Mining in Goa

By and large, the five parameters relating to Mining in Goa are reflected in

• Quality and quantity of the ore,
• Strip ratio,
• Requirement of beneficiation facility,
• Transportation methodology and
• Product portfolio.

Mining for iron ore in Goa is carried out in the following phases:

Exploration and development

Large expanses of land are scanned using technologies such as satellite imaging, geological exploration and developmental mapping, geo-mechanical and superficial geological sampling.

A more in-depth exploration is carried out in areas that demonstrate evidence of mineral ore deposits. This stage of exploration comprises drilling, digging of trenches, etc, to ensure accuracy of data and confirm the feasibility of exploration.

Once the location and presence of iron ore deposits has been pinpointed, the project goes into planning and development. The major activities in this stage include mine planning and installation, construction of infrastructure and the setting up of processing & upgradation facilities.

Extraction of Iron Ore

Iron ore extraction in Goa in done through the surface by open pit mining.

Open Pit Mining

Open-pit mining is considered to be more economical and safer than underground mining, especially when the ore body is large and there is a significant amount of overburden. Additionally, the advent of large earth moving equipment, less expensive energy sources, and improved extraction and beneficiation technologies, has increased the viability of this method. This method is particularly advantageous in the Goan context as its lower cost enables the economically effective exploitation of lower-grade ores.

The lateritic overburden and mining lumpy ore zone are removed, revealing the powdery ore zone below. On an average, ~ 2 to 3 tonnes of overburden material (comprising laterite, lateritic clay, manganiferous clay and phyllites) have to be extracted to yield one tonne of powdery ore. The overburden material is dumped in designated areas while the ore is taken for processing.

Processing

Goan iron ore is transported to the milling and beneficiation plants where it goes through processes like crushing, washing, sorting, sizing, magnetic separation, flotation, and other means of gravity separation. This removes unwanted constituents from the ore and concentrates the valuable metal, improving its quality, purity or grade.

Most Goan iron ore mines are partially or fully mechanised. The mining companies have set up dry screening facilities at the mines and wet beneficiation plants at the mines or near loading points.

Transportation & Shipping

Transportation

Processed iron ore is transported to waiting ships over land and water.

Trucks

The mined ore and overburden is transported from various mining leases to a jetty by haulage trucks over distances ranging from 4 to 30 km.

Barges

Iron ore is transported on barges via the Mandovi and Zuari rivers, their tributaries and the Cumbarjua Canal, the combined navigable length of which is about 65 km. A number of loading stations have been constructed along this route. Barges are loaded either by conveyer systems or by rear-dump trucks that dump ore directly from barge-loading jetties.

Loading & Shipping

Loading and shipping is done at the Mormugao and Panjim ports by transhippers and floating cranes.

Mormugao Port

Is a major Port due to historical advancements made by Private parties and have diversified operations from being Iron Ore dependent to also handle other bulk cargoes in the recent past.

In the past an entire panama size vessel could be entirely loaded at Berth No 9 of Mormugao Port at the rate of 45,000 tonnes per day (TPD) at 45,000 TPD. Large cape-sized vessels are also loaded up to a draft of 14.0 metres and are thereafter topped up utilising transhippers. Presently Berth No 9 is privatised and its operations for Ore handling would be decided appropriately.

Panaji Port

A minor port with limited facilities presently. Loading at Panaji Port is done using transhippers, floating cranes and self-unloading barges and had partly helped reduce the congestion at Mormugao Port in the past.

Transhippers

Transhippers are an offshore loading facility that can load vessels of any size without any draft limitations. They complement the loading facilities at the dedicated berth for iron ore by uptopping vessels.

Transhippers enable the loading of Panamax & Cape size vessels average output of around 15,000 ~ 25,000 TPD/ transhipper. Currently, the transhippers operating within the port limits of Mormugao and Panaji ports, namely:

(a) Vishal Hira
(b) Royal Sesa

Floating Cranes

A floating crane consists of a jib crane fitted on self-propelled pontoons. Complete with accommodation, generators, mooring/anchoring systems, fire fighting & life saving equipment, navigation systems, etc, they conform to all the latest technical specifications. Currently the floating cranes operating are the M.V. Dona Paula & M.V. Maria Laura & Narmada Jalpradha.

Weather permitting, floating cranes are capable of loading bulk materials in excess of 20,000 TPD from barges to mother vessels ranging from Handy Max to Super cape sizes. They can also be used to unload bulk materials from Super cape sizes to Handy size into barges between 12,000 to 18,000 TPD.