TEHRAN – Head of the explorations department of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) has announced the identification of 1,700 new promising mineral zones across the country, IRNA reported.
According to Ali Asgharzadeh, the mentioned regions cover a total area of 110,080 square kilometers.
The official noted that IMIDRO carried out reconnaissance and prospecting operations on over 478,343 square kilometers of land during the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), of which 66,000 square kilometers have been handed over to the private sector to be explored.
Noting that the necessary licenses for exploration must be issued for IMIDRO by the Industry, Mining and Trade Departments of the provinces in which the mines are located, Asqarzadeh said: “So far, IMIDRO has applied for exploration licenses for 492 regions with an area of 32,120 square kilometers.”
“Some 63 exploration licenses for various minerals such as lead and zinc, gold, copper, iron, coal, brine, etc. have been issued for IMIDRO and its subsidiaries, and exploration operations are being pursued in licensed areas,” he said.
“Also, licensing processes are underway for 30 zones, and discovery certificates have been issued for four regions,” he added.
Back in May 2020, the Iranian Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry had signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) with IMIDRO and the Geological Survey and Mineral Explorations of Iran (GSI) for expansion of the country’s mining sector.
Development of cooperation in the fields of exploration, extraction, and processing of minerals, utilization of capacities, experiences, and abilities of each sector, and attracting more investment from the country’s private sector and cooperatives in this industry were some of the main goals of the signed agreement.
IMIDRO is a major state-owned holding company active in the mining sector in Iran. The company has 55 operational subsidiaries active in steel, aluminum, copper, cement, and mineral exploitation fields.
The company is currently collaborating with major mining companies across the country including Khuzestan Steel Company, Mobarakeh Steel Company, Golgohar Mining, and Industrial Company, Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Company, and also Iran Minerals Production and Supply Company.
Due to the significant role of the mining sector in the country’s non-oil exports, the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry has been pursuing operational targets in the mining sector’s three major areas of exploration, extraction, and processing over the past few years.
EF/MA
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