ABSTRACT
The Nizampur iron ore deposit occurs in the Mesozoic shelf carbonate sequence of Kala Chitta Range and include rock transitional between meta-sediments of Lesser Himalayas to the north and fore-land basin to the south. Although the ore is low in grade (29 wt % Fe) but it can be enriched up to 60 % right at the mining site by gravity settling techniques, as gangue minerals associated with the hematite ore are much lower in densities. The ore also contains 580 ppm average vanadium, which is well above the value of average crustal abundance (135 ppm) and can be extracted as byproduct. Initial reserve estimation and evaluation studies made so far indicate that the deposit may yield about 100 million ton of iron ore. The ore petrographic studies indicate existence of four types of ironstones, which include hematite-quartz, arenite, quartz-hematite arenite, hematitic sub-lith arenite and hematitic lithic arenite. Field and ore textural studies suggest that the ore is secondary in nature and is inferred to be first deposited in an oxic environment with positive Eh and moderate pH conditions (possibly at Permo-Triassic boundary). The ore is later eroded, transported and re-deposited in terrestrial proximal alluvial fan and middle alluvial fan environment at the present horizon.
KEYWORDS: Mineralogy, Nizampur, iron ore, Pakistan.