Limemud Resources in the Western Indian Offshore: An Alternative to High Grade Limestone and some Viable Proposals

Several studies have been carried out by various authors on limemud that occurs in the western Indian offshore which is compositionally CaCO₃, amorphous, homogeneous, creamy white, soft and non sticky sediments mainly consisting of ooids. The chief mineral constituent of limemud is aragonite. The age, occurrence, formation and estimation of limemud resource are compiled from various published literatures and briefly presented. Bench scale beneficiation and agglomeration studies for limemud were conducted by Geological Survey of India at the lab of Indian Bureau of Mines and found limemud may be used in steel and filler industries, pharmaceuticals, food, cement etc. The physical and chemical properties of limemud suggest it may be a suitable raw material for the production of stone paper. There are several advantages in manufacturing stone paper in comparison with that of wood pulp paper. A brief comparison between the two compiled from the published literature is presented in the paper. The striking difference is in the consumption of water and emission of CO₂e from the production of wood pulp paper and that of stone paper. A difference of about 1000 kg CO₂e emission between the two helps to possess carbon credits. Sustainable mining technology and transportation of limemud from Gujarat offshore to nearby beach facilities are discussed. The approximate costs for limemud mining and transportation are estimated and compared with that of imported high grade limestone from UAE/Oman and is found to be much cheaper. Advantages of limemud and future propositions are briefly submitted for the consideration of the planners.