The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Deposits of platinum group of metals found in Davangere

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Deposits of platinum group of metals found in Davangere

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Deposits of platinum group of metals, which comprise precious metals such as platinum, palladium and nickel, have been found in Hanumalapura of Channagiri taluk of Davangere district of the State.

Disclosing this to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on “Iron ore mining industry in India” here on Friday, Mines and Geology Commissioner K.S. Prabhakara and Joint Secretary T.N. Venugopal said the samples of deposits have been sent to Canada for testing.

T.C. Devaraj, a retired faculty member of Karnatak Unversity, who carried the samples for testing to Canada and also to the laboratories of Geological Survey of Finland, told The Hindu that the indications from the tests were “very encouraging.”

The tests were still on and it will be known in about five years whether it is economically viable to take up exploration of these precious metals, Dr. Venugopal said.

The survey regarding identification of deposits was being carried out by the National Mineral Development Corporation Limited and Hutti Gold Mines Limited in coordination with Karnatak University. As many as eight to 10 borewells had been dug in Hanumalapura to get the soil for testing.

Dr. Venugopal said serious efforts were on for the exploration of diamond in the districts of Raichur, Dharwad and Bellary. A reconnaissance survey had been conducted for identifying deposits of diamond.

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