The two important ore minerals of iron are magnetite and hematite. Magnetite is also known as magnetic iron ore because it is easily attracted by a magnet. It is a heavy black mineral with metallic luster. Hematite which is the ore mineral most favored for iron smelting purposes in modern times is a steel-gray to iron- black colored mineral which is as hard as magnetite (hardness=5.5 to 6.5) but slightly less heavy (usually specific gravity varies from 5.0 to 5.3). It has also a metallic luster.

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two stage process. First, the iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or carried to the next stage as molten iron. In the second stage, known as steelmaking, impurities such as sulfur, phosphorus, and excess carbon are removed and alloying elements such as manganese, nickel, chromium and vanadium added to produce the exact steel required.

Steel mills turn molten steel into blooms, ingots, slabs and sheet through casting, hot rolling and cold rolling.

Therefore, it would no longer be an ideal dream, or an unrealistic endeavor, to think of establishing an iron and steel industry in any country. The great example set by Japan is before us. With no resources of iron ores and limited or scanty resources of metallurgical coal, it is now the second largest iron and steel producing country in the world.

Molten steel is cast into large blocks called "blooms". During the casting process various methods are used, such as addition of aluminum, so that impurities in the steel float to the surface where they can be cut off the finished bloom.

Because of the energy cost and structural stress associated with heating and cooling a blast furnace, typically these primary steelmaking vessels will operate on a continuous production campaign of several years duration. Even during periods of low steel demand, it may not be feasible to let the blast furnace grow cold, though some adjustment of the production rate is possible.

Integrated plants are large facilities typically only economical to build in +2,000,000 tonnes per year annual capacity. Final products made by an integrated plant are usually large structural sections, heavy plate, strip, wire rod, railway rails, and occasionally long products such as bars and pipe.

A major environmental hazard associated with integrated steel mills is the pollution produced in the manufacture of coke, which is an essential intermediate product in the reduction of iron ore in a blast furnace.

Integrated plants may also adopt some of the processes used in mini-mills, such as arc furnaces and direct casting, to reduce production costs.

World integrated steel production capacity is at or close to world demand, so competition between suppliers results in only the most efficient producers remaining viable. However, due to the large employment of integrated plants, often governments will financially assist an obsolescent facility rather than take the risk of having thousands of workers thrown out of jobs. Such measures in products then sold in international trade lead to allegations of dumping.

In India the leading producers of iron ore are Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Production and dispatches of Iron Ore from 2001-02 to 2003-04 are given below (Source Indian Bureau of Mines, Nagpur):

Bailadila range of mines is perched on the southern tip of Chhattisgarh in Dantewada District. The range comprises of 14 iron ore deposits rising to a height of 1260 meters above mean sea level. Bailadila lies in the Survey of India toposheet no. 65F/2 within latitude 18^o32'32" North and 19^o36'5" North and longitude 81^o13' & 81^o14'30" East.

"Bailadila" ranges of hills derive its name from the shape of hills. As the hills of the range look like 'the hump of an ox' it's named so by the native inhabitants of this place.

Iron Ore is available in Bailadila area in heavy quantity. Bailadila Iron Ore deposit is renowned in the world for both its quantity as well as quality. The Iron percentage in the Ore is between 60 to 68, which makes Bailadila one among the world's top quality Iron Ore. There are 14 deposits of Iron Ore with an approximate quantity of 3000 Lakh Tonnes. National Mineral Development Corporation Limited is involved in the mining related activities of these Iron Deposits.

The association of very rich and extensive iron ores with hematite quartzite in the Bailadila range has first been made known to the world between 1898-1900 by Mr. P. N. Bose who was the first to do geological mapping of this region. A systematic geological mapping was done later between 1932-38 through which 14 iron ore bearing hills have been chalked out from the range. In view of the urgency of assessment of the mineral potentialities of this region, a separate circle of GSI was formed in December 1958, and in the same year IBM was assigned the job of detailed proving of some of these deposits.

NMDC stepped in the area in the later half of 1961 and since then it is actively engaged in extraction, development and exploration of many deposits of the ranges, namely Deposit-14,5,4 and also 11C & 13.

The Commercial discovery of Bailadila dates back to 1955-56 when Prof. Euemura of Japanese Steel Mills Association, studying the memories of Geological Survey of India, drew the attention of the Japanese Steel Mills to the richness of the vast deposits of iron ore and its proximity to the Eastern Coast of India. Later an agreement was signed with the Japanese Steel Mills in 1960. An approval of the project report prepared by NMDC has been given in 1964 and the Mine Plant has been inaugurated in November 1968.

NMDC is presently operating three iron ore mines vi.z Bailadila Iron Ore Deposit No 14 (commissioned in the year 1968), Bailadila Iron Ore Deposit No. 5 (Commissioned in January 1977) and Bailadila Iron Ore Deposit No. 11-c (Commissioned in June 1987), out of the 14 identified Iron Ore Deposits of the Bailadila range (dantewada.nic.in/nmdc.html).

The estimated reserve of iron ores is about 2336 million tonnes. Bailadila also holds an estimated quantity of 680 lakh tonnes of "Blue Dust", Petetoigation Plant is under consideration of NMDC.

In the Durg districts, the more important deposits of hematite ore are in Dhalli Rajhara; here, rich iron ore deposits are found near Jharandalli and Konde Kasa. The average iron content of the ore is 68 to 69%. The reserves here are estimated to be over 286 million tonnes.

On the border of Durg and Bastar districts G.S.I has discovered sixteen more promising deposits in the Kalwar-Kauchar region. Many of the high grade ore are merely the western extension of the Dhalli-Rajhara iron ore deposits. Here both massive and laminated types of hematite occur in association with the banded hematite quartzites. The Kauchar deposit is a single ore-body on a N-S trending ridge (? 2206) -Kauchar Dongri; it has a strike length of 3.2 km and average width of 200 meters. The ore is of steel grey to brownish grey colour. The average iron content ranges from 55 to 69%.

There are also some amounts of poor grade ore containing less than 55% iron content especially of the earthy varieties. The sp. gravity of the ore is between 4.1 and 4.9 and the phosphorous content of the richer ores (both massive and laminated) is around 0.01% while the mica content is between 0.5 and 2.52% and the sulfur content only in traces.

It is a promising deposit and since its size, quality and easy accessibility are important factors, it is necessary to prove the correct dimensions of this deposit especially in depth, as it is believed that this iron ore body may reasonably be expected to extend down to a depth of 100 meters at least. In other parts of the Durg district, in a hill about 1.6 km, west of Bandhe a 8.8 km long band of hematite is found and another in the Dondi Lohara area. Besides these deposits, lateritic iron ores are present west of Kukral and near Borla, Katalulkassa, Worar and other places and float ore is also found.

The iron ores are associated with both the banded hematite quartzite (BHQ) and banded hematite jasper. In this State, the most important deposits containing large reserves of high grade ore occur in the Bonai range of hills running through Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts and comprises the well known iron ore deposits of Banspani, Barsua, Bichhakani, Bolani, Joda east, Malangtoli, Makaranacha, Murgabera, Pirpokri, Rajabasa and Thakurani. Mainly steel grey hematite is found in the Malangtoli block in Keonjhar district.

There are also small isolated deposits along the sea coast near Betul and Galogibaga. The richest iron ore deposits in Goa are found between Advalpale and the Madei river. Here massive or bedded or powdery type of hematite is the principal ore with some amount of magnetite, limonite and goethite. South of Costi there are only a few small iron ore deposits usually of poor quality.

According to A.R. Gokulam of the G.S.I., generally, the iron ore deposits occupy the crests and slopes of the hills, hillocks and mounds and higher the hill and steeper the slope, the better is the size of the deposit and the tenor of the ore. The iron ore concentration is also maximum at the apical portions of the hills which are also often the culminations of minor cross folds.

Generally, the surface ore is hard and lumpy followed in depth by the softer, friable and powdery ores consisting mainly of blue dust. The massive ore varies in colour from cherry red to steel grey and the iron content is around 63 % and sp. Gravity is 4.2. This type of ore is, however of only sporadic occurrence. The bedded ore is also of a cherry red to steel grey colour but its sp. gravity is only 3 to .4 and the iron content ranges from 59 to 62 %. A mixed type of ore comprised bands of hematite mixed with laterite is commonly noticed at the surface in many localities but the sp. gravity of the ore is only 2.5 to 3.0 and the iron content between 45 and 50%.

Usually, between the hard lumpy ore at the surface and the powdery ore in the depth there is a thin zone containing laminated ore. Below this zone of powdery ore usually called ‘Blue Dust’. The sp. gravity of the latter is only 2.8 to 3.0 the iron content is rather high ranging from 63 to 67 %. As such, in Goa the powdery ore is usually richer in iron content as compared to the hard lumpy ores occurring near the surface.

According to A.R. Gokuam there are more than thirty important iron ore deposits in Goa which on the basis of their nature, mode of occurrence and origin could be grouped into eight major types such as:

   (a) Bicholim-Pale type
   (b) Sacroda-Pissurlem type
   (c) Codli-Sigao type
   (d) Costi-Quirlapale type
   (e) Barazan-Viliena-Motto type
   (f) Rivona-Columba-Canvorem type
   (g) Netorlim type
   (h) Betul-Nuem type.

The revised estimates of iron ore reserves in Goa are placed at about 884 million tons.

In Chandrapur district iron ore deposits occur at Asola, Lohara, Ratanpur and Pipalgaon localities. Out of these the Lohara deposit is the most important followed by Asola and Pipalgaon. In Gadchiroli district iron ore deposits occur in three parallel hill ranges i) Surajagarh hill range, ii) Damkod Wadvi hill range iii) Bhamragarh hill range. Several deposits are present but the deposit occurring in Wureea hill range is very important in nature. The Wureea hill deposit is in the form of a lenticular body associated with banded hematite quartzite and ferruginous phyllites belonging to ‘Iron Ore Series’. The ore which is predominantly hematite, occur as massive, laminated, soft and porous type.

In Gondia tahsil of Bhandara district near Khursipur and Ambetalao titaniferous magnetite ore body containing vanadium occurs in metamorphosed basic and ultrabasic rocks of Amgaon Group. Ore is banded, fine grained, grayish in color and is composed of brown, bluish to dark black crystalline magnetite with minor amounts of sulfides, hematite and goethite. In Sindhudurg district there are several localities where iron ore deposits are found to occur. The ore bodies are associated with Banded hematite quartzites, ferruginous quartzite and ferruginous phyllites which are mostly below thick cover of laterite. Ore from this district is exported to other countries (G.G. Deshpande, Geology of Maharashtra, Geological Society of India, Bangalore, 1998).

In Adilabad district iron-ore occur associated with Upper Gondwana rocks in Sirpur areas whereas banded hematite quartzites are reported from Chityala, Kallada and other places. In Anantpur and Chittoor districts iron-ore occurs associated with the Dharwars. In Khammam and Warangal districts iron ores are associated with Pakhals and also Dharwar strata.

In Krishna and Khammam districts float ores is collected whereas in Kurnool district there are rich hematite concentrations. Magnetite ores through banded hematite quartzites contribute the main ore in Prakasam and East Godavari districts (P.K. Ramam, Geology of Andhra Pradesh, Geological Society of India, Bangalore, 1999).

A Note on Mittal Steel Company N.V. Website http://www.mittalsteel.com

Mittal Steel Company N.V. the world's largest steel producer by volume, and the second largest after Arcelor by turnover. CEO Lakshmi Mittal's family owns 88% of it; Lakshmi Mittal is the fifth wealthiest person in the world. Mittal Steel is based in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands but managed from London by Mittal and his son Aditya. It was formed when Ispat International N.V. acquired LNM Holdings N.V. (both were already controlled by Lakshmi Mittal) and merged with International Steel Group Inc. (the remnants of Bethlehem Steel, Republic Steel and LTV Steel) in 2005.