Naogaon limestone find too deep, sizzling for extraction

High temperature and the underground geological conditions of the newly discovered limestone deposit in Naogaon district is in all probability not commercially viable for extraction.
"We are digging new holes there to identify a safe zone, however, it is not the proper time to say anything definitive in this regard. We need to collect some samples from there and later we need to analyse it to draw a conclusion," Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) Director General Dr Nehaluddin told the Daily Observer on Wednesday.
GSB discovered a huge limestone formation at Bilashbari area of Naogaon district,  while carrying out test drilling, which indicates that there is a huge limestone reserve.  In April last, the State Minister for power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid announced the discovery at a media briefing.
GSB found the lime formation of Sylhet Limestone (a type of limestone) at Bilashbari area of Naogaon while we were carrying out test drilling at 2,136 feet beneath the surface. The reserve appeared to be huge and samples have been sent to the lab for testing.
The officials earlier said that within the next two weeks the GSB would be able to say that it found a new limestone reserve there but failed to make a positive comment as they found the underground temperature of the mine was around 45 to 41 degree celsius and the limestone slabs are thicker compare to the others.
Naogaon limestone is a high quality ingredient for cement manufacturing. Detailed feasibility studies by several international mining and cement companies had verified the project's techno-economic feasibilities and endorsed the programme. The only stumbling block at the time was to sink two shafts 1,500 feet deep to reach the limestone bed.
He said that this is the part of the "Kopili Formation" where there was a sea 40 million years back, however, he said the limestone find was significant also because the coal was generally found beneath limestone deposits, he added.
In the 60's, limestone deposits were found in Bogra (nearly 2,000 metres below the surface), in Patnitala of Naogaon (300 metres below), Paharpur and Jamalganj of Joypurhat (500 metres below). Later the authority said that they had found a white clay reserve at Patnitala.
In the 1960s, GSB discovered a large limestone deposit in Jamalganj of Joypurhat. The deposit was between 518.16 metres and 548.64 metres under the ground. The mine was later deemed financially unviable as the cost of controlling the underground temperature would have been too expensive and the layer was far below the surface.
In 1961, the then Geological Survey of Pakistan started a drilling programme at Takerghat hillocks to see southwards dipping limestone outcrops. At that time a privately operated limestone quarry was opened, which ran until 1965, when the operation of the quarry was taken up by the East Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation. Total production of limestone was 375,000 ton from 1965 to 1968. But by 1980 annual production declined and came to 60,000 ton. The entire output was used to feed the Chhatak Cement Factory.
In the Takerghat hillocks the limestone banks show significant variations in thickness due to faulting. From the surface down to a depth of about 150m, the total reserves are estimated at 14 million ton later the authority abandoned the project.