Hafiz Jawad Sohail

Geologist

LIMESTONE PRODUCTION OF PAKISTAN

Limestone

Lime stone is a sedimentary rock made up of more than 50 % of the mineral CaCO3. Limestone

is a general term used for the rocks containing 90% or more than 90% combined carbonates.

Limestone may be biogenic, detrital or chemically precipitated. It is dense to coarsely crystalline,

bedded to massive and found nearly in all colors. Limestone deposits may be cross bedded,

stylolitic, oolitic and with or without fossils.

There are many economical deposits of limestone and dolomite in Punjab Province,

SALT RANGE DEPOSITS

Between Kagha and Daud Khel

(32o 31’ N ; 72

o 21’ E)

Nammal Gorge, Mianwali District.

Jogi Tilla Ridge near Beth Kas

(32o52’ N ; 73

o27’ E)

Near Area (32o45’ N ; 73

o13’ E)

Bagh Deposit

Chhoi-Chak Jabbi Deposits (Attock)

Zaluch Nala about 9 kms east of Paikhel Railway Station.

TRANS INDUS DEPOSITS

Mitha Khattak Limestone Deposits

(32o48’ N ; 31

o10’ E).

Barbara Deposits

Doya Lunda Deposits

Narmia - Punnu Deposits

AVERAGE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF LIMESTONE IN PUNJAB

Limestone and Laterite band of Margalla Hills

Constituent Elements Percentage (Range)

MgO 0.5 % - 1.20 %

CaO 49.61% – 54.0 %

SiO2 2.75 % – 5.06 %

Al2O3 + Fe2O3 1.30 % – 2.50 %

S 0.1 %- 0.2 %

Limestone Production data of Punjab

Mineral 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Lime Stone 188028 181372 190500 193594 190914

(Hundred Metric Tons)

Limestone Production by District, the Punjab: 2013-14

Mineral Total Attock Chakwal Jhelum Rawalpindi D.G. Khan Khushab Mianwali

Limestone 190914 34464 74316 4980 7211 22392 14866 32685

(Hundred Metric Tons)

KPK Deposits:

D.I. Khan, Nowshera, Abbottabad, Mardan, Malkand, Charsadda, Kohat, Haripur, Lakki

Marwat, Karak

Limestone of Khisor Range near D. I. Khan, Pakistan

DISTRICT WISE LIMESTONE PRODUCTION IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

(In Tonnes)

Mineral Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Abbottabad

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Lime Stone 11245670 11497110 11478018 253,959 261324 245712

Charsadda D.I.Khan

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

7,971 20157 19264 505,976 2196072 2194761

Haripur Karak

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

2,160,987 2042041 2058787 8,941 0 3312

Kohat Lakki

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

1,923,152 1693419 2088954 3,412,491 2281763 2078705

Lower Dir Malakand

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

520 317 2272 0 550 897

Mansehra Mardan

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

150 110 30 273,396 324490 248834

Swabi Swat

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

94,769 92827 62444 6,827 2874 5764

Nowshera

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

2,596,531 2581166 2468282

Baluchistan Deposits:

Baluchistan has vast resources of limestone extending from the coastel region near Karachi to as far

north as the Chagai and Zhob. In most places the limestone is exposed near the railway tracks or

road, making its utilization easy. These rocks generally contain over 80% calcium carbonate, less

than 5% silica and less than 1% iron oxide making them suitable raw material for the manufacture of

cement. However, the existing cement factories utilize only a fraction of the vast resource available

in the country.

Reserves of limestone have prospects for economic development and exploitation in balochistan. Total

requirement of cement and construction industries can be met locally.

Quetta, Chagai ,Mastung, Khuzdar, Lasbela

Limestone of Sulaiman Ranges, Pakistan

Limestone deposits on Zhob - D. I. Khan Highway

DISTRICT-WISE LIMESTONE PRODUCTION IN BALOCHISTAN DURING 2013-14

Mineal Quetta Chagai Lasbela Total Production

Limestone 3210 6868 1697154 1114356

(Production in Tones)

Sindh Deposits:

Lakhra Formation

Deposits are present in Sonda and Chillia areas.

Sonda and Chillia areas of Thatta are at a distance of about 5km west of Liaquat Medical

University in Jamshoro.

Kirthar Formation

The deposits are found in Bado Jabal, Bhago Thoro, Thano Ahmed Khan and Tikku Baran areas.

It weathers grayish white and at the fresh surface it is cream to creamy white and in places it

becomes white. Some beds are highly fossiliferous, which gives the stone a very attractive

appearance, hence this form is known as coral marble.

The limestone is in light milky white and offwhite colors, at fresh surface. It is highly

fossiliferous and is commonly crystallized. The reserves seem to be of reasonable size. The

mining of large size blocks (of 10-15 ton) is occasionally carried out from the top of the Bado

jabal. The ongoing exploration project is focusing upon finding more reserves of this important

dimension stone.

Nari Formation

Nari Formation Limestone has a unique homogeneous color, giving it a cool and sophisticated

appearance.It occurs at a few miles from the Sari Singh town in Jamshoro district and west of

Jungshahi

Gaj Formation

The deposits are present in Mattar area, near Sari Singh.

This limestone has a very attractive pinkish color, which makes it popular.

Kirthar (coral) limestone

The deposits are largely found near Sehwan Bado and Bhago Thoro Jabal areas.

Bado Jabal is about 21km to the South of Manchar Lake, Jamshoro district. Bhago Thoro is

about 5km to the south of Sehwan town, Jamshoro district.

Indus River and Lal Bagh are famous here. The limestone is in light milky white and offwhite

colors, at fresh surface. It is highly fossiliferous and is commonly crystallized.

Sari singh deposits

The yellow colored limestone and light pink colored Nari formation deposits occur in Mattar,

Gidari, Purkani, and Mol areas. The stones from this area are being used locally and also are

supplied to markets in Karachi and Hyderabad.

LIMESTONE PRODUCTION IN SINDH DURING 2007 TO 2012

Mineral 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Limestone 4,513,640 6,142,547 6, 603,277 6375438 6,492,329 4,772,049

(In ‘000’ Kgs)

LIMESTONE PRODUCTION DATA 2014-15 (Up to Dec, 14) (unit MT)

Source: i. Provincial Directorates of Mines & Minerals Punjab,

Sindh, KPK, Balochistan & FATA.

ii. Directorate General of Petroleum concessions/O Petroleum &

Natural Resources Islamabad

Geologically:

Wargal Limestone:

Wargal Village, Central Salt Range, Khisor and Marwat Ranges

Chak Jabbi Limestone:

Bagh and Chak Jabbi Anticline in Kala Chitta Ranges

Parh Limestone:

Axial Belt and Lower Indus Basin

Kawagarh Formation:

Southern Hazara (Abbottabad)

Lockhart Limestone:

Kohat – Potwar, Fort Lockhart Samana Range

Salt Range, Trans Indus Ranges, Hazara, Kala Chitta Area

Habib Rahi Limestone:

North Waziristan, Sulaiman Range, Kirthar Mountains

Pirkoh Limestone:

Sulaiman Range, Kirthar Mountains, Kohat

Margalla Hill Limestone:

Shahdara Section of Southeastern Hazara, Kala Chitta

Nammal Formation:

Salt Ranges, Surghar Range, Chichali Pass

Sakesar Limestone:

Sakesar Peak, Salt range, Surghar Range

Sources:

1. Geological Survey of Pakistan

2. Sindh Bureau of Statistics Planning & Development Department 3. Bureau of Statistics, Punjab

4. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - Bureau of statistics

5. Development Statistics of Balochistan

6. Provincial Directorates of Mines & Minerals Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan & FATA

7. Directorate General of Petroleum concessions/O Petroleum & Natural Resources

Islamabad