Faiza Tehseen

Pakistan has sizable deposits of galena – the primary ore of lead – in KP, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, and can generate handsome foreign exchange by exporting processed lead, said Muhammad Yaqub Shah, acting member of the Sectoral Council for marble, granite, and minerals, Ministry of Finance, while talking to WealthPK.

“Lead is a regular ingredient in different industrial segments and its growing demand in the international market is an indicator that its production and value addition must be focused on. It will help support Pakistan’s mining sector and prove a source of sustainable earnings for a majority of people,” he said.

“Galena or lead glance is the principal ore for extraction of lead. In other words, it is a mineral and lead is its element. It is also a significant ore of silver. Lead is typically formed in a wide range of hydrothermal environments, pegmatites, and metamorphic rocks (under various temperatures),” he explained.

“Galena is mostly associated with sphalerite, calcite, marcasite, cerussite, chalcopyrite, fluorite, anglesite, barite, dolomite, quartz, etc. Dolomites and limestone are the common host rocks of galena. It is formed under various temperatures, while it also occurs with the association of sphalerite in limestone beds in low-temperature lead-zinc deposits,” said the renowned geologist.

“Galena occurs in Chitral and Haripur areas of KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and Duddar and many other areas of Balochistan. In Duddar, the deposits are quantified at about 1.6 million tons. It is at the exploration stage in other areas of Pakistan but systematic mining is not operational and deposits are not quantified yet,” he added.

Lead is a base metal used on a large scale in the manufacture of a variety of industrial products, i.e., fusible alloys, bearing alloys, pewter, cable sheathing, ceramics, pottery glazes, weights for lifting, plumbing materials, flame retardants for plastics, brake shoes, fireworks, matches, ammunition (bullets, shots), explosives, a few types of solders, lead crystal glass, diving weight belts, pigments, water/gas pipes, solder constituent, cosmetics, etc. It is widely used to store some corrosive materials, i.e., hydrochloric acid, and sulphuric acid.

Globally, more than three quarters of total lead production is consumed in the manufacture of lead-acid batteries for motor vehicles. Lead remains in steel as inclusion and never impacts its mechanical properties but improves its machinability by acting as a lubricant between the cutting tool and steel. It is commonly used to avoid radiation and as a catalyst for different industrial products. In the textile industry, chromium and lead-based ingredients are used to stabilize color during the dyeing process.

The international lead market is projected to reach US$29.0 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% by the year 2030 from US$19.6 billion recorded in 2022. On the other hand, by the year 2030, the global lead-acid batteries market is anticipated to grow to US$94.11 billion at a CAGR of 8.20%. To get its share in the global business fields, it is important for Pakistan to focus on the establishment of its local industry to process lead.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk