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Basic Minerals

Pakistan possesses rich deposits of non-metallic minerals, Rock salt, lime stone and gypsum are found in large quantities, while barite, magnetite, soap stone, fluorite, marble, china clay, fire clay, etc., are found in sufficient quantity to meet the local demand.

Metallic minerals in Pakistan exits in the Axial Belt and in the Eruptive Zone. Iron ore, celestite, copper, manganese, chromite, alumina ore and antimony are known to exist.

Besides, emerald, aquamarine, ruby and topaz, silver and gold are, gemstones and precious metals found in Pakistan. A brief summary of some important minerals found in Pakistan is as following;

Iron Ores and their extraction

Iron is an element found generally in nature in chemical combination with oxygen sometimes with carbon, water arid with sculpture. It mostly occurs in the iron- oxygen compounds, found along with earthly materials called gangue. Iron ore always contains impurities incjuding alumina, magnesia, silica, sculpture, phosphorus, titanium, arsenic and copper.

Iron is extracted from its chemical compounds and separated from the impurities. This is commonly done in a blast furnace using coke (carbon), hot air (oxygen) and limestone.

Pakistan has small and low to medium quality iron ore deposits and they are located at number of places, but their commercial exploitation has not started. The total reserves of iron ore in Pakistan    The following are the main deposits of iron ore in Pakistan;

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