The stagnant mining areas of Kerman, a neglected treasure

Kerman- Kerman's vast mineral fields, some of which have been stagnant for years and have not been assigned a task, are considered a hidden wealth that can help the development of this province.

Ambassador Arjan - Group of Provinces: Kerman Province, as the largest province in the country, is considered one of the richest regions of Iran in terms of mineral reserves, with diverse and extensive mineral reserves.

The definite reserves of minerals in this province are estimated to be around 8 billion tons, of which 93.5% are allocated to four minerals: copper, iron ore, coal and chromite.

The annual mining volume of Kerman province is more than 140 million tons, and Kerman alone provides about 40% of the country's mining rights.

The variety of minerals in Kerman is unique. Copper in the source of Rafsanjan and Shahrbabak, coal in Zarand, Kuhbanan and Raver, iron ore in Sirjan and Zarand, chromite in Esfandah, Faryab and Soghan, and titanium mineral in the south of the province, constitute only a part of this huge capacity.

Currently, there are about 550 active mines in the province, and Kerman ranks first in the country in terms of the volume of reserves, the amount of extraction and added value.

stagnant areas; The wealth that remains in a coma

Despite this stunning potential, a significant part of Kerman province's mineral capacity has remained stagnant or undecided.

There are about 900 closed, semi-closed, stagnant and undecided mines in Kerman province, and other statistics indicate that currently about 1,500 mining areas in Kerman province remain closed and undecided.

These stagnant areas are mainly owned by large mining companies that have not taken any action to activate them despite their considerable financial power.

Mining areas in the south and east of Kerman are the key to development

Expressing his concern about this situation, the governor of Kerman, in a conversation with Mehr's reporter, said: these areas should either be activated by the companies themselves, or by assigning them to qualified sub-categories and contractors, the basis for their exploitation should be provided.

Mohammad Ali Talebi added: If these mineral zones are activated, they can lead to the elimination of deprivation and development of Chenob and the east of Kerman province.

Referring to the extensive mineral capacities in Kerman province, he said: We must create wealth by creating mineral and industrial chains and preventing crude sales in the province, and provide opportunities for the development of employment and the creation of secondary wealth.

Talebi continued: The companies that do not operate in the assigned mining areas should be removed and handed over to the companies that are active.

He said: These areas can create a great economic transformation in Kerman province, but they remain locked up and this is not acceptable, and the follow-up is being done in order to determine the role of these mining areas.

Investigating the reasons for the stagnation of mineral zones

An expert in the field of mining also said in a conversation with Mehr: There are many reasons for the stagnation of these areas, the most important of which can be categorized in several axes, firstly, financing problems are known as one of the most serious obstacles.

Mohammad Nazimzadeh added: This problem exists in the sector of small companies, but large mining companies do not have a problem in this field.

Criticizing the non-responsiveness of banking resources to the needs of the mining sector, he stated: Due to the low ceiling of payments and limited resources, modern mining equipment cannot be purchased with the current facilities.

Stating that the misinterpretation of the laws has led to the closure of a wide area of mining areas, he continued: citing Article 26 of the Executive Regulations of Mines, practically 80,000 square kilometers of the area of Kerman province have been removed from the reach of exploration activities, and this issue has become the basis for the emergence of dealers and the blocking of areas.

Nazimzadeh added: complex administrative processes and the need to make numerous inquiries have slowed down the process of assigning and activating zones; Although efforts have been made in recent years to reduce these processes, significant bureaucratic obstacles still remain.

He said: Selling raw materials as a harmful model in the mining industry of Kerman has caused the added value of minerals to be transferred to other regions instead of staying in the province.

He added: In the case of chromite, despite significant reserves, processing plans have not been implemented so far, and most of this mineral is taken out of Kerman province in raw form.

The huge economic capacity of activating stagnant areas

He stated: The activation of stagnant mining areas can become a driving engine for the economic development of Kerman province, and experience shows that every large mining project brings a chain of direct and indirect employment. For example, only 11 big projects in the province's mines and mineral industries sector with a credit of 72 thousand billion Tomans have provided direct employment for about 1,100 people.

Nazimzadeh added: The activation of 900 stagnant mines and 1,500 closed areas can create more job opportunities than these numbers.

According to this expert in the field of mining, from the point of view of government revenues, Kerman currently provides about 40% of the government rights of the country's mines, and with the activation of stagnant zones and the increase in the volume of mining and processing, the province's share of these revenues will increase significantly.

He added: These resources can be invested in the infrastructure of Kerman province, including transportation, health and education. Also, in addition, the development of processing industries and completion of the added value chain can prevent the raw sale of minerals and create multiple added value for the province.

Natemzadeh continued: By activating the stagnant mines and directing the extracted materials to the transformation industries, Kerman can turn from a supplier of raw materials into a hub for the production of finished mineral products.

Forming a special working group to identify inactive mineral areas

In a conversation with Mehr's reporter, the deputy director of civil affairs coordination of Kerman governor said: The inactivity of mining fields is not acceptable, because some companies have the ability to activate these fields.

Ali Asghar Zakari Harandi announced the formation of a working group to identify this area and determine their duties and added: This working group has started its work with newness and makes decisions for the activation of these areas with the participation of experts and related institutions.

He said: Closing mines for more than six months is unacceptable and this issue has already been communicated to the companies and the wealth of the country should not be neglected.

All in all, what is needed today is a serious determination to overcome the financial, administrative and legal obstacles and determine the urgent task of the stagnant areas.

The experience of the past years shows that without the practical will and coordination between the custodian institutions, the mineral wealth of Kerman will remain in prison and the province will be deprived of its benefits.

Activating these capacities is not a choice, but an inevitable necessity for sustainable development and job creation in Kerman province.