According to the Iran International Stone Exhibition, the West Azerbaijan-Western mining area is covered by three zones of the country's 20 systematic exploration zones, including Oshnoyeh-Khoi, Marivan-Mahabad and Shahin-e-Mahneshan. Fifty-one minerals are the third largest in the country, and in terms of mineral reserves, with one billion and two hundred and fourteen million tons of mineral reserves, it is the seventh largest country in the country.

The employment of more than five thousand people in the mining sector of West Azerbaijan and investment in addition to three hundred and sixty-six billion tomans in this sector has made this province an important hub of the province's economic sector.

The existence of two gold mines, "Zarshuran" and "Aghdareh" in Takab, has made West Azerbaijan one of the country's golden provinces, with a total of 1,055 tons of gold being extracted annually from these two units for processing.

On the other hand, being close to Turkey, Iraq and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, finding target markets in these countries and other countries in the region will provide the ground for further flourishing of the mining and mineral products sector in West Azerbaijan.

Annual extraction of 17 million tons of minerals in West Azerbaijan

Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Industries of the West Azerbaijan Industry, Mining and Trade Organization said: "The definite reserves of mines in this province are estimated at more than one billion two hundred and fourteen million tons and more than seventeen million tons of minerals are extracted annually in the province."

Parisa Abedpour, pointing out that more than thirty-six thousand six hundred and sixty-seven billion rials have been invested in the province's mines so far, added: "Currently, fifty-one types of minerals have been identified and discovered in West Azerbaijan. In terms of mineral diversity, it ranks third in the country.

He said: "Currently, sixty-eight types of minerals have been identified in the country, of which fifty-one are under exploration and exploitation in West Azerbaijan. .

He pointed out that fifty percent of the mines in Azerbaijan and the West are active, adding: "There are four hundred and eighty-one mines in this province, of which two hundred and eighty-five mines are active, and in this respect the province is in the seventh place in the country." .

Regarding the direct employment of the province's mining sector, the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Industries of the West Azerbaijan Mining Industry, Mining and Trade Organization said: "Currently, more than five thousand one hundred and thirty-nine people are directly working in the mines of West Azerbaijan."

Abedpour added: "There are two hundred valid exploration licenses in West Azerbaijan, of which thirty discovery certificates have been issued in the province over the past year, and these discovery certificates will gradually become exploitation licenses."

Referring to the implementation of mining processing projects in recent years in West Azerbaijan, he said: "Currently, three processing units located in mines in the north and south of the province are active, which includes Piranshahr Chinese, Takab travertine and Poldasht marble."

Extraction of one thousand and thirty-five tons from gold mines

The expert in charge of statistics of the Deputy Minister of Mining of the Industry, Mining and Trade Organization of West Azerbaijan also said: more than one thousand and thirty-five tons of gold is extracted from mines in this province annually, of which six hundred and sixty tons belong to "Zarshuran" gold mine (the largest mine). Middle Eastern gold) and three hundred and seventy-five tons have been extracted from the Aqdara mine in Takab.

Mahsa Eslami, referring to the implementation of the 40-hectare development plan last year at the Zarshuran gold mine in Takab, added: "This year, the Aghdereh gold mine does not have a development plan, but the Zarshuran development development plan is being pursued by the Mines and Mining Industries Development Organization."

He said: "During the previous years, mining operations and the construction of a gold processing unit in an area of ​​100 hectares of the" Zarshuran "gold mine in Takab had started, and the plan to develop forty hectares last year has been added to this amount."

Referring to other measures taken at the Zarshouran gold mine in Takab, he added: "Optimization, factory processing systems with a focus on increasing efficiency, performing reverse engineering and manufacturing all parts and equipment of the plant, reviewing and evaluating the extraction of associated metals (Antimuan and Titanium, in partnership with higher education institutions to carry out student projects, the feasibility study of arsenic separation and extraction studies, and the plan to establish a research and development center across the country.

