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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Pulmoddai

Producer in Sri Lanka with commodities REE, Titanium, Zirconium
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Reserves and resources
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10231201
MAS/MILS ID 5420000001
Record type Site
Current site name Pulmoddai
Alternate or previous names Pulmoddai Mine

Comments on the site names

  • THE NAME OF THE MINE AND DEPOSIT COMES FROM THE NEARBY VILLAGE OF PULMODDAI.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 81.00031, 8.9174 (WGS84)
Elevation 2
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Sri Lanka(country)

Geographic areas

Country
Sri Lanka

Commodities

Commodity Importance
REE Critical Tertiary
Titanium Critical Primary
Zirconium Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Ilmenite Unknown
Monazite Unknown
Rutile Unknown
Zircon Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 81.00031, 8.9174
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 2.5M
    Length 7200M
    Width 50M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control OTHER
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 920323

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1926
Mining method Dredging
Year of first production 1961
Milling method Magnetic And Electrostatic

Mining district

District name Pulmoddai

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Government Of Sri Lanka
    Interest 100
    Home office Sri Lanka
    Year 1982

Comments on the ownership information

  • CEYLON MINERAL SANDS CORPORATION IS REFERRED TO AS "CMSC"

Production statistics

  • Year 1985
    Description Zircon 4061 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Zirconium Zirconium 4061mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Rutile 8443 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 8443mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Ilmenite 14954 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 14954mt
  • Year 1986
    Description High Tio2 Imenite 3966 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 3966mt
  • Year 1986
    Description Zircon 910 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Zirconium Zirconium 910mt
  • Year 1986
    Description Rutile 8695 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 8695mt
  • Year 1986
    Description Ilmenite 129907 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 129907mt
  • Year 1987
    Description High Tio2 Ilmenite 3938 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 3938mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Crude Zircon 23855 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Zirconium Zirconium 23855mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Rutile 7238 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 7238mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Ilmenite 128490 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 128490mt
  • Year 1988
    Description High Tio2 Ilmenite 3702 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 3702mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Crude Zircon 20900 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Zirconium Zirconium 20900mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Rutile 5255 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 5255mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Ilmenite 74305 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 74305mt

Comments on the production information

  • ARRAYS SHOWN IN MATRIX 9 ARE CONSTITUENTS, NOT MINERALS.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Indicated 4000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 4000000mt ore
    Total resources 4000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Titanium TiO2 71 wt-pct Titanium Major 1977
    Zirconium ZrO2 9 wt-pct Zirconium Minor 1977

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Capacity 1000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on the workings information

  • SRI LANKA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT IS TO UNDERTAKE A MAJOR EXPLORATION PROGRAM (1991) TO PROVE UP EXISTING RESERVES AND LOCATE NEW RESERVES - FIVE YEAR PROGRAM.

Comments on other economic factors

  • PRODUCTS ARE CONVEYED FROM THE PLANT ALONG AN 800 FOOT LONG JETTY, WHERE THEY ARE LOADED INTO 100 MT OR 200 MT BARGES. THE BARGES TRANSPORT THE PRODUCTS TO WAITING SHIPS ABOUT 1 MILE OUT TO SEA, WHERE CLAM SHELLS LOAD THE PRODUCTS ABOARD. SHIPPING IS DONE DURING THE NON-MONSOON SEASON. TRANSPORT OF PRODUCT TO TRINCOMALEE, 56 KM TO SOUTH, IS BEING CONSIDERED BECAUSE WEATHER RESTRICTS SHIPPING BETWEEN MONTHS OF MARCH AND SEPTEMBER.
  • SURFACE MINING CAPACITY ASSUMES DILUTION OF ORE BY 10%
  • MINE FACILITY DAMAGED BY TAMIL GUERILLA ATTACK IN 1988. CAUSED CESSATION OF ZIRCON PRODUCTION. WATER AND POWER SYSTEMS RESTORED AT GREAT COST TO COMPANY. WORLD BANK HAS RECOMMENDED US 16M GRANT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF A SYNTHETIC RUTILE PLANT AT PULMODDAI.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    REPORT OF ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK ON CEYLON MINERAL SANDS

  • Deposit

    CORP., SEPT. 1979.

  • Deposit

    HEARTH, M. MINERAL BASED INDUSTRIES OF SRI LANKA. CLGO

  • Deposit

    REPORT, OCT. 1977.

  • Deposit

    KANAPATHIPITTAI, K.C. ILMENITE FROM THE EAST COAST OF

  • Deposit

    CEYLON. APRIL, 1964.

  • Deposit

    C AND EN, JAN. 1972. TITANIUM IN CEYLON.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, SEPTEMBER 7, 1979.

  • Deposit

    FILLSON, JOSEPH L. TITANIUM, CHAPTER 49.

  • Deposit

    MILLER, JESSE A. TITANIUM, A MATERIALS SURVEY. 1957.

  • Deposit

    HERATH. MINERAL RESOURCES OF SRI LANKA. GEOLOGICAL

  • Deposit

    SURVEY DEPT., COLOMBO, ECONOMIC BULLETIN NO. 2.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. WORLD PRODUCERS OF TITANIUM.

  • Deposit

    JAN. 1968.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. CMS EXPANDS. MARCH 1979.

  • Deposit

    JOURNAL OF MINES, METALS AND FUELS. SEPT. 1970.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. NO. 52, 1972.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL. JUNE 9, 1972.

  • Deposit

    U.S. DEPT. OF THE INTERIOR. PROJECT REPORT, 1972.

  • Deposit

    AMDEL REPORT ON PULMODDAI.

  • Deposit

    EVALUATION OF TITANIUM SLAG PLANT.

  • Deposit

    A. B. C. PRODUCTION FIGURES. WORLD MINING AND METAL

  • Deposit

    BULLETIN.

  • Deposit

    CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES FROM BANK OF AMERICA STATISTICS.

  • Deposit

    INDIAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL. NO. 5, 1979.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. FEB. 1974.

  • Deposit

    SHAFER, FRANK. ORE RESOURCES AT PULMODDAI. JAN. 27,1978.

  • Deposit

    SHAFER, FRANK. ORE REPORT ON PULMODDAI. DELHI.

  • Deposit

    LETTER TO U.S. EMBASSY FROM CMSC, APRIL 20, 1982.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, 1988 'SRI LANKA TO DEVELOP MINERAL SANDS'.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, JANUARY 1991 'SRI LANKA - MINERAL SANDS

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, AUGUST 1984, 'SRI LANKA - '.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, LONDON, DEC 11, 1987. 'SRI LANKAN

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHATES AND MINERAL SANDS'.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ASSAYS SHOWN IN MATRIX #9 ARE CONSTITUENTS, NOT MINERALS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-OCT-92 Fantel, Richard J. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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