The PGE ore was found in Hanumalapura, Tavaregere, Mesanikere and Magyathahalli in Davangere district and Kaiga, Mothimakki, Biroligudda and Suryakalyanigudda areas in Uttara Kannada district.
In Hanumalapura area alone, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has estimated 0.84 million tonne of resources of PGE ore with an average grade of 1.79 gram per tonne. The GSI is the nodal agency under the ministry to regulate the minerals.
Another region in India where high PGE deposits were found was in Baula–Nuasahi region in Orissa, which had around 14.2 million tonne of PGE ore.
Reconnaissance permits
The Centre has granted 114 reconnaissance permits (RPs) to explore minerals like PGE, gold, silver, iron ore, cobalt and copper in 1.31 lakh square kilometres of the country for the
last three years.
This is as per a government policy to encourage private companies for exploration of PGE minerals. In Karnataka, the Centre has granted RPs to five companies to explore 5,031 sq km area.
The State Government had recently invited companies to invest in mining of the precious minerals at the Global Investors Meet in Bangalore. No investors have, however, come forward for exploration of the ore.