Precious Metals Extracted
Explorations are being conducted in the eastern regions of the southern province of Hormuzgan for nickel and chromite, announced the director for exploitation affairs at the State Geology and Mineral Exploration Organization.
Behrouz Borna was quoted by the Persian daily 'Donyay-e Eqtesad' as saying that an area stretching from eastern Hormuzgan province to southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province is being studied for nickel and chromite deposits.
Chromite, an oxide mineral in the spinel group, is used as a refractory material while the silvery white metal nickel is used in many industrial and consumer products, including stainless steel, magnets, coinage, and special alloys.
The official further stated that explorations are planned in each province according to its geological characteristics.
He said that research has begun along Persian Gulf and Oman Sea coasts to identify deposits of minerals and metals, particularly magnesium.
Borna recalled that mineral exploration in Orumieh Lake has been suspended due to biological concerns.
The official earlier expressed Iran's readiness to cooperate with Afghanistan in exploration its rich mineral mines which have largely remained untapped.
He said the neighboring country possesses huge reserves of 200 ppm gold, adding the reserves of Afghanistan could be studied further given the capabilities of Iranian experts in gold explorations.
There is no complied scientific data about Afghan mines because western countries who earlier conducted exploration activities in the area did not publish any report on their works.
Meanwhile, a student of Amir Kabir University of Technology has succeeded in extracting a group of precious and rare metals from ore.
In an interview with IRNA, Sediqeh Cheraghpour stated that metals containing yttrium, cerium and lantanium can be used in manufacturing superconductors and satellites.
"Adding these elements to jet fuel will reduce environment pollution," she said.
She has studied over one thousand ores in Yazd province to extract slag elements including calcium, magnesium, aluminum and 2000 ppm iron.
© Iran Daily 2007
