Market Survey on Copper - Indian Bureau of Mines

mineralisation. Copper ore is found in stringers and streaks as breccia filling
and thin veins. The copper ores are predominantly sulphide ores. Chalcopyrite
and pyrite are the principle ores occurring in this deposit. Chalcopyrite
accounts for about 70-80% of the total copper ores by volume. Other sulphide
ores reported in this deposit are pentlandite, molybdenite, marcasite, arsenopyrite,
etc. Plate-3.I.
ii) Khetri Copper Belt
The Khetri Copper Belt extends over a length of 80 km from Singhana
to Raghunathgarh in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. The host rock for copper
mineralisation in this area comprises metamorphites of sedimentary origin, such
as phyllites, quartzites schists, etc. Intrusions of granite, pegmatites and quartz
veins are reported in this country rocks. The economic deposits of copper occur
at Madhan – Kudan, Kolihan and Chandmari. The copper minerals found in
this belt are sulphides predominantly pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pyrite.
Cubanite is also reported at places. Plate-3.II.
iii) Malanjkhand Copper Belt
This deposit is situated on Malanjkhand hill which is raised above the
surrounding terrain which forms a part of Baihar plateau in Balaghat
district, Madhya Pradesh. There are six peaks with intervening saddles and
form an arcute chain of about 2.6 km length. The rocks occurring in this area
are classified into broad categories, the older granite rocks and younger
sedimentary rocks of Chilpi Ghat series. The bulk of mineralisation is reported
to have been confined to the quartz veins and reefs. The younger sedimentary
rocks are lying uncomfortably over the granitic rocks. The older granitic rocks
are covered by soil with outcrops exposed being traversed by quartz reefs, veins
and veinlets and are highly sheared, fractured and brecciated. Bulk of the
sulphide mineralisation is present in this zone as fracture filling in these quartz
reefs and veins. Small amounts of copper also occur as disseminations in the
quartz bands in granitic rocks. Plate-3.III.
The major copper minerals occurring in this deposit are sulphides
namely chalcopyrite, pyrite, covellite, bornite and chalcocite. The oxide ore
occurring in this deposit is cuprite. Native copper and hydroxide ores such as
malachite and azurite are also occasionally reported.
iv) Agnigundla Copper Belt
This deposit is located in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. It is
situated near Vinukonda in the north-east corner of Cuddappah basin. A part of
this deposit is also extended in Prakasam district. Bandalmottu and Dhukonda
deposits in Guntur district and Nallakonda in Prakasam district are well known.
The host rock in this deposit is coarse grained calcareous quartzite and dolomite
of cuddappah super-group. This deposit is divided into 3 blocks, namely:
Bandalmottu lead-copper deposit, Nallakonda copper deposit and Dhukonda
copper-lead deposit. The copper mineralisation is confined to quartzite which
is mainly in the form of disseminations. The deposits were originally
syngenetic but subsequently remobilised and localised in favourable structural
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