DUSHANBE, November 25, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Tajik geologists are ready to continue exploration operations at the Kurgovad field in the Darvoz district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), which is reportedly rich in muscovite and staurolite minerals that could be used for production of alumina, according to the Main Geology Directorate under the Government of Tajikistan.

An official source at the Main Geology Directorate says the Kurgovad field has possible muscovite and staurolite reserves of some 150 million tons.

“One million ton of ore contain 15-25 percent of staurolite and 50-60 percent of muscovite,” the source added.    

Considerable foreign investments are reportedly needed for development of the Kurgovad field.  “Up to 2 million U.S. dollars or even more are needed for geological investigations alone,” specialists from the Main Geology Directorate noted.

According to Tajiks specialists, muscovite and staurolite reserves located in the western part of Gorno Badakhshan are estimated at some 500 million tons.

Muscovite (also known as Common mica, Isinglass, or Potash mica) is phylosilicate mineral of aluminum and potassium.  The name of muscovite comes from Muscovy-glass, a name formerly used for the mineral because of its use in Russia for windows. It is anisotropic and has high birefringence. Its crystal system is monoclinic.

Staurolite is a red brown to black, mostly opaque, nesosilicate mineral with a white streak.  It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, has a Moths hardness of 7 to 7.5 and a rather complex chemical formula: iron, magnesium and zinc occur in variable ratios.  Staurolite is a regional metamorphic mineral of intermediate to high grade. It occurs with almandine garnet, micas, kyanites and other metamorphic minerals. Staurolite is one of the index minerals that are used to estimate the temperature, depth, and pressure at which a rock undergoes metamorphism.