TEHRAN- As announced by a provincial official, 40 idle mines were revived in the eastern South Khorasan province during the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

Abbas Jorjani, the head of the province’s Industry, Mining, and Trade Department, said that during the last six years, mines in South Khorasan province have been stagnant, inactive or semi-active for various reasons, and with the follow-ups done since last year, 40 mines have returned to the production cycle.

He said that several meetings have been held with the presence of exploiters for this purpose, adding that the mines activated by these exploiters are coal, copper, gold, granite, travertine, bentonite, and other mineral mines.

South Khorasan has a lot of potential in the field of mines and mining industries, and the proper use of these capacities can play an important role in developing employment, creating added value and generating income for the province, the official further noted.

The head of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) has announced that 253 idle small-scale mines were revived throughout the country in the previous Iranian calendar year.

According to Vajihollah Jafari, the plan for reviving idle mines in the previous year was realized by 126 percent.

Saying that the mentioned mines have been reactivated as part of a comprehensive program for reviving idle small mines across the country, Jafari also announced that under the framework of the mentioned program 200 mines are planned to be put back into operation in the current year.

The official noted that the successful implementation of the said program in the previous year was achieved despite the problems created by the outbreak of coronavirus.

Emphasizing that the above goals have been achieved as a result of productive cooperation among the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry, provincial industry organizations, Iran Mines houses, and private sector companies, Jafari noted that since the beginning of the program in March 2019 up to the end of the previous year, 303 mines have been revived.

As reported, under the framework of the mentioned program, 672 idle mines were identified and prioritized in the previous year, and diagnostic procedures were performed on 194 mines to determine the reasons for the halt in their production.

The program, which has been at the forefront of IMIDRO's missions over the past two years, is being pursued in several provinces.

Khodadad Gharibpour, IMIDRO’s former head had mentioned this plan as one of the most significant plans of “Resistance Economy”, saying that IMIDRO is strongly determined to carry out it.

Reviving the small mines not only is a major step for supporting and boosting domestic production, it also plays a significant role in job creation throughout the country, Gharibpour said back in June 2020.

Following this program, so far various small-scale mines including chromite, manganese, hematite, and dolomite, iron ore, copper, and construction stone mines have been surveyed by monitoring and diagnosing the problems of the mines and providing solutions for resolving their issues.

MA/MA