Geological Survey of India

POTASH DEPOSIT OF NAGAUR-GANGANAGAR BASIN OF RAJASTHAN –

A CASE STUDY

To the west of Aravalli mountain range lies a vast arid plain forming part of the Thar
desert characterized by sand dunes and scanty outcrops with little vegetation
covering an area of 100,000km². Below this vast land surface lies a large evaporite
basin extending north and north-west wards to join the saline series of Pakistan and
which possibly extends and joins the Hormuz series of Iran.

The southern part of the huge sedimentary basin, falling in Indian Territory has been
designated as NAGAUR-GANGANAGAR BASIN. This basin extends from Jodhpur
in the north and northwestwards to Ganganagar in Rajasthan and adjoining southern
parts of Punjab and western parts of Haryana.

The Nagaur- Ganganagar basin lies between 26°10’ x 30°00 N Latitudes and 71°31’
x 74°26E Longitudes. It covers parts of Nagaur, Pa li, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Churu,
Bikaner, Hanumangarh and Ganganagar districts in northern and north-western
parts of Rajasthan.

GSI initiated exploration work in this basin during 1973 and the work continued till
1991. The exploration covered an area of 50,000 km², wherein 69 bore holes were
drilled totaling 58,945.20 m. Geophysical Surveys comprising seismic refraction and
reflection deep resistivity soundings, gravity and magnetic surveys were conducted
during 1973 – 1993 in three phases to aid potash exploration in this basin.

The entire surface of the basin is flat to undulating with a maximum elevation of
375.56 m near Mundhawa (27°04’ : 71°01’ ) and the m inimum of 147m to the east of
Sivni (29°07’30” : 73°01’00”). The major part of t he area presents a monotonous
dunal topography. The area is conspicuous by the absence of perennial streams;
however the northern part of the area is controlled by the aggraded course of
Gaggar river.

Based on the encouraging results from borehole P-3 at Lakhasar, the drilling
programme was extended to different places. The borehole P-4 located 110 km
west of Lakhasar intersected 23 – 30m thick Halite bearing evaporate sequence at
539m depth. Potash in the form of polyhalite and minor sylvite was detected in the
zone between 540m & 548m depth and two Halite cycles (Hı and H2) of the evaporite
sequence separated by an intervening zone of anhydrite, dolomite and minor clay
were intercepted.

Exploration during 1979 and 1981 continued at Lakhasar, Kalu, Bikaner, Hanseran,
Malkisar, Gurha, Chatargarh, Sataiyan, Kupli and Harsinghpura in Churu and
Bikaner districts and it was established that the evaporite units increase in number
and thickness in the northern part of the area where a maximum number of 7 Halite
cycles numbered Hı to H7 from bottom to top were intersected in boreholes. The
evaporate sequence was identified as a separate stratigraphic entity and was named
as the Hanserian Evaporate Group (HEG) having eight formations and 16 members.
Evidences indicated that HEG is stratigraphically equivalent to the Bilara Group

Contributed by K. Mahendra Reddy, Director M & C Division, Western Region

Geological Survey of India

exposed in the southern part of the basin. The lithostratigraphic classification of the
Hanserian Evaporite Group is as follows:

Lithostratigraphic classification of Hanseran Evaporite Group

GROUP FORMATION MEMBER LITHOLOGY THICKNESS

(in metres)
NAGAUR GROUP Reddish to grey Sandstone,
(Lower Cambrian) Siltstone with reddish to
maroon clay

---------------------------------------------------------Gradational contact-----------------------------------------

LAKHUSAR E-16 Clay, claystone and anhydrite 1.14-70.35

SATAIYAN E-15 Halite, (H7), polyhalite, clay and anhydrite 8.12-84.35

Clay, anhydrite/dolomite
E-14 2.13-36.50

HARSINGHPURA E-13 Halite (H6), polyhalite, clay and anhydrite 5.10-211.75

Clay with anhydrite/dolomite

E-12 2.20-88.45

KUPLI E-11 Halite (H5), polyhalite, clay anhydrite/dolomite 5.30-54.60

HANSERAN
EVAPORITE Dolomite, dolomitic anhydrite and clay
GROUP E-10 1.45-93.35
(103-20-650.15m) MALKISAR E-9 Halite (H4), polyhalite, clay and anhydrite 1.35-86.10
(Eocambrian)
Anhydrite, dolomite and clay
E-8 1.70-87.83
MALKISAR E-9 Halite (H4), polyhallite, clay and anhydrite 1.35-86.10

Anhydrite, dolomite and clay

E-8 1.70-87.83

CHATTARGARH E-7 Hallite (H3), polyhallite, clay and anhydrite 3.50-85.58

KALU E-6 Dolomite, anhydrite and clay 2.52-17.17

E-5 Halite (H2), polyhalite sylvinite/sylvite langbeinite, 15.80-138.95

carnallite traces with clay, anhydrite and dolomite

Clay, dolomite and anhydrite

E-4 2.94-32.58
LAKHASAR E-3 Halite (H1), polyhalite, sylvinite/sylvite, traces of 16.11-60.45
carnallite, clay anhydrite
Anhydrite, dolomite and clay
E-2 0.0-8.83

E-1 Clay and anhydrite 1.40-26.11

E-0 Clay, marl, limestone, gypsum, anhydrite and 0.00-90.00

dolomite with chert.

