404 Mines Active and 33 Units Returned to Production Cycle in Iran
The Director General of Industry, Mine and Trade of West Azerbaijan announced the activity of 404 mines out of a total of 512 identified mines in the province, proven reserves of 20 billion tons of mineral materials, and the collection of nearly 2 trillion tomans in government royalties in the first half of this year.
According to a report by Mining News, Sekhavat Khirkhah added: To activate these mines, public auctions are held, and over the past 18 months, with the holding of 3 auctions, 33 inactive mines in the province have returned to the activity cycle.
The Director General of Industry, Mine and Trade of West Azerbaijan, regarding mineral reserves in the province, said: More than 20 billion tons of proven mineral reserves have been identified in the province’s mines, with an annual extraction capacity of 20 million tons, and with the completion of explorations that are continuously underway, these reserves will increase.
He added: This year, it is predicted that nearly 3,000 billion tomans (3 trillion tomans) in government royalties will be collected from the province’s mines and deposited into the national treasury.
Khirkhah added: In the first 6 months of this year, nearly 2 trillion tomans in government royalties were collected from mine operators and deposited into the national treasury.
He added: In the first 6 months of this year, with the acceleration and finalization of closing reports and the holding of public auctions, 38 mining licenses have been issued, and 33 mines have been activated and returned to the activity cycle over the past year.
The Director General of Industry, Mine and Trade of the province noted: 509 people have been employed in the activated mines, while more than 5,000 people are employed in the province’s mines.
Khirkhah, stating that 197 decorative stone mines have been identified in the province, said: Decorative stones constitute 39% of the province’s mines.
Stating that 147 decorative stone mines are active, he said: Decorative stone mines have 66 million tons of proven reserves, accounting for 3.5% of the province’s total proven mine reserves, and with annual extraction of 2 million tons, decorative stone mines account for a 10% share of the province’s total mine extraction.