Inland Stream Placers

Abstract

A synthesis of data reveals that resource-base for yttrium was identified during 1970s in Chhottanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex (CGGC) terrain in Siri river and its tributary in Kunkuri area, central India. Consequent to demand for Y-rich mineral concentrates by IREL (India) Limited during 1980s, not only flow sheet was developed and a recovery plant was set up near Kunkuri to win xenotime-rich concentrates, but simultaneously also exploration efforts were intensified to augment resource base already known then. This effort led to discovery of several xenotime-bearing riverine placers along the courses of several streams draining through CGGC terrains mainly in parts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Streams draining Godhra granitic rock terrain in western India offers scope for exploration inputs for xenotime-bearing riverine placers in Gujarat and adjoining areas. Although in Bastar craton REE resources are identified, they are of low grade and localized nature along certain low order streams draining through Darba-Paliam granitic rocks in Bastar and adjoining Koraput. Localized, but encouraging HREE bearing soils/placer are present in ephemeral streams of low orders in the vicinity of younger potassic granites in parts of Telangana State. Alkali granites and associated soils offer opportunity for exploration for REE resources, particularly for HREE in south India. Locally high concentrations of REE in quartz veins in Mincheri, Raichur district, Karnataka opens a new geological domain for REE exploration. It is apparent that bulk of the HREE resources are restricted to stream placers along the courses/banks of selected streams draining through granitic terrain mainly in parts of Eastern and Central, with some in Western and Southern India.