Bhubaneswar: To expedite and facilitate the mineral exploration program, Steel & Mines Prafulla Kumar Mallik on Monday inaugurated XRD & XRF Laboratory in the Directorate of Geology.
For the very first time this type laboratory is procured by the Government of Odisha. The XRD & XRF Laboratory will step up the analytical aspect of rocks and minerals which in turn will accelerate auction process, an official said.
The XRD (X-Ray diffraction) machine will precisely identify the mineral phase whereas XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) is for elemental analysis of rocks / ores instantly. Both the instruments cost around Rs 5 crore, he said.
The official further informed that the mineral exploration programme is surely going to get a boost with the commissioning of these instruments.
The grade determination will be more accurate and analytical time frame will be much less which in turn will lead to enhance overall royalty gain of the State. This Laboratory will not only cater to the need of the Directorate but will be of immense help for research students and all mining agencies operating in the State, he added.
The Directorate of Geology comes under the administrative control of the Department of Steel & Mines, which acts as the nodal agency for the exploration and assessment of mineral resources in the State.
Odisha is bestowed with a good number of mineral deposits like Chromite, Bauxite, Graphite, Iron ore, Manganese, Coal, Gemstones, Limestone, Chinaclay and many more.
Due to the relentless efforts of the officers of the Directorate of Geology, Odisha is reckoned as the most prolific mineral producing state in the country.
Now, the exploration work is in auction mode and the prime responsibility of the Directorate of Geology is to identify and assess the minerals blocks for auction, sources said.
Among others, Principal Secretary DK Singh, Director of Mines, Debidutta Biswal, Managing Director of OMC, Balwant Singh, Director of Geology MR Panda and other senior officers of Directorate present on this occasion
