Tamil Nadu is the leading holder of country's resources of vermiculite, magnetite, dunite, rutile, garnet, molybdenum and ilmenite. The State accounts for the country's 81% lignite,75% vermiculite, 69% dunite, 59% garnet, 52% molybdenum and 30% titanium minerals resources. Important minerals that are found to occur in the State are as follows:

Baxuite in Tamil Nadu

• Bauxite in Dindigul, Namakkal, Nilgiris & Salem districts; 

• Dunite/pyroxenite in Salem district; 

• Felspar in Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Kanchipuram, Karur, Namakkal, Salem & Tiruchirapalli districts;

• Fireclay in Cuddalore, Kanchipuram, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Thiruvallur, Tiruchirapalli, Vellore & Villupuram districts; 

• Garnet in Ramanathapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruvarur, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur & Tirunelveli districts; 

• Granite in Dharmapuri, Erode, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Salem, Thiruvannamalai, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore & Villupuram districts; 

• Graphite in Madurai, Ramnathapuram, Shivganga & Vellore districts;  

• Gypsum in Coimbatore, Perambalur, Ramnathapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi & Virudhunagar districts. Similarly, occurrences of minerals, such as

• Lignite deposits are located in Cuddalore Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam & Ramanathapuram districts; 

• Limestone in Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Kanchipuram, Karur, Madurai, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Perambalur, Ramnathapuram, Salem, Thiruvallur, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Villupuram & Virudhunagar districts; 

• Magnesite in Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Karur, Namakkal, Nilgiri, Salem, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli & Vellore districts;

• Quartz/silica sand in Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode, Kanchipuram, Karur, Madurai, Namakkal, Periyar, Perambalur, Salem, Thiruvallur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchirapalli, Villupuram, Virudhunagar & Vellore districts; 

• Talc/ steatite/soapstone in Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchirapalli & Vellore districts; 

• Titanium minerals in Kanyakumari, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thiruvallur, Tirunelveli & Thoothukudi districts; 

• Vermiculite in Dharmapuri, Tiruchirapalli & Vellore districts; 

• Zircon in Kanyakumari district have been established. Other minerals that occur in the State are apatite in Dharmapuri & Vellore districts; 

• Barytes in Erode, Madurai, Perambalur, Tirunelveli & Vellore districts; 

• Bentonite in Chengai-Anna district; 

• Calcite in Salem district; 

• China Clay in Cuddalore, Dharampuri, Kanchipuram, Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Thiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchirapalli & Villupuram districts; 

• Chromite in Coimbatore & Salem districts; 

• Copper, lead-zinc and silver in Villupuram district;

• Corundum and gold in Dharmapuri district; 

• Dolomite in Salem & Tirunelveli districts; 

• Emerald in Coimbatore district; 

• Iron ore (magnetite) in Dharmapuri, Erode, Nilgiris, Salem, Thiruvannamalai, Tiruchirapalli & Villupuram districts; 

• Kyanite in Kanyakumari & Tirunelveli districts; 
  

• Molybdenum in Dharmapuri, Dindigul & Vellore districts; 

• Pyrite in Vellore district; 

• Sillimanite in Kanyakumari, Karur & Tirunelveli districts; 

• Tungsten in Madurai & Dindigul districts; 

• Wollastonite in Dharmapuri & Tirunelveli districts. Districtwise reserves/resources of lignite are provided

• Petroleum and natural gas deposits are located in Cauvery basin

Sources:

1. Government Of India, Geological Survey Of India, Geology And Mineral Resources Of The States Of India Part VI – Tamil Nadu And Pondicherry
2. Indian Minerals Yearbook 2011,  Government Of India Ministry Of Mines,  Indian Bureau Of Mines Indira Bhavan, Civil Lines, Nagpur – 440 00
3. Department of  Economics and Statistics, Chennai-6