West Azerbaijan is the third largest province of the country in terms of mineral diversity
Deputy Minister of Mines and Minerals of the West Azerbaijan Organization for Trade, Mine and Trade said that fifty-one types of minerals have been identified and discovered in the province.
According to Iran's International Stone Exhibition, Parisa Abedpour said: "Sixty-eight types of minerals have been identified in the country, of which fifty-one are in exploration and exploitation in West Azerbaijan, including ornamental, gold , Chitan, Barite, Silica and Mineral Poke.
He pointed out that eighty percent of the province's mines are active, adding: "There are four hundred and sixty-nine active mines in West Azerbaijan, and we are in the seventh position in this regard.
He said: 5,500 people are working directly in the mines of West Azerbaijan.
Deputy Minister of Mines and Minerals of the West Azerbaijan Organization of Industry, Mining and Trade said that the reserves of the mines in the province are estimated to be more than 16,000 tons.
Abedpour announced the issuance of two hundred and fifty exploration licenses in West Azerbaijan and said that from this amount of thirty discovery certificates have been issued in the province this year, these discovery certificates will gradually become operational licenses.
He added: During the last year twenty-three million eight hundred twenty-seven thousand seven hundred fifty-three kilograms of minerals worth three million nine hundred and forty-seven thousand one hundred and seventy-three dollars from the customs of this province. Issued.
Referring to the implementation of mineral processing projects in recent years in West Azerbaijan, he said: There are currently three processing units operating in the north and south of the province, including Piranshahr, Travertine Takab and Poldasht marble.
He also said about the problems of mines in West Azerbaijan: Climatic and climatic conditions in this province have caused many mines in the province to be inactive for three to four months a year due to precipitation and cold weather and raw materials and the need for modernization of mining machinery. Improvements in mine performance are among the problems.
The West Azerbaijan mine area is covered by three zones of the country's twenty systematic exploration zones, including "Ashnoyeh-Khoy", "Marivan-Mahabad" and "Shahin-fortress-Mahnashan".
* IRNA
