MINERAL DEPOSITS

To every student of stratigraphy, the subject has two main values, the immense practical valueandabroadphilosophicalinterest.Fromthebroaderphilosophicalpointofview,the stratigraphy provides basis for understanding the past history of a given region and the earth as a  whole. In other words, beginning with the classification of rocks, in terms of physical, biological,  chronological or ecological parameters, which is exploited to its far reaching affect and ultimately appear in the development of economy and the society by discoveries and aid in the development of natural resources. The stratified rocks contain vast fuel deposits in the earth crust, all the coal, petroleum and water, stratified iron ores and numerous metalliferous deposits, phosphate deposits, all the industrial minerals, potash, sodium and othersaltsof gypsum, limestone and various clays and above all much of the fissionable atomic fuel. Even where metalliferous deposits occur in the
intrusive igneous rocks, the study of surrounding set up of sedimentary rock sequence is extremely useful which ultimately will workout the regional history and will permit an understanding of ore genesis and localization. In other words, if mineral deposits are viewed in correct stratigraphic perspective, their exploration becomes canalized in the scientific direction and proves more fruitful. Thus the wonders of the studiesof stratigraphic genesis cannot be denied. Following pointsarecited as few examplesfrom Pakistan

• The formation and accumulation of petroleum in sediments formed prior to Himalayan orogeny(Eocene and older).
• Association of coal with the Paleocene and Eocene deltaic complex of Ghazij, Ranikot and Makarwal groups including the Thar coal field, which is one of the largest coaldepositin the world.
• Presence of iron silicate ore in near shore, marine, late Oxfordian to Neocomian onlap of Chichali Formation in Kohat-Potwar Province.
• Development of rock salt and gypsum in the transgressive Precambrian sequence (Salt Range Formation) of Salt Range and the regressive Lower Eocene complex (Bahadur Khel Salt and Jatta Gypsum) of Kohat area in the Kohat-Potwar Province. 

                 Mineral potential of Pakistan is generally recognized to be very good, however, its exploitation and further exploration are very slow as compared to other countries of the world. Several factors combined with lack of finances are responsible for this state of affairs. The net result is that its contribution to the Gross National Produce (GNP) remained between 0.3 to 0.5%, which is insignificant. In fact low contributory figures are nothing but a retributive affect of what is spent on mineral sector. It is evident from the reality that mineral sector has been allocated very scarcely from the public sector expenditure,which ranged from0.45% to 2.46%throughout the past many decades.

               However, this does not warrant pessimism since more and more recent exploration techniques are today contributing to the discovery of hitherto unexpected mineral occurrences throughout the world.

                For practical purposes in this chapter the term ' mineral deposits is used to include all naturally occurring materials in the earth's crust, which can be exploited economically. They have been categorized under three groups, viz., Energy, Mineral Resources, Metallic Ores and Industrial Minerals and Rocks. Only the more economically important deposits-known up to November, 2004 are being described here.A comprehensive discourse of mineral deposits of Pakistan may be found in the book on Mineral and Rocks for industry compiled by Ahmad and Siddiqi (1993) and published in three volumes by the Geological Survey of Pakistan, which lists more than 40 commodities. Various symposia held by CENTO at different times also contain useful information on mineral deposits of Pakistan. Most of the original information is, however, contained in and is derived from the serials of the Geological Survey of Pakistan, viz., Memoirs, Records, Pre-Publication Issues and Information Releases etc: