Mineral deposits to be surveyed

Nimal Wijesinghe - Anuradhapura Additional District group correspondent

Sub-surface mineral deposits in the interior of Sri Lanka’s earth are to be surveyed and unearthed soon.

The Geological Surveys and Mines Bureau (GSMB) has arranged an aerial geo-physical survey covering islandwide landscape.

The matter is now awaiting Cabinet approval.

GSMB Chairman Dr. N.A. Wijayananda told the Daily News that equipment including sophisticated magneto metres and radio activity detectors will be utilized in the task.

“The equipment fitted to a special aircraft flying very low will detect the mineral deposits.

If there is an iron deposit, the magnetic intensity within the proximity is high and the sensitive magneto metres will be able to detect the anomaly,” he said.

Monazite deposits have phorium in them and the radio activity detectors will trace the monazite deposits comprising phorium a very valuable mineral,” Dr. Wijayananda said.

He said this project which is of national importance was to be tried out years ago.

But since it was highly risky for the research aircraft to fly low specially in Northern and the Eastern off shore areas due to possible LTTE attack, the airborne expedition had been suspended, he said. The chairman revealed that negotiations with several foreign funding technical agencies were being initiated pending Cabinet approval.

“The Eppawala Apatite deposit would have never been detected for years if not for the exposure of some positive disclosure of the availability of the mineral. I believe that there could be such Apatite deposits invisible in the sub-surface of our earth,” he said.