CHENNAI: Fuelled by the discovery of traces of Chromite, a mineral that acts as a host for the valuable Platinum Group of Elements (PGE), in Namakkal district, the Geographical Survey of India (GSI) has decided to carry on with its exploration at the site, hoping to stumble upon a platinum mine.Geologists have been exploring the site, along a 17-km belt surrounding Sithampoondi village in the district, since 2006.They said they have found that the grade of the PGEs traced in the chromite samples range from 1 to 16 grams per tonne (or 1 to 16 parts per million).The PGEs were found during tests conducted on samples of chromite rocks from a four-km area in the region. Exploration is still in the preliminary stages, and the GSI has decided to work on a long-time mission.According to S C Rath, GSI Deputy Director General (Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry), a grade of 2ppm is considered ‘viable’ for the PGEs. However, the size of the deposits would also play a large role in deciding whether mining would be taken up in the area.“Of course, we are only in the preliminary stage of investigations to estimate the average grade and size of the field. It might take up to 15 years before we have sufficient data for a decision of any sort,” Rath told Express.However, Rath advised cautious optimism over prospects of a platinum mine here, adding that it would not be right to hastily jump to any conclusions.Pointing out that the Geographical Survey of India started its preliminary testing in Namakkal and Mettupalayam in 2006, Rath informed that a similar process was completed in the Baula - Nausahi region of Orissa in 1984, but mining was yet to commence there.“The preliminary studies are still on. It is a scientific process, of which we are in the middle, in Sithampoondi. This is expected to come to a close around April 2013. If the overall findings are encouraging, we will then decide whether to go in for detailed investigations,” said Rath.According to him, the Sithampoondi belt was the subject of speculation and uncertainty ever since the Geographical Survey of India signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited (TAMIN), the mining and trading arm of the government to carry out exploration.what are they looking for and why? GSI’s studies at two belts - near Sithampoondi in Namakkal and Mettupalayam in Coimbatore - are aimed at gauging the presence, if any, of the Platinum Group of Elements (PGEs). This group of metals comprises Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, Osmium and Ruthenium. Found in extremely small quantities worldwide, these metals are put to crucial use in electronics, automobiles, catalysis, solar energy conversion, medical equipment and forensics, apart from their wide known use in jewellery. Apart from PGEs, the current study by the GSI could also lead to the discovery of large nickel deposits. According to experts, at present, India is dependent on imports to meet its demand for all of these elements. Any field that has commercially viable quantities could be of great strategic importance, they added.
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