He added: "Zarshouran" gold mine in Takab is the largest gold mine in the Middle East, which has 30% of the country's gold reserves, and currently about seven hundred people are working in this mine and its gold factory.

He said: The first phase of the project to build a gold processing and extraction plant "Zarshuran" with an investment of about two thousand billion rials and the nominal annual production capacity of three tons of gold was put into operation in November 2014.

Zarshuran gold mine is located next to a village of the same name in the city of Takab in the south of West Azerbaijan, and with one hundred and ten tons of pure gold reserves, it has the highest gold production capacity in the country.

The Zarshuran gold production plant, which was built next to the mine, is the largest gold production unit in the country.

High cost of maintenance of mining machinery

The technical manager of the Azagh Mahabad brothers' mines also said: "The cost of repairing and maintaining the mining machinery is very high, and if a few worn-out parts need to be repaired, it will cost the miners a lot and no institution will help the miner."

"Samrand Gololani" pointed out that the purchase of parts abroad is done at a very high price and in cash, adding: "This is while the money from the sale of minerals is paid to the miner after more than six months."

He added: "Because the number of skilled repairmen of mining tools and machines in the region is small, the repairman must come to the region from Tehran and Isfahan for an additional fee, and this also adds to the costs of the miners."

"One of the main problems for Azerbaijani-Western miners is that even some of the executive organs of the province buy the stone they need from producers in other provinces," said the technical manager of the Azagh Mahabad brothers' mines.

Referring to the problems of exporting minerals, Glolani said: "Some countries in the region, including Turkey, have passed the three-fold tariff on Iranian granite ore and the competition in this field has been eliminated."

Regarding the problem of miners with the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Departments, he added: "When registering a natural resource exploration license, it only allows one hectare as a broker, and if the mining unit wants to increase its broker, it will take two years."

Referring to other problems of Azerbaijani and Western mines, he said: "Climatic and climatic conditions in this province have caused many mines in the province to be unable to operate for three to four months of the year due to rain and cold weather and need to modernize mining machinery to improve performance." Mines are one of these problems.

Production of more than forty percent of the country's total barite in Mahabad mines

The head of Mahabad mining affairs, stating that more than forty percent of the country's total barite is produced as an effective material in the oil industry in Mahabad, added: 3,380 tons of barite ore has been extracted from the mines of this city since the beginning of this year. That's twenty-five percent less than the same period last year.

Ako Javanmardi added: "Currently, seventeen of the thirty-three active mines in the city are barite, and more than ninety thousand tons of this mineral are extracted annually in this city."

He added: "This material is used in cooling and lubricating drilling rigs, internal lining of oil wells, transferring materials from drilling into the ground and controlling abnormal pressures inside oil and gas wells."

He continued: "Barite powder is sometimes added to water and clay solutions and is widely used due to the beneficial properties of this mixture, such as heavy, neutral in terms of chemical composition and relatively cheap price."

Javanmardi, stating that currently twelve types of minerals are extracted from the mines of this city, added: One hundred and thirty-six thousand six hundred and fifty-one tons of minerals were extracted from the mines of this city in the first three months of this year. The same period last year shows an increase of one hundred and forty-six percent.

He said: "Currently, there are thirty-two active mines, twenty-five inactive mines and sixteen mines operating in Mahabad, in which more than two hundred and fifty people are directly and more than five hundred people are indirectly working." This city has become one of the mineral poles of the country and the province.

Despite the problems facing the mines of West Azerbaijan, the mining of gold, barite, titanium and decorative stone is one of the most important mineral capabilities in the province, which has a high capacity to create jobs, although in previous years this capacity It has been neglected, but with well-planned planning and investment attraction in this area, it can play an important role in the economy of West Azerbaijan.

Iran ranks tenth in the world in terms of mineral diversity with the discovery of sixty-eight types of materials, and ranks 15th in terms of identified reserves with about sixty billion tons, of which nearly forty billion tons are definite reserves and the rest possible. Has dedicated itself.

* IRNA