(Minews) - Mineral industries account for 45% of industries in the western Hamedan Province, according to chairman of Hamedan Mine House, Rahim Mortezai.
Hamedan has 280 operational mines and proven mineral reserves of 1.7 billion tons, representing 2.83% of the country’s total mineral reserves, he said.
The province has a wide range of mineral reserves, including iron ore, copper ore, mica, andalusite, garnet, granites and lime, Mehr News Agency quoted him as saying.
The country’s largest volcanic silica and feldspar reserves are located in Hamedan, Mortezai noted, adding that 19 silica mines as well as 35 silica crushing and grading facilities are active in the province.
He called for the establishment of new silica and feldspar processing facilities in Hamedan, noting that currently minerals are transported more than 700 kilometers to be processed in other provinces such as Yazd and Isfahan.
Mortezai said the 5,320 mines in the country currently extract 400 million tons of minerals annually.
“The mining sector in Iran accounts for 32% of non-oil exports and 25% of the stock market,” the official observed.
Noting that only about 7% of the country’s mineral resources have so far been explored, he said revenues from the sector could exceed $700 billion by expanding mineral explorations to depths of more than 50 meters.
