Mineral extraction in Mahabad increased 2.5 times
Head of Mines Affairs of Mahabad Industry, Mining and Trade Department: Last year, 832,254 tons of various minerals were extracted from the active mines of this city, which was accompanied by a 2.5-fold increase compared to the same period of the previous year.
According to the International Iranian Stone Exhibition, Ako Javanmardi, noting that 12 types of minerals are extracted in this city, added: "The most important and most extracted stones include limestone, iron ore, barite and silica ore, respectively."
He considered Mahabad as one of the main centers for the extraction of "barite" in the country and said: Last year, more than 50,000 tons of barite, which is an effective material in the oil industry, was extracted from the mines of this city.
The head of Mahabad Mines stated: Barite is used in cooling and lubrication of drilling rigs, inner coating of oil wells, transfer of drilling materials into the ground and control of abnormal pressures inside oil and gas wells.
Javanmardi mentioned the number of mines with valid licenses in Mahabad as 76 and said: the annual mining capacity of the mines of this city is more than 987 thousand tons and now 14 thousand and 848 tons of mineral reserves are estimated in the city.
He added: Last year, three mineral extraction licenses were issued in Mahabad.
He said that currently 18 mineral technology units are active in this city, he said: At present, 40% of the total extracted materials in this city are processed and the rest is sent to Tabriz and Isfahan due to lack of machinery.
According to the report, some of the city's mineral products, including decorative stones, travertine, marble and granite, are also exported to neighboring countries such as Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
There are 51 of the 68 types of minerals identified in the country in West Azerbaijan; Currently, 468 mines are active in the province and 5,122 people are directly working in the mines of this province.
* IRNA