---------------------------------------------Gradational contact-------------------------------------------------------
JODHPUR GROUP Grey sandstone with minor purple shale
(Neoproterozoic) and siltstone with reddish-brown to
buff and occasional dolomite bands

Base not seen

_________________________________________________________________________

Contributed by K. Mahendra Reddy, Director M & C Division, Western Region

Geological Survey of India

Concentration of bromine in Halites was used to evaluate the evaporation history of

the basin. Base value of bromine for the first appearance of Halite in the sequence
varies between 44 and 46 ppm and increases to more than 465 ppm in the same
Halite zone. Such a high concentration of bromine is indicative of uninterrupted
evaporation of the sea water which is conducive to precipitation of high order
evaporite minerals including potash salts.

During the period from 1981 – 1984 twenty four boreholes were drilled and a major
breakthrough was achieved in intersecting sylvite mineralisation in 4 boreholes
around Hanumangarh and Polyhalite in a number of other boreholes. The
intersected sylvite bearing areas were 0.10m to 1.05m thick with a maximum
concentration of 19.2% potash whereas the 0.10m to 8.35m thick polyhalite zones
have 0.60 to 5.75% K. The Halite reserves in the entire Nagaur – Ganganagar basin
have been estimated to be 6 trillion tonnes with 80 to 99% Nacl.

On evaluation of subsurface geological data, 8 depocentres (Lakhasar, Bikaner,

Gharsisar, Hanseran, Arjunsar, Jaitpura, Bharusari and Satipura) identified for
detailed investigation of potash minerals containing over 2% K were in the 3 sub
basins Satipura, Bharusari and Lakhasar. Reserve calculated at 3% K grade with
1.5m minimum stoping width of mineralisation are 404.19 million tonnes with 4.6% K
of probable category and 2072.39 million tonnes with 4.61% K of possible category.

In the area explored for potash, it has been noticed that polyhalite [K2Ca2Mg (SO4)2
2H2O] occurs more frequently than any other potash mineral. It occurs mostly as
stringers, pods, irregular laminae and thin beds and is mostly associated with Halite
sylvite and occasionally with anhydrite in all the seven Halite cycles. The thickness
of undivided polyhalite mineralized zone varies from 0.05m to 27.27m containing
0.1% to 10.20% K. The resources of poly halite are estimated to be 14,414.85
million tones with 1.15% K in Satipura sub-basin; 1,756.76 million tonnes with 1.36%
K in Bharusari sub-basin and 1756.29 million tonnes with 3.94% K in Lakhasar sub
basin.
Out of the several sub-basins identified in the Nagaur-Ganganagar basin, conditions
suitable for formation and preservation of Sylvite/sylvinite could be identified in two
Halite cycles in Satipura, Bharusari and Lakhasar sub-basins and in five halite cycles
in Jaitpura sub-basin.

It was inferred that precipitation and preservation of high order evaporites are greater
in closed basin with one or two openings to allow sea water influx with negligible or
no outflow to provide higher K- concentration in the mother liquor. Such basin
conditions were inferred with the aid of isopach structural contour maps of the top of
various formations of Halite Evaporite Group as well as that of Jodhpur group.
Potassium in the form of KCl is easily extracted from its ores like sylvite, carnallite,
kainite etc. However, its extraction from polyhalite proved problematic in spite of the
fact that it contained 12.96% K. In a bid to resolve this problem a series of
successful experiments were conducted in the Geochemical Lab., GSI, Western
Region on the samples of bore hole P-8 (Kalu). As a result of which cent percent K+
could be extracted from poly halite and the same could be converted to KCl with
99% purity containing 63% KCl.

Contributed by K. Mahendra Reddy, Director M & C Division, Western Region

Geological Survey of India

Sylvite from Nagaur –Ganganagar Basin, Rajasthan

Foetid dolomite showing cavities filled with secondary halite (core from borehole P-9, Lakhasar
area)

Contributed by K. Mahendra Reddy, Director M & C Division, Western Region

Geological Survey of India

Potash mineralisation in the form of polyhalite within halite sequence (core from borehole P-4,
Lakhasar sub-basin)

Potash mineralisation in the form of sylvite/sylvinite within H2 halite cycle (core from borehole P-
21, Satipura), Satipura sub-basin, Hanumangarh area.

Contributed by K. Mahendra Reddy, Director M & C Division, Western Region

Geological Survey of India

Potash mineralisation in the sylvite / sylvinite along with polyhalite within H2 halite cycle
(core from borehole P-35, Khunja), Satipura sub-basin, Hanumangarh area.

Potash mineralisation in the form of langebeinite, sylvite and polyhalite (core from borehole P-
64), Bharusari sub-basin, Hanumangarh area.

Contributed by K. Mahendra Reddy, Director M & C Division, Western Region