TEHRAN – Over 45 percent of Iran’s decorative and building stone mines are currently idle and are considered to be revived under an Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry’s program for re-opening such mines, IRNA reported on Monday.

According to the Ministry’s data, the number of decorative and construction stone mines in the country currently stands at 2,072, of which 1,081 or 55 percent are active.

Iran is currently extracting only one percent of its mineral reserves, while according to international standards, this amount should be about five percent.

Official data show that Iran holds about 60 billion tons of mineral reserves, of which about 40 billion tons are definite reserves.

According to the official statistics from the Ministry of Industry, the country's annual production capacity of decorative and building stones is over 30 million tons.

Iranian mines managed to produce 13.5 million tons of stone in the Iranian calendar year 1397 (March 2018-March 2019) putting the country among the top five stone-producing countries in the world.

The annual production capacity of processed (facade) stone is also reported to be 180 million square meters and the production is at about 80 to 85 million square meters.

Iran exported $350 million worth of decorative and facade stones during the Iranian calendar year 1397.

Iranian stone industry has high potential, proper reserves, color variation, and superior quality compared to rivals, but it needs support and incentives to realize these potentials.

Producing 10 tons of gold set on agenda for 6th Five-Year Plan

Also according to the Industry Ministry’s data, cumulative gold production in Iran is set to reach 10 tons during the country’s Sixth Five-Year National Development Plan (2016-2021).

The total explored gold reserves in the country are estimated at about 300 tons, the data suggest.

Iran's gold reserves are located on 10 zones, most of which are located in Takab, Dashkasan, Mouteh, Astaneh and eastern zones of Iran, including Tungsten, Polymetal, Binaloud, copper and gold metallurgy field of Deh-Salam Khosef, the goldfield of Antimoan, and polymetal metallurgy field of Khash - Zahedan.

EF/MA