Low limestone supplies to pinch cement firms

North 3,043.94 East1,176.31 West8,782.56 South 9,472.82

Classification of cement-grade limestone reserves
Category	Reserves (in mt)	Share (in %)
Proven	22,476	23
Probable	19,031.00	20
Possible	55,923.00	57

 As sizeable quantities of proven limestone reserves are located in inaccessible areas (terrains, reserved forests, bio-zones, coastal regulatory zones), the reserves available for the cement industry are estimated to be less than 50 per cent of the gross cement-grade limestone reserves.  As in March 2006, the reserves of cement-grade limestone in the country were estimated at 97,430 million tonnes. However, of this, only 22,476 million tonnes (23 per cent) are of the proven category, while the rest are of the probable and the possible categories.