A peep into Assam's mineral resources |
PRAFULLA CHANDRA BORA—3rd. Year, B. Sc. |
It needs hardly to be emphasized that Assam is rich in mineral resources. In view of her vast potentiality of oil, coal and limestone, she has been held in high esteem and given her rightful place in the catalogue of all-India mineral places. The minister of natural resources (of India) is seen to make much ado about Assam's hidden treasures.
It is not possible to embody all the resources within the narrow compass of this brief article. I simply venture to write something about our coal, oil and limestone.
When coal is subjected to destructive distillation, we find that it contains mainly four different things—coal tar, liquor ammonia, coal gas and coke each of which has wide use in our industry. So it is priced in accordance with the products can give. It is said, Assam's coal can give these products abundantly. We have our coal fields in Ledo. But Garo hill, has in its bosom, immense coal. The Government of India has carried out investigation and mapping out of Garo-hill coal fields. It is determined that the coal of Siju area contains 53% carbon and that of the west Darangiri area 46%.
We have our oil fields in Digboi. The Assam Oil Company has revealed the existene of vast oil potentiality in the new oil fields of Assam. The A. O. C. for the last three years has been struggling to discover oil in the Brahmaputra Valley by such mechanical means as exploding bombs. They have got the clue that there are vast quantities of oil two miles below the surface throughout the valley. They have completed so far fourteen new oil-wells out of which only three proved dry-holes. The A. O. C's new drilling is apparent in Naharkatiya, Tengakhat, Moran etc. Recently a Russian troop of scientists came here and after long survey, they opined
