Faiza Tehseen

Pakistan is rich in pyrite aka fool’s gold – one of the most common natural sulphides found in a wide variety of geological formations. However, lack of focus at the official level on the industrial exploitation of this mineral deprives Pakistan of huge income from both domestic and international markets, reports WealthPK. Pyrite is a mineral source to extract sulfur dioxide and other related constituents. The country’s indigenous sources of this mineral are enough to meet its demand for sulfur and all related industrial products. Currently, Pakistan spends a lot of foreign exchange on import of sulfur and the related products. In 2021, Pakistan imported US$10458.79 million worth of sulfur with other minerals. In 2020, as the 39^th largest importer, sulphur worth US$ 8.03 million was the 500th most imported product in Pakistan. Pakistan imported Sulphuric Acid (oleum) worth US$22,000 in 2020 under commodity group 2807.

Sulfur dioxide is vastly used to produce many industrial products like Sulfuric Acid. It is also used in many other industrial functions i.e., fumigation, food preservation, bleaching, paper manufacturing, steeping agent for grain in food processing, catalyst or extraction solvent in the petroleum industry, flotation depressant for sulfide ores in the mining industry, reducing agent in many industries. The market size of sulfur dioxide in 2022 is US$9,699.8 million and is expected to grow to US$12,560 million at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.4% by the year 2028. In many industries, sulfur is an important part of non-ferrous metals, pigments, fibres, pharmaceuticals, hydrofluoric acid, carbon disulfide, cosmetics, personal care products, agri-pesticides, water treatment, steel pickling, synthetic rubber vulcanization, etc. Globally, the sulfur market worth US$5.61 billion in 2021 was expected to reach US$6.98 billion at a CAGR of 3.2% by the year 2028.

Sulphuric Acid (an extraction from sulfur dioxide as well) is used in many industrial segments, i.e., the manufacture of fertilizers, pigments, dyes, detergents, metallurgical processes, explosives, detergents, inorganic salts, acids. The international sulphuric acid market was valued at 287.68 million tons in 2021. Taking the same year as the base period, it is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 3.5% by the year 2027. Asia-Pacific is also considered the fastest-growing market for Sulphuric Acid. Talking to WealthPK about pyrite and its value, Principal Geologist at the Global Mining Company and former general manager geology in the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) Muhammad Yaqub said, “It is a cuboid-shaped iron sulphide mineral found in almost all types of rocks i.e., igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary. If it is found in sufficient quantity in igneous rocks, it indicates there is a sulfide zone with the chances of occurrence of other associated minerals i.e., gold molybdenum, copper, silver, bismuth, lead, and zinc. Presently, pyrite is not being mined as an ore in Pakistan but is extracted as a by-product with other metallic minerals specifically gold and copper in Balochistan.

Yaqub said pyrite is mostly mined to get gold, copper, or other associated minerals. Its industrial value is the subject of high consideration. It is a great mineral source to get sulfur dioxide and other related products i.e., sulphuric acid, sulfur. It is used in the paper industry as the reducing agent and as an opt material to develop low-cost photovoltaic solar panels. In Pakistan, it is reported to occur in almost every province, including coal beds where it is specifically found in nodular form. The other main localities where a substantial amount of pyrite does occur are Dasht-e-Kain, Chagai district; Wana, South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Jutial, Gilgit dist. and Nazbar, Ghazir Dist. Yaqub said Northern Areas and Balochistan are rich in pyrite deposits, especially pyrite, in the purest form found in Jutial and Yasin valleys. About 1.5- to 3-meter-thick massive pyrite beds/lenses are found in these valleys from about 5-8km strike length.

Owing to pyrite’s increasing industrial use and occurrence of dissolved gold in it, the nucleus of planners in Pakistan must consider its exploration, development, and mining on a scientific basis to make it an active GDP contributor. In a discussion with WealthPK, miner and geologist Imran Babar said, “Pyrite is found in abundance in Pakistan. Even the sands coming down with Himalayan waters are swollen of it. If the sands are strained, the silver/gold surface layer is undoubtedly pyrite. It is found in more than enough quantities from placer deposits in the country. Blocks of silver pyrite are found in abundance in Skardu. It seems like platinum or yellow gold due to its silver or gold glitter. That’s why it is also called the fool’s gold. It is ideal to craft artefacts imitating out of gold. Babar said this natural wonder is still undervalued in Pakistan despite the fact that it is a great natural source for extraction of sulphur. He said no proper unit is installed in Pakistan to extract this industrially important chemical.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk