High grade, low silica, hard & compact limestone is best available in the district Jaisalmer, which is considered the best quality limestone among the country’s available mineral resources for use in Steel manufacturing LD (BOF) process, where it is use as flux. Limestone is an essential component of the Iron and steel industry and around 8% by weight is require to produce one tonne of crude steel. These resources are far away from the existing Iron and steel industries or plants, hence, movement from these areas involves high logistics costs. Even it, owing to best quality of limestone and superiority over the imported limestone (good decrepitation index, higher reactivity), it is being used by steel plants of SAIL and Tata Steel Ltd.
The nation’s most important source of low silica content, Steel Melting Shop (SMS) grade limestone, is located in Jaisalmer district. RSMML has two operational leases in Jaisalmer: Sanu I&II, which produces SMS grade limestone supplied to various steel plants through rail from the Sanu Railway Siding. Company is having four exclusive siding for loading of limestone at this station and recently developed total electrification of rail line. Further, three new limestone blocks have been granted in the vicinity area. SMS grade limestone is produced in various sizes as per the requirements of the steel plants.
The company have around 20.00 square KM area near village Sanu at a distance of 56 Km from Jaisalmer on Jaisalmer-Ramgarh NH Road and Three Blocks of around 30 Sq KM, which are under process for grant of mining leases. Thus, total mineral resources under the areas held/process in grant to the company are 275 million Tonnes of S.M.S grade limestone & 1230 million Tonnes of Cement grade limestone.
Open cast single bench mechanised mining with use of HEMM and deep hole blasting is adopted, departmental /societies crushing plants are producing required sizes of limestone gitty.
Present production capacity of steel grade of limestone having SiO2 less than 1.50% and CaO – more than 53% at mines is 2.75 mill tonne per annum with total rock handling of around 6.00 mill tonne per annum. Company is proposing to enhance the production up to 5.00 mill tonne per annum by 2026-27 by opening of new areas in the near vicinity of village Sanu in district Jaisalmer. The sub grade limestone is also being supplied to power sector for their desulphurisation process & in cement sector as sweetener. The Low-grade Limestone is being stored by backfilling in mined out pit over Chalky limestone for use in cement manufacturing. Thus, mine is operating on Zero waste generation philosophy. Company has independent NABL approved third party analyst for total quality control under supply. Company is also having ISO: 9001-2015 certified Central Laboratory for testing of the minerals.
Among the four main mineral of the company, the mineral Limestone is being dealt from SBU & PC Limestone, Jodhpur and operating four mines, two each in Major (Jaisalmer Unit) and Minor (Gotan Unit) mineral Category for supply to steel, cement, power and chemical sector. It is used as flux in steel manufacturing process, for making Klinker in cement manufacturing, quick lime & hydrated lime. Our limestone mines are located at Sanu (Jaisalmer) & Gotan and Basani (Nagaur).
