"الجيولوجيا والموارد المعدنية في كلٍ من محافظة ظفار ومسقط وعُمان" [ظ‎‎٤‎٤] (٩٦/٧٨)

62
f
up this wadi there should be no difficulty in getting fresh water
(and I pointed out a place for a well to the State Engineer). Jt
not possible to say what the yield of such a well might be, but at
a rough minimum, a quarter of a cusec (about 125,000 gallons a day)
may be assumed as’the dry, hot weather yield. This, at 25 gallons
a head, would supply 5,000 people, which is what the chemical
works (with salt works) would probably employ or have in its colony
at Risut. The existing marsh could, in my opinion, be suitable
engineered into a reservoir holding a considerable reserve of water
(impounded from the flood discharge down the wadi). The catch
ment of this wadi system is perhaps not less than 200 square miles
so that with a rainfall of 12 inches and a run-off of 25% the flood or
run-off water should be roughly over 180 million cubic feet (approxi
mately 10,000 million gallons). If the reservoir could be made to
hold such a quantity, or even a quarter of the amount, there would
be ample water, mainly under gravity conditions, for a great chemical
works of the standard of Mithapur. However, I am certain that the
water-supply problem will not be difficult and will also be a more
satisfactory and cheaper project than is the case with Mithapur in
Okhamandal, Kathiawar.
96. It is in regard to its Limestone that a chemical works
producing Soda Ash will have its chief problem. Mithapur uses a
great deposit of dead corals’ at site. This material is of very
good chemical quality, as seen in the average analysis below:— '
Silica (insolubles)
Iron oxide
Alumina ..
Sodium chloride
Combined water
Moisture
Undetermined including Magnes
95-94%
2 - 22 %
0-16%
0-60%
0 - 12 %
0-72%
0-35%
1-99%
the Sa*”h* S material . is com pared with the analysis oi
the Salalah Mihohtic, its superiority is evident, but if the Rizat
foaraeranf Sfif >" s ?, uth l en ; slo P es of the J abal Q ara ) are studied
suneri l! ' ls . evKlent that Dhufar possesses Limestone fai
from the aval h ble at Ml .thapur. It is true that the distance
transnort HiSh! ? • R ' SUt 18 25 t0 30 miles b y road > still this
chemfcal nuritv ? ‘I, m ° le than count erbalanced, first by the
hdls Umestones Th ! 50 ^ superior physical condition of the Qara
the Carbon dimride i s ' V1 become clear when it is remembered that
100 feet or so hi»h ; S re< t ulIXf and > 1,1 consequence, a giant kiln,
00 feet or so high, is necessary for calcination (with coke as fuel).