Nickel Ore in Tagaung Taung, Upper Burma

The occurrences of nickel silicates in the north-western part of the mountain mass Tagaung Taung in Upper Burma, were the object of geologic investigations in April 1957 by geologists of "Geoistrazivanja" Zagreb, Yugoslavia.

The explored area consists of ultrabasic (ultramafic) rocks (dunite, saxonite, lherzolite, wehrlite) which are partly serpentinized and in general strongly weathered. Many garnierite veins and boxwork within the zones of brecciated serpentinite with opal-quartz cement, occur in the north-western Tagaung Taung region. At 4 localities mineralization of garnierite reached a comparatively higher degree. The garnierite deposit in Innet Taung, locality A, was particularly studied and the quality and quantity of ore evaluated.

There are also outcrops of chromite and chromite-bearing placer accumulations, as well as occurrences of some other minerals (copper and manganese ores and magnesite), but these have not received close attention in this article.

Garnierite, as nickel ore, is of economic significance. The chromite outcrops, chromite placer deposits and other ore occurrences should be explored further, since the present data are not sufficient for an economic estimate of the occurrences.