GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY AND TEXTURAL INVESTIGATIONS ON TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS OF CHITRAL, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA (KPK), PAKISTAN

Investigations were carried out on tungsten ore deposits of district Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province, Pakistan, in order to evaluate the ore deposits and subsequently to select a suitable process for beneficiation. Two important ore bodies of tungsten have been explored at Minike Gole and Besti Gole areas of district Chitral. The ore deposits were characterized by different techniques like microscopy, petrography, X-ray diffraction and chemical evaluation. The valuable mineral identified in these ores was found to be scheelite. The principal mineral constituents present in these ores were found to be quartz, clinozoisite, actinolite, magnetite, calcite, biotite and muscovite. The textural characteristics such as grain (crystal) size, shapes and mutual arrangement of component minerals in the ore bodies were also investigated. The ores were found to be fine-grained in nature. The degree of liberation of valuable scheelite mineral from associated valueless gangue minerals was studied by grain mounts technique. Mineralogical, textural and liberation studies revealed that both ores are amenable to beneficiation by froth flotation technique.