Carbonate-hosted U-deposit in the Tummalapalle Area, Andhra Pradesh, India: A Potential Source to Generate Critical Minerals of REs, V, Mo, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag and Phosphate as Value-added Byproducts

Abstract

Abstract The unique, large-tonnage (amongst the Indian U-deposits; hitherto ~ 0.222 million tonnes, constituting 59% of the Indian U-resources) but very low-grade (~ 0.045% U3O8) sedimentary, impure carbonate (dolostone)-hosted U-deposit, established by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), occurs at Tummalapalle (TMP) and its contiguous areas over a ~ 160-km long belt in the Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. Since 2012, the TMP U-deposit has been under commercial utilization by the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL) focussing for recovery of U with underground mining and nearby processing plant. Petro-/minera-graphic and geochemical characterisation of the U-ore shows major impurities of phosphate and silicate minerals, besides accessory ore minerals, mainly of U and sulphides. From this ore, it may be possible to generate some of the most sought-after critical minerals (CMs), namely the rare earths (REs), V, Mo, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, and phosphate as value-added by-products from its U-phases, sulphides and collophane. For this, it is proposed to undertake an integrated, comprehensive R&D project on the ore for (i) extraction, processing, and marketing of the above CMs, which will lead to a low-cost and more profitable recovery of its low-grade U, (ii) providing a cheap, natural phosphate for agriculture, (iii) treating dreaded fluorosis by carbonate-powder, and (iv) reducing the mining-/processing-waste and tailings, all of which together address the environment, society, and governance (ESG) in the study area.