Raw content

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 01 NEW DE 20458 101908Z ACTION NEA-11 INFO OCT-01 ADS-00 FEMA-02 EUR-12 SMS-01 AID-05 CEA-01 CIAE-00 DODE-00 EB-08 DOE-17 H-01 INR-10 INT-05 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-05 OMB-01 PM-06 ICA-11 OES-09 SP-02 SS-15 STR-08 TRSE-00 ACDA-12 GSA-02 NRC-02 SAS-02 /152 W ------------------031550 101923Z /44 R 071223Z NOV 79 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3826 INFO USDOC WASHDC AMCONSUL BOMBAY AMCONSUL CALCUTTA AMCONSUL MADRAS LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NEW DELHI 20458 E.O. 12065: N/A TAGS: EMIN, BEXP, IN SUBJECT: SOVIET PROPOSED TITANIUM PLANT PASS TO USGS, USBURMINES 1. DURING RECENT TOUR OF INDIAN RARE EARTHS LIMITED (IREL) MINERAL SANDS SEPARATION PLANT AT CHAVARA, (NEAR QUILON), KERALA BY RESOURCES ATTACHE, HE WAS TOLD BY P.S. NAIR, DEPUTY MANAGER (TECH) THAT THE USSR HAD BEEN TRYING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS TO SET UP A 50,000 METRIC TON PER YEAR (MT/YR) ILMENITE ELECTRO SMELTING PLANT IN KERALA TO PRODUCE TITANIA SLAG. THE SOVIETS HAD OFFERED TO PROVIDE THE TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCING AS WELL AS TO IMPORT THE PLANT'S ENTIRE PRODUCTION OF AN ESTIMATED 27,000 MT/YR OF TITANIA SLAG. THE PLANT WOULD ALSO PRODUCE ABOUT 23,000 MT OF MARKETABLE PIG IRON (NAIR, WHO STUDIED IN THE SOVIET UNION, STATED THAT THE SOVIETS WERE STOCKPILING TITANIUM). LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 NEW DE 20458 101908Z 2. ACCORDING TO NAIR, THE GOI HAS REMAINED COOL TO THE SOVIET PROPOSAL. NAIR IMPLIED IT WAS BECAUSE OF THEIR QUESTIONABLE TECHNOLOGY. IN THE MEANTIME, HE SAID, HUNGARY HAD SHOWN INTEREST IN SETTING UP SUCH A PLANT IN INDIA AND WAS NOT ATTEMPTING TO PROMOTE THE SAME PROJECT ON SIMILAR TERMS, BUT WITH SOVIET TECHNOLOGY SICE THE HUNGARIAN KNOWHOW APPARENTLY HAD ALSO BEEN QUESTIONED BY THE GOI. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 3. WE ARE TOLD THAT THE GOI HAS MADE NO COMMITMENT REGARDING THE HUNGARIAN OFFER OR THIS PLANT. IT MAY BE THAT THE GOI IS SEEKING WESTERN TECHNOLOGY. AN INTERNAL DEMAND AND FAVORABLE EXPORT PROSPECTS MAY ALSO BE DEFERRING THE GOI FROM WANTING TO TIE UP WITH BLOC COUNTRIES WHICH SEEK TO IMPORT THE PLANT'S ENTIRE OUTPUT. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND INTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS TO RECOVER TITANIUM METAL HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT BY BHARAT ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTER, HYDERABAD. THIS HAS INCLUDED SETTING UP A PILOT TITANIUM SPONGE PLANT AT THE NUCLEAR FUEL COMPLEX, HYDERABAD. 4. IN ADDITION TO MINERAL SANDS SEPARATION PLANTS AT CHAVARA, KERALA AND AT MANAVALAKURICHI, TAMIL NADU, IREL IS CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING A MAJOR MINERAL SANDS COMPLEX AT CHATRAPUR, ORISSA WHERE SIZEABLE DEPOSITS OF HEAVY MINERALS ALSO EXIST. IN ADDITION TO MINERAL SANDS SEPARATION AND SYNTHETIC RUTILE PLANTS, DOWN-STREAM FACILITIES SUCH AS TITANIUM DIOXIDE PIGMENT PLANT, A ZIRCONIUM CHEMICAL PLANT, A RARE EARTHS CHEMICAL PLANT, SILICON ALUMINUM ALLOY PLANT, AND AN ELECTRO SMELTHING PLANT FOR THE METALLURGICAL PROCESSING OF ILMENITE WITH A CAPACITY OF 50,000 MT/YR OF TITANIA SLAG ARE PLANNED. WE SUGGEST INTERESTED US COMPANIES POSSESSING ANY OF THIS TECHNOLOGY CONTACT MR. K. SUBRAMANIAM, CHIEF PROJECT MANAGER, INDIAN RARE EARTHS LIMITED, BOMBAY. GOHEEN LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNN Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014