top of the stope to prevent collapsing of upper level is
called crown pillar.
Similarly the ore which is left below the stope to prevent
collapsing of the active stoping is called the sill pillar.

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Semester VI |
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This time the field party did not have the scope to visit the
jadugoda
Uranium
deposit
due
to
some
security
and
environmental hazardous issues. Hence description of jadugoda
deposit may be omitted.

Narwapahar
Underground Mine
Coordinates: 22O42: 86O16
The uranium deposit at Narwapahar is one of the many economic
deposits in the Singhbhum Thrust Belt (STB). The orebodies are
mono-mineralic the uranium occurring as uraninite and the host
rock is chlorite quartz schist containing some magnetite. The
underlying schist is of similar composition but with increased
magnetite content. The ore-bearing chlorite quartz-schist is
overlain by a quartz chlorite schist. At their maximum extent the
orebodies have a strike length of about 2100 m and extend to a
vertical depth of 600 m.
There are 6 uranium-bearing beds/lodes which are:
1.
Main Band I
4.
HW Lode West of Fault
2.
Main Band II
5.
Khundungri I
3.
Band No. 3
6.
Khundungri II
The average dip of the orebody is 30-35 towards the north-east
and occurs as tabular lenticular horizons. The thickness of
orebodies varies from 2.5 m to 20 m.
It is located 12km west of Jaduguda which was commissioned in
1995. A 70o decline has been developed as entry to the mine in
the footwall side of the ore body through which large machineries
move underground. From the decline, ramps are developed as
entry to the stopes at different elevations. This has helped in
using large trackless mining machineries like twin-boom drill
jumbo, low-profile dump-truck, service truck, passenger carrier,
low profile grader, scissor-lift etc. The technology has brought
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early commissioning of the mine with high productivity and low

mining cost. It has also provided the flexibility to adopt different
stoping methods that become suitable due to the variations in
width and inclination of the ore lenses. Cut-and-fill is the
principal stoping method adopted in Narwapahar mine. The deslimed mill tailings of Jaduguda mill and the waste generated
from the Naroapahar mines are used as the filling material.
Hoisting of ore from deeper levels is done through a vertical shaft
sunk up to a depth of 355m.
Through the vertical shaft we entered the 6th level and via crosscuts to ramp which fore-laid the ore face where mining was
conducted, then we exited from there to the decline which
connected the 6th and 7th level.

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Semester VI |
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Mining Methodologies
PROPERTIES OF THE ROCK AND ORE BODY AT NARWAPAHAR
MINE:
Ore strength Moderate,
Rock strength - Weak (Schist),
Shape of the ore Disseminated (lens shaped), irregular
Dip of the ore-body 30-35 NE
Size of ore-body Narrow
Thickness - 2.5 m to 20 m
Ore Grade Low (in aspect of Global Grade Distribution)
In-Situ: 0.0047
Run off Mine(ROM): 0.040
Cut off : 0.04
Uniformity Variable
Depth of ore-body Moderate
Tonnage:
Total: 16.39 MT
Reservoir Loss: 3MT
Daily: 1500T
(As per data provided during mine-visit)

Based on this, Cut and Fill method whose details are given below,
is now practised at Naroapahar Mines

Cut And Fill Method:

Horizontal flat-back Cut and Fill mining method is applicable
under wide range of conditions from small to large deposits of
irregular outline, flat to steep dipping deposits. The cost of
preparation and development is much lower than other methods.
The production starts quickly requiring less manpower. The cost
of filling operation is high. The development work involves
preparation of a haulage drive along the orebody at the lower
main level and an undercut at 5-10 m above. There will be
number of separate raises for the purpose of man-ways, ore-pass
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and filling material. The stopes are 90 m long and divided into
three panels of 30 m each, separated by 5-m-thick rib pillars.
The producing panel is excavated by overhand drilling using
Jackhammer drills of 33 mm diameter and wagon-mounted COP89 drifters. Excessive damage of the roof is experienced by
vertical overhand drilling in case of weak rock conditions. The
pattern can be changed to 3-m long horizontal holes by air-legmounted Jackhammers in two rows on a 1.8-m-high vertical face.
The roof is pre-supported by 12-m-long cable bolts at 2*2 m grid,
repeated every 7-10 m lift. The blasting is done in horizontal
slices not exceeding 3 m in the roof leaving 5*5 m post pillars at
15 m centres along strike and 12 m across if the ground condition
dictates.
The mucking is carried out by 1.3 m3 electric Load Haul and
Dumps (LHDs) operating on consolidated fill. It loads and hauls
the broken ore up to the nearest ore- pass which opens at a trackfacilitated haulage drive. Diesel or battery-powered locomotive
pulls a train of 5-tonne granby cars. The locomotive carries the
ore up to the main ore-pass over an underground jaw crusher with
output of (-150) mm size. The primary crushed ore is hoisted to
surface in 6-tonne-skip driven by 697 KW koepe winders. The
stopes are thereafter filled with waste rock, sand and +32 micron
size classified mill tailings mixed with 5-15% cement. Cyclic
drilling, blasting, loading and filling in three panels of stopes
constitute the Cut and Fill mining operation.

