Occurrence of xenotime in the Narasapur beach placers, West Godavari District, AP

Xenotime has been identified in the beach placers of India from Narasapur, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. It occurs in 63 and 73 μm size mode, strewn in rear and inter dunes and distributed vertically down to investigated depth of 10–12 m. The average heavy mineral content in this coast is 14.7 % within which the xenotime grade varies from 0.09 to 1.32% (average 0.61%). Though many possible source rocks exist within the Eastern Ghat Mobile Belt (EGMB), the bipyramidal shape and fine size of xenotime indicates high temperature of formation leading to the surmise that granite and granite pegmatites in the EGMB are the source.