Team News Riveting
Hyderabad, December 21
NMDC Limited, India’s largest Iron Ore producing Navratna Company, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) to collaborate and conduct exploration in mutually agreed projects for iron ore, gold, coal, diamond andother minerals in various states.
Country’s two premier exploration agencies under the Government of India joining hands added significance as it would synergize mineral exploration and allied works. It would also help to establish resources and reserves of various minerals, ores and its extraction while identifying unexplored mining areas.
Besides, it would support the “AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” initiative and extend commitment towards mineral security for the nation.
NMDC is presently producing about 35 million tonnes of iron ore annually from its fully mechanized mines in Bailadila Deposit- 14/11C, Bailadila Deposit-5, 10/11A (Chhattisgarh State) and Kumaraswamy Iron Ore Mines (Karnataka State). It produces most of the diamonds from the Diamond Mining Project, Panna in Madhya Pradesh.
The state-run miner also has set up an established Research and Development Centre for the study of ore beneficiation and minerals processing.
MECL has been carrying out mineral exploration activities from 1972 and is the premier exploration agency in the country. With its strategic growth plan under Vision-2030, MECL has emphasised on providing, exploration and consultancy services for different minerals in India and overseas geographies on behalf of other agencies including Public Sector, Private Sector and State Government(s) on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
“NMDC would like to add value to the Honorable Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat by domestically fulfilling the demands of the steel industry. I hope this venture accomplishes the mission of strategic and beneficial exploration successfully for both the companies and concentrate on high priority exploration areas and helps in realizing the overall objective of promoting domestic production of previously imported items to foster self-reliance,” Sumit Deb, NMDC Chairman-cum-Managing Director, said.
NMDC has been pioneer in mining and is also venturing into coal at Tokisud North Coal Mine, and Rohne Coal Mine in Jharkhand, he added.
P K Satpathy, Director (Production), NMDC Limited, who was associated in finalizing the MoU, said NMDC was using technologies like Space Geophysics EIGEN 6C4 gravity field models for diamond explorations in Madhya Pradesh. NMDC is also preparing mobile GIS study using the app “Bhuvan Platform” in all its exploration programs, he added.
MECL CMD Dr. Ranjit Rathsaid, “MECL has surpassed all the past records of 48 years with highest ever turnover, PBT, EBIDTA & PAT and physical productivity. MECL is well poised to augment and expedite exploration coverage for all mineral commodities Pan India. Earlier, MECL has conducted successful exploration for NMDC in Shahpur East & Shahpur West Coal blocks in Madhya Pradesh. I hope this MoU turns out to be successful and fruitful.”
The dignitaries present during the MoU signing ceremony include NMDC Director (Finance) Amitava Mukherjee, Director (Commercial) Alok Kumar Mehta, Director (Technical) Somnath Nandi and HoD BD R K Jain, Corporate Planning and Safety Head A Mathur, General Manager (Exploration and Geological Sciences) of MECL B P Raturi besides senior officials of NMDC and MECL.
