Mineral Resources

The NER is quite rich in respect of its deposit of mineral resources. Available mineral resources in this region
include coal, petroleum crude, natural gas, lime stone, siliminite, dolomite, uranium, china clay, kaolin, fuller's
earth, feldspar etc. Though a huge quantity of coal is available in the NER, the coal has high sulphur content
and hence is not fit for use in power generation. Among the various states of this region, the maximum amount
of coal is produced in Assam and Meghalaya. Besides the substantial reserves of oil and natural gas in Assam,
small reserves of petroleum crude is also available in the Changleng district of Arunachal Pradesh and in
Baramura area in Tripura. Total current reserve of crude oil in the proven oil fields of NER is estimated at 158
million tones.
NER is well blessed by nature in respect of natural gas too. Natural gas is available in Assam and Tripura. Total
reserve of natural gas in the entire region is estimated at about 23000 million cubic meter. In spite of having a
huge quantity of natural gas, the NER could utilize only a very insignificant portion of the same leading to
flaring up of huge quantity of natural gas regularly. Digboi Refinery of IOC (AOD) has been using natural gas
for over four decades for firing of boilers and later for generation of electric power. Assam Gas Company Ltd.
is also supplying natural gas through its pipeline to various tea gardens of Assam for use in tea processing,
Numrup Thermal Power Station for power generation, to Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corpn. Ltd. for
production of fertilizer, Assam Petrochemicals Ltd, Numrup for production of methanol and to NRL for
refining of crude. Gas so produced by ONGCL at Baskandi and Adamitila in Barak Valley is utilized for
generating power by private generation Co. (DLF Power Ltd.) and in the tea gardens. Abundant quantity of
non-associated natural gas is also available in Tripura. Of this only a small portion, about 25% is utilized for
generation of electricity. ONGCL has a proposal to install a gas turbine power plant of 35 MW installed
capacity at Rokhia (Tripura).
In NER, adequate quantity of limestone is available on the basis of which a few cement factories have come up
in the region. Sikkim Mining Corporation has been extracting Copper, Zinc and Lead concentrates in minor
quantities.
Mineral Resources of Different States of N.E. Region:

States Minerals Key Points

The state has a substantial deposit of Minerals, which includes

Arunachal Coal, Limestone,
petroleum (Crude) coal, dolomite and limestone. The production of
Pradesh Petroleum, Dolomite
petroleum is 44,000 MT (approx).

Assam has a host of mineral deposit among which coal, oil and
natural gas have only been commercially exploited. The coal reserve
Coal, Limestone,
is estimated at 371 million tons and the production rate of crude oil is
Petroleum, Granite,
estimated 4.80 mm tons per annum. Assam has potential to tap natural
Assam Silimanite, Iron ore,
gas @ 5.93% million cubic meters per day. Assam is therefore rich in
Quartzite, Feldsper,
energy. Of the 463 million tons of reserve of limestone, over 400
Clay, Natural Gas, Oil
million tons are located in Umrangshu which therefore has almost all
the cement plants of the region.

The state accounts for very little extractable mineral. Although reserve
of copper, coal, iron, nickel, as well as petroleum oil / natural gas are
Manipur Chromite, limestone reported, no estimation or prospecting has been actually undertaken,
There are however deposits of semi-precious stones like Lapis Lazoli,
Serpentine rocks and Jades, which are being extracted.

Meghalaya Coal, Limestone, The state has a vast deposit of coal at a estimated reserve of 564
 Granite, Sillimanite, million tons. Although the reserve for limestone is 4147 million tons
Iron ore, Quartzite, but the currently extractable reserve of limestone is 0.24 - 0.30 million
Felsper, Clay tones. Meghalaya is also known to have reserves of uranium.

The mineral resources of the are not fully explored. Some deposits of
Coal, Limestone, Oil, petroleum oil and natural gas are forecasted but no exploration has
Mizoram
Natural Gas been conducted. The forecasting is based primarily on the gas reserve
of Tripura and Cachar.

Coal, Limestone, Although oil and natural gas has been under production for a while
Nagaland Petroleum, Slate, but all mining activities have been suspended due to political reasons.
Marble No record of any state earning for past five years.

Zinc, Lead, Copper,

The state has good resource of all the minerals, Commercial
Dolomite, Coal,
Sikkim exploitation of some of these minerals have been made by the Sikkim
Quartzite, Graphics,
Mining Corporation.
Talc

Kaolin, Iron Ore, Tripura has substantial reserves of natural gas. According to ONGC's
Tripura Limestone, Coal, exploration results, the region has a production potential of 3.5 million
Natural Gas cubic meter of gas per day.

Source: Statistical Handbook of different States

Production of minerals in NER during-2005-06: Value - Rs. '000

All Fuels
Lime
mineral Petroleu
Coal Natural gas stone
s m crude
State Quantity
Quantit Quantit Quantit
Total y y In million y
Value Value Value cubic Value Value
value (th.tonn (th.tonne (th.tonne
metres (Gas )
e) )
Utilised).

Arunachal
575233 573710 - - 103 573710 - - - -
Pradesh

308888 308198 179888 249925

Assam 1100 4487 2238 4028400 406 62550
08 76 6 90

Manipur 2866 - - - - - - - -

860905 846916 846916

Meghalaya 5781 - - - - 550 97014
9 5 5

Mizoram 755 - - - - - - - - -

Nagaland 1774 - - - - - - - - -

Sikkim 4038 - - - - - - - - -
Tripura 866421 864000 - - - - - - - -

Source: Indian
Bureau of Mines,
Ministry of
Mines

Mineral Production in NER-During 2002-03: Quantity - in the tonnes

Value - in the tonnes

Total Total Non-

Total Fuels Mettalic Mettalic Total of All
State Minerals Minerals Minerals
Value
Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value

Arunachal
75 413980 - - - - 415503
Pradesh

Assam 7189 30193865 - - 555 122821 30323068

Manipur - - - - - - 2432

Meghalaya 4406 2753750 - - 239 53103 2820596

Mizoram - - - - - - 922

Nagaland - - - - - - 755

Sikkim - - NA 5852 - - 5852

Tripura 446 802800 - - - - 818497

Source: Basic Statistics of NER 2006

State-wise Consumption of Salt in NER: (In ' 000 MT)

States 2002 2003 2004

Arunachal Pradesh 6.9 2.6 7.0

Assam 243.1 232.7 273.4

Manipur 2.3 4.7 2.3

Mizoram 0.9 4.6 4.6

Meghalaya 8.5 7.0 4.7

Nagaland 9.2 11.4 9.1

Sikkim 3.0 2.6 6.9

Tripura 14.3 33.0 21.1

Source: indiastate.com