Faiza Tehseen

Pakistan has abundant reservoirs of calcite, which need indigenous processing to stop the import of processed form of this important carbonate mineral for multiple industrial uses at the cost of hard-earned foreign exchange. A properly framed value chain – from mining to end users – will contribute towards improving the socio-economic value of the mining sector, reports WealthPK.

Discussing the occurrence, rock formation, and importance of calcite with WealthPK, Principal Geo-scientist at the Global Mining Company Islamabad and former general manager geology at the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) Muhammad Yaqoob Shah said, "It is a carbonate mineral, the most polymorph of calcium carbonate. In other words, when limestone possesses 100% calcium carbonate, it is called calcite." "It is abundantly found in sedimentary rocks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Balochistan. It shows a hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It may occur in compact, lamellar, and granular forms and has wide industrial uses," he said.

Yaqoob, who is also a member of the National Council for Marble & Granite and Minerals, said, "Calcite is widely used directly or as an ingredient in multiple industrial purposes. It is used as a construction aggregate and filler, in making of mortar to bond bricks, preparation of concrete blocks, tile making, and adoration. It is also used to prepare high-quality abrasive paper and stone. In the paint industry, it is used as a pigment; in agriculture, it is used to improve soil quality and nutrition. In the pharma industry, it is used as an antacid, a source of calcium, and excipient. It is also used to produce cement, ceramics, and artifacts. It is also used as a gemstone."

The market size of raw calcite is projected to grow to US$16.48 billion by the year 2028 from US$10.5 billion in 2020. Another rare form of calcite named ’Caribbean calcite’ is only found in Pakistan, discovered in 2019. It is unique due to its fine layering of blue calcite and aragonite of white and brown hue.

Pakistan needs a proper framework for semi or fully-mechanized mining of this carbonate mineral, which will significantly reduce the chances of wastage. Pakistan can earn a handsome foreign exchange by exporting it in different value-added forms or products.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk