Faiza Tehseen

Systematic exploration and processing of gold and other minerals is direly needed in the Northern Areas (NAs) of Pakistan. Attention is also required to recover gold and other precious and semi-precious minerals and metals from placer deposits. This is necessary for a sustainable livelihood for the local communities and stake holders related to the mining sector, Principal Geologist at Islamabad-based Global Mining Company Muhammad Yaqub Shah told WealthPK.

He said, “More than a decade ago, with the financial and technical coordination of the Australian government, Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation (PMDC) conducted a brief exploratory survey in the Northern Areas to explore gold and other precious and semi-precious minerals and metals. Out of a total of 72,971 square kilometres, an area of 50,000 square kilometres was surveyed. The remaining 22,971 square kilometre area could not be surveyed because it is covered with snow round the year”.

According to the results, more than 50 percent of the area was rich in gold, platinum, copper, silver, lead, zinc, cobalt, nickel, and a lot of other associated minerals and metals. As placer deposits, these minerals and metals are continuously dumping in the Indus River bed after erosion or landslides. Yaqub said, “The price of gold and the other minerals and metals can be worth trillions of dollars. But to announce the exact figure, another survey is needed, as the discussed one was conducted only to report the presence of both precious and semi-precious minerals. The deposits were not quantified in that report, so it is difficult to figure out the real worth”.

To benefit from all the said prospects, it is necessary for the government to frame a proper policy with the help of expert geologists. Yaqub said he had submitted a detailed report in this regard to the government in which the whole extraction plan was also included. Expert opinion is crucial to extract the said minerals and metals in a scientific and systematic way. He said gold had been being extracted from the Indus for centuries. Many dams have been built on the river. For example, Tarbela Dam, spanning an area of about 260 kilometres, was built on the Indus around 48 years ago. The sediments deposited in the dam bed are expected to be 10 billion metric tons and annually 20 million tons add to it.

It is estimated that the gold quantity in this silt is about 1.5 grams per ton. In this way, from 10 billion tons of silt, at least 15 billion grams or 12,000 tons of gold can be extracted. Many precious and semi-precious minerals and metals are other than gold in this silt. “To extract gold from the water bodies, dredging units are used globally. More than one dredging unit can be placed at a time. Per month, nearly 216 kilograms of gold can be recovered through a unit. The recovery of gold, including other precious metals from the dam and in-kind water bodies, will also help clear the bed of extra sediments,” he said. It is high time for the relevant departments and policy makers to seriously plan the extraction of gold and other minerals and metals from the placer and other deposits to strengthen economy and the mineral sector, added Yaqub.

Discussing with WealthPK the importance of systematic exploration and processing of gold and other minerals and metals from the ore and placer deposits, gemmologist and miner Zakir Ullah alias Jhulay Lal said, “To boost the economy of local communities, to strengthen the mineral sector, and to benefit the related stake holders, extraction of gold from ore and placer deposits is necessary”. He said Pakistan could get help tackle its financial crisis through this way. Local people mostly extract gold or other minerals through panning. If they are guided about the use of smart equipment through different workshops, the government will also be able to generate a handsome revenue.

Credit: INP-WealthPk