Chromite is essential for steel manufacture. The
ore from which most chromium is derived is Chromium (Feol Cr202), which is dark
in color and infusible. It is used in the metallurgical and chemical
industries. For high speed steel, stainless steel, armour pate it is essential.
One of the common use of chromium is plating other metals.
Pakistan has fairly) rage’ deposits of chromite and
it is only metallic ore produced on a commercial scale in Pakistan. The best
known deposits of chrormite occur in the Mulsimbagh area of the Zhob valley.
Most of the producing miners are in Jhang Torgarh and Khanozai. Other deposit is
in Baluchistan provinces are in Chagai and Kharan districts, along flanks of
the Raskoh Range and Lasbela district. In K.P.K., it is, reported to occur at
Han Chand village in Charsadda district and Malakand Agency. Small deposits are
also present in Mohammad and Waziristan tribal areas. Besides some deposits are
reported in Wad.
Among all deposits, Muslim bagh deposits are large
and chromite is produced only from these mines, which started in 1903 and whole
of it is exported because of nil local consumption. The production of chromite
fluctuate with demand of international market. During last decade (1991-92 to
2001> production was at peak, during 1996-97 and 1997-98, production was
35,000 tonnes, while during 2000-0 1 it was 14,000 tonnes, only one third of
the peak years.
Pakistan has failed to compete in the international
market, due to manual work, our cost of production is very high, so it is need
of the day to install modem machinery. After 2003-04, production increased very
rapidly and it was 115 thousand metric tonnes in 2007-08.