Deccan Gold on Monday announced a potential Nickel-Copper-Platinum group elements (Ni-Cu-PGE) discovery on its Bhalukona Nickel Project in Chhattisgarh. In a regulatory filing, the company said that this is the first such mineralisation identified in India and will support the country’s journey towards self-reliance in critical mineral supply chains.
Dr Hanuma Prasad Modiali, Managing Director, Deccan Gold, said, “This find places India firmly on the global critical minerals map at a time when these resources are vital for clean energy technologies, advanced manufacturing, and national security.”
Deccan Gold said that the initial exploration through rock chip and soil sampling has delineated an approximately 700m long mineralised zone of nickel, copper, and platinum group elements (PGEs).
The geological mapping, it added, has revealed early evidence of a layered sequence of the mafic-ultramafic rocks, analogous to nickel deposits such as the Nebo-Babel deposit in Western Australia and the Ahmavara Ni-PGE mine in Finland.
Further, drone magnetic surveys over the region have highlighted potential repetition of favourable lithological units under soil cover south of the delineated mineralised zone. An induced polarisation (IP) survey detected multiple zones of sulphide mineralisation, some which extend to 300m below surface.
The company said that it will drill the primary target area after the local harvest season ends and will also begin soil sampling to test for potential repetitions of the Ni-Cu-PGE mineralised zone.
“The Government of India has rightly prioritized critical minerals as a strategic imperative for achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat and leading the global energy transition. Our discovery in Chhattisgarh is a tangible step in that direction,” Dr Hanuma Prasad Modiali added.