Multi-mineral potential of littoral placers of Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra, West coast of India

The present paper investigates the mineralogy of fluvial and coastal sediments, with special attention to the heavy mineral placers between Vijaydurg and Redi Point along the 105 km stretch of the coastal area of Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra India. We present the distribution, depositional environment, mineralogy, geochemistry, replenishment and reserve potential of the heavy minerals. The heavy minerals (up to 98 wt%, avg 27 wt%) identified are opaque (ilmenite, magnetite, chromite), pyroxenes, amphiboles, rutile, tourmaline, kyanite, staurolite, zircon, garnet, epidote, sillimanite and olivine, while quartz and feldspar form the light fractions. It is observed that the concentration of heavy minerals is more in the supratidal zone as compared to intertidal zone. The provenances for the minerals are igneous, metamorphic rocks and recycled sediments of Pre-Cambrian Age along with Deccan Trap basalts. Twelve sites were identified in which the inferred reserves of heavy minerals, ilmenite, magnetite and chromite were estimated on a conservative basis. In Area 1 (7 sites), the heavy minerals are 2.33 million tonnes (MT), ilmenite 0.55 MT, magnetite 0.98 MT and chromite 0.032 MT. In Area 2 (5 sites), the inferred reserves of heavy minerals are 0.031 MT, ilmenite 0.008 MT and magnetite 0.004 MT. In the future, these resources could be further explored and thus be useful to the mining industries.