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Mangampet Barytes
Mangampet Barytes in Andhra Pradesh is famous for India’s largest barite deposit. With about 75 million tons of deposit is considered one of the world’s largest deposits. The bedded Barytes of Mangampet accounts for 98% of known Indian reserves and 25% of known world reserves. The Barite deposit consists upper carbonaceous tuff zone of the Pullampet formation of the middle Proterozoic Cuddapah Supergroup.
GEOLOGY (CUDDAPAH SUPER GROUP)
The Mangampet barytes deposit occurs in the form of two lentoid bodies within the tuff of Pullampet Formation, Nallamalai Group of the Cuddapah Super Group. The lens occurring near Mangampet village is termed as Northern lens, and the other at 700m south of it is termed as the Southern (smaller) Lens.
Bedded Mangampet Barytes is confined to the Northern lens of the Mangampet barites deposit. The Mining Lease area forms a part of the Northern Lens (measuring 1220 m in the north-south direction and 900m in the east-west direction) of the Mangampet Barites Deposit. It is the single largest and unique bedded Barytes deposit of its kind in the world.
Carbonaceous tuff is the prominent rock Formation with an interband of crystal tuff, dolomite, and dolomite tuff. The rock types associated with the Barites occurrence are well exposed in the area.
A total of 67 diamond core Boreholes with a total of 8200.89 m were drilled by the Geological Survey of India. The data of the boreholes indicated a mineralized zone of 1220m (strike length) with a maximum width of 900m for the northern lens. The deposit has an aerial extent of about 0.81sq.km with an average barite ore thickness of about 22.16m.
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Location
Bedded Barytes Project of M/s. Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) Limited is in Mangampeta & Govindampalli Villages, Obulavaripalli Mandal, YSR Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh. The project area is approachable from State Highway SH –31 connecting Tirupathi and Kadapapassing more than 400 m east of the lease area.
The District Headquarters, Kadapa, is about 80 km away from the project, and Tirupathi is about 69 km from the site. The nearest railway station, Koduru, is about 9.0 km away from the project. The nearest Airport is Tirupathi, which is 69 km away from the mine.
Read- Geotourism And Modern Geotechniques
Operation And Area
Mangampet Barytes mining lease is operated by Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) Limited. The total project area of 377.63 Ha, and the barite ore mine capacity is 5.0 MTPA.
What is Baryte
Baryte is a barium sulfate (BaSO4) mineral. It receives its name from the Greek word “barys” which means “heavy.” This name is in response to the baryte’s high specific gravity of 4.5, which is exceptional for a nonmetallic mineral. The high specific gravity of barite makes it suitable for a wide range of industrial, medical, and manufacturing uses. Barite also serves as the principal ore of barium. Baryte is used mostly in the Oil-well drilling industry as drilling mud. Small quantities are used in the manufacture of Barium chemicals.
Geological Monument
Volcanogenic bedded Barytes of Mangampet in Obulavaripalle have been declared the National Geological Monuments of India by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), for their protection, maintenance, promotion, and enhancement of Geotourism. The Site has a tremendous opportunity for Geotourism in view of the Largest bedded baryte deposit and the formation of the Cuddapah supergroup in India.
