The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) says it is expanding exploration operations of mines into the western regions of the country, Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.
After the ministry of industry, mine, and trade issued permits for exploration operations through the western provinces of Kurdistan, Zanjan, and West Azarbaijan, such operations will be carried out in the new Iranian year (started March 21) , said Mehdi Karbasian, the IMIDRO head.
Karbasian, who is also a deputy industry minister, added that the new explorations are in fact the extension of the operations which began last Iranian calendar year in the eastern half of the country which covered provinces such as Sistan and Baluchestan, South Khorasan, Kerman, Yazd, and some parts of Isfahan.
The vast operations in the eastern areas began last year with the aim of exploring 200,000 square kilometers of the country over a course of three years based on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) the IMIDRO signed with the ministry of Industry, mine and trade, and the Geological Survey of Iran in December 2013. The IMIDRO said last month that it was ahead of schedule, having explored 188,000 square kilometers during the 11 months of past Iranian calendar year.
According to Karbasian, over the past years, only one seventh of the country was explored despite the great potential of iron ore reserves in the country. The deputy minister added that the new exploration operations will make Iran self-sufficient in iron ore.