Roof Support:
Roof support is needed for the giving additional strength which
protect most valued employees as well as equipments. A method
for providing secondary roof support in an underground mine such
as to reduce the hazard of localised crumbling or deteorating
condition of a mine roof and is used to improve the stability and
maintain the load bearing capacity of the rock near to the
boundaries of an underground excavation. The primary objective
of a support system is to mobilize and conserve the inherent
strength of the rock mass so that it becomes self-supporting.
The choice of the type of the support is installed in a particular
underground excavation depend upon the extent of the zone of the
loosened or fractured rock surrounding excavation.
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The following roof supports used in Narwapahar are-

ROCK BOLTING
Rock bolting in 1.5m*1.5m grid pattern is done in the mine
using bolts of diameter 16mm, length-2m. A pool out test is
carried out to test strength of the bolts. Since the amount of
loosening doesnt usually penetrate very far into the rock
mass, the support is only required to hold up the dead
weight of the loose material. Mechanically anchored rock
bolts with the addition of mesh were small pieces of rock a
likely to fall out between bolt heads, provide very effective
support for the condition. Rock bolts are inserted
perpendicular to the foliation.

WIRE MESH:
Wire mesh is used to support small pieces of loose rocks and
broken rocks from falling. It is easily attached with the roof
enforcement with extra faceplates and nuts. It is easily
repaired. Mesh is held in place with additional faceplates or
washers and nuts on rock-bolts or using separate pins.

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Banduhurang
Mine

Open

Cast

Banduhurang Open Cast Mine is the first open cast Uranium

Mine in India. Here mining operation is done by Uranium
Corporation of India Limited.

Location:
Uranium mineralisation is bounded between
Latitude 22 43' 15" to 22 43' 45"
Longitude 86 9' 45" to 86 11' 30"
Survey of India Topo-sheet No. 73 J / 2.
The deposit is situated 6 km. south of Tatanagar railway Station,
under Dhalbhum subdivison of E. Singhbhum Dist. Jharkhand.
Physiographically the region is marked with three prominent
ridges with E-W & NW-SW trend. They are Talsa Pahar, Nandup
& Banduhurang.

Regional geology:Banduhurang mine is located at Singhbhum thrust belt which is

well known for poly-metallic mineralisation mainly copper
uranium mineralisation. At Banduhurang, mineralisation is mostly
confined within chlorite schist. The quartzite/ sericite band
overlying the Cu - U mineralisation over the whole stretch of STB
from Rakha- Jaduguda in the east to Mohuldih on the west
considered
as
a
marker
horizon
for
locating
uranium
mineralisation. The quartz-sericite schist is overlain by Mica
schist. A thin band of Talcose- sericite schist has been reported
below the mineralized chlorite schist which is marked by end of
mineralization (barrier of radioactive mineral). The bottom most
rocks
like
conglomerates,
quartzites
with
metabasics
are
represented by Dhanjori group of formation. Basement Singhbhum
granite are exposed at south (Rajdoha village).

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Stratigraphic Succession (by AMD):

Soda granite
Mica schist
Quartzite /sericite schist
Meta greywacke (quartz granular rock) chlorite schist
Talcose sericite schist
Banded quarzite with /without magnetite
Conglomerate & metabasics.
Singhbhum granite.

Local Geology

At Banduhurang uranium mineralisation is found at the horizon

of chlorite schist horizon is bounded by arkosic rocks on south
and northern boundary is not so well defined due to soil cover.
At the upper band of chlorite schist small bands & patches of
feldspathic schist and silicified schist/quartzite are present
discontinuous.

Structures
The cross folds affect Turamdih and the neighbouring area with a
trend of WNW to ESE having asymmetrical fold limb. Steeper
limbs dip 70 to vertical & other dip from 10 to 45, both limbs
dip northwards. Plunge of the folds is to the east. The transverse
thrust fault at the eastern side causing dislocation and up throw
the continuity of mineralisation further east wards.

