White Clay high quality clay composed of kaolin clay mineral and used mainly in the ceramic industry. In Bangladesh it is used widely as household wares. There are surface to near surface deposits of white clay in
Bijoypur and Gopalpur area of Netrokona district, Nalitabari of Sherpur
district, Haidgaon of Chittagong district and Baitul Izzat of Satkania
thana, Chittagong district. Besides there are subsurface deposits of
white clay in Maddhyapara, Barapukuria, Dighipara of Dinajpur district
and Patnitala of Naogaon district. The exposed white clay is not good in
quality. It is used in the ceramic factories of Bangladesh after mixing
with high quality imported clay.
The Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) first discovered white clay
at Bhedikura of Durgapur Thana in the Mymensingh district in 1957. Later
on in 1957-58, geological mapping in that area was furnished. In
1964-65 GSP drilled 13 holes in the area to determine the thickness and
reserves. In 1978, 1980 and 1983 the geological survey of bangladesh
(GSB) conducted detail investigation in the area. The extent of white
clay in layers and lenses was found at Bhedikura to Maizpara in the west
and Fundakura to Gopalpur in the east. The reserves is 2.47 million ton
in an area of 3.84 sq km up to the down dip of 60m. This is known as
Bijoypur white clay. The white clay at Bhuranga area of Nalitabari
upazila in Sherpur district was discovered in 1990 by the GSB.
Lenses of white clay are present in this area. The reserves are
0.0013 million ton in an area of 0.40 sq km. GSB discovered scattered
lenses of white clay at Haidgaon area of Chandanaish upazila in
Chittagong district in 1976. In this area the deposit is 0.0019 million
tons only. The deposits found at Baitul-Izzat area of Satkania upazila
are 0.0025 million tons. These clays are low-grade clay.
The subsurface deposit of white clay was first discovered at
Patnitala of Naogaon district in 1965 at the depths ranging from 340m to
350m while drilling for economic minerals in the area by GSP. The white
clay at Maddhyapara area was found by GSB in 1974 at a depth ranging
from 128 m to 156 m below the surface while drilling for hard rock. This
clay was found on the top of the Precambrian hard rock. The thickness
of this clay ranges from 1.2m to 6.4m and the reserves in an area of one
sq km is 15 million ton.
The white clay at Barapukuria of Dinajpur
district was discovered by the GSB in 1985 while drilling for coal in
the area. The white clay is found at the top of the Permian Gondwana
formation at the depths ranging from 118m to 184m below the surface. The
thickness of this clay is 1.98m to 12.5m and the reserve is 25 million
ton in an area of I sq km.
In 1994 white clay was discovered by GSB at
Dighipara area of Dinajpur district while drilling for coal. This clay
is present on the top of the Gondwana Formation at a depth ranging from
325m to 328m. Detail investigation on this clay is yet to be done. The
subsurface deposit of white clay is rather difficult to mine. [Banglapedia, QM Arifur
Rahman]
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