Joints: Three sets of joints

1. 47 towards N
2. 65 towards N
3. 81 towards N

are:
28
118
297

Mineralogy of ores:
Common

radioactive

mineral

is

Uraninite,

occurs

as

discrete

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grains in three different modes: i. As inclusion in single flakes of chlorite.

ii. In the folia of phyllosilicates &
iii.
As large grains
Ore Shape: Rounded, Oval, & irregular outlines. Mostly associated
with chlorite and less with quartz.
Other radioactive minerals: goethite, epidote.
Accessory minerals: - Sulphides (Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Bornite),
Oxides (Magnetite, Limonite), Silicates (Epidote, Tourmaline),
Titanium rich mineral (Ilmenite, Rutile, Sphene, Anatase) etc.
On the basis of lithology it is difficult to demarcate the Uranium
horizon from non-uranium bearing rocks except that the uranium
mineralisation is always bottomed by talc - sericite schist.
[Compiled from the report given at Banduhurang mine]

Mining methodology
The mining at Banduhurang is conventional opencast mine using
excavator-dumper combination. Careful selection of HEMM was
required to maintain ore benches of 6m height, OB/waste benches
of 6m/12m height while maintaining ROM quality as well as
stripping requirements. A code of practice was formulated for
control of ROM quality for this low grade deposit. All important
areas will be connected by intranet system for proper planning
and control.

Cut off
Geological cut off was kept at a value where it was observed that
with marginal increase in cut-off grade, the average grade
increases minimally while the geological reserve reduces sharply.
The cut-off grade value was further confirmed during pit
optimisation studies, where the economic pit shell remained
almost the same with increase in cut off over a range.

Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata | Field Report UG-III,

Semester VI |
[page 21 of24]

Dilution during mining

From the 3D block model it was observed that ore zone is
enveloped by sub-grade zone (little less than the cut-off grade)
which is further enveloped by a zone having still low uranium
values. The average grade of sub-grade zone was estimated and it
was envisaged as the contributory factor for diluting the runoffmine ore during actual mining operation. This dilution factor was
introduced in the block model before pit optimisation.

Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata | Field Report UG-III,

Semester VI |
[page 22 of24]

Conclusion
Suggestions
prospecting

for

future

A stage in the uranium mineralisation of the Singhbhum Thrust

Belt has been reached when practically all the exposed areas have
been carefully scanned or surveyed in detail for deposits of
uranium, but the number of economic deposits so far located is
limited. There are, however, vast areas covered with soil or
alluvium, especially around the principal streams or are under a
thick mantle of gravel or talus and under thick jungle cover which
hold out possibilities of occurrence of workable deposits of the
presently known or better grade. Such areas are:
(i)
Between Baharagora and Singpura.
(ii) Between Gohala and Badia Mine (particularly around
Sankh Nala).
(iii) East of Bhatin and north of Jaduguda.
(iv) In Rajdah region
(v) Around the Kharkai river, east of Tamadungri.
(vi) Under the alluvium of the Sanjai River between Mahali
Murup and Nilmohanpur.
(vii) Intermittently between Mahali Murup and Duaraparam
and Mahali Murup and Lotapahar.
Being the students of Geology, this field party may suggest that
owing to absence of exposures of rocks the conventional geological
methods are of no avail in these areas. In such areas, for locating
new deposits, extensions of known deposits and location of
possible areas need further detailed attention.
Valuable
suggestions can be provided by geochemical surveys based on
analysis of soil samples and hydro-geochemical and geo-botanical
techniques. This may be followed by geophysical surveys based on
magnetometric and resistivity surveys, the latter to assist in

Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata | Field Report UG-III,

Semester VI |
[page 23 of24]

deciphering the structure, or by the magnetic method where the

uranium
mineralization
is
associated
with
rocks
having
appreciable magnetite content.

Inferences & Summary

It may be stated that although the uranium deposits discovered
so far in Singhbhum, which are in varying stages of exploration
are adequate to meet our present requirement of uranium, they
are of a lower grade in comparison to those being exploited in
other parts of the world. Hence, for our long-range requirement,
location of additional and better grade deposits is absolutely
necessary. This requires all-round stepping up of the integrated
effort of various branches of earth science and technology with
special emphasis on close field and laboratory study of controls of
uranium mineralization and application of geochemical and
geophysical techniques of prospecting to locate hidden deposits.
Singhbhum is so far the most important and richest uraniferous
province in India just after Assam and it is hoped that it will
continue to play a dominant and key role in the development of
nuclear power programme and others needs of atomic energy in
India.

Acknowledgement
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to some people
without whom the trip would have not been possible. Prof. Joydip
Mukhopadhyay, Head of the Department, who allowed us to carry
out the field work in Narwapahar. We are also thankful to all the
Officials and Staff of the Uranium Corporation of India Limited
and the Government of Jharkhand for permitting us to carry out
our fieldwork . Lastly all our classmates for the immense
competitive cooperation and friendly coordination.

Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata | Field Report UG-III,

Semester VI |
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