HUGE UNTAPPED WEALTH… IRAQ’S TOP 5 MINES

 HUGE UNTAPPED WEALTH… IRAQ’S TOP 5 MINES

Iraq’s five most prominent mines reveal a map of mineral wealth that remains untapped due to decades of security challenges that have led to the neglect of these resources.

According to a report published by the Energy Platform, Iraq’s most prominent minerals include “sulfur, phosphate, and rock salt, along with strategic minerals such as iron, manganese, zinc, and lead.” The report indicated that “despite the dominance of oil in the economy, Iraq boasts vast mineral resources concentrated in a number of mines.”
 
The platform stated in its report: “The mining sector in Iraq has been marginalized for decades due to political and security tensions. However, recent years have witnessed increased interest in revitalizing this vital sector. The Iraqi government is currently attempting to attract international investment to revive these mines, particularly with the move to diversify the economy away from its reliance on oil.”
She added: “Geological data and surveys indicate that Iraq possesses vast reserves of important ores such as sulfur, phosphate, rock salt, iron, and manganese, some of which are ranked among the largest in the world. International reports also reveal that Iraq holds the world’s largest reserves of free sulfur, in addition to significant reserves of silica sand.”
 
Energy highlighted the five most prominent mines in Iraq, which form a unique geological map that could position Iraq among the region’s leading mineral-producing countries.

Al-Mashraq Mine

The Mishraq mine is one of the largest natural sulfur mines in the world, containing vast reserves of natural sulfur close to the Earth’s surface. Sulfur is extracted from the mine by fusion and is used in the fertilizer, petroleum product, and water treatment industries.
 
According to Energy, “exploitation of the mine began in the 1960s and reached its peak in the 1970s, but ceased after 2003. Despite plans to rehabilitate it, the mine remains out of service. The mine consists of three fields. The first field’s reserves are estimated at 23.5 million tons, the second field’s reserves are 65.8 million tons, and the third field’s reserves are 224 million tons.”
 
The Mishraq mine suffered extensive damage during the ISIS era, when the group set fire to sulfur storage facilities in 2016, causing a rare environmental disaster.
 
 

Akashat Mine

The Akashat mine, located in Anbar Governorate, is one of the richest phosphate deposits in the Middle East, with total reserves estimated at more than 7 billion tons, making it one of the top five mines in Iraq.
 
She said: “The extracted phosphate is used in the manufacture of fertilizers, phosphoric acid, and animal feed, and its reserves in the western desert of Iraq are estimated at more than 10 billion tons.”
 
The mine includes an open quarry, a processing plant, and a railway line connecting it to the Al-Qaim plant. However, the infrastructure has been damaged by wars and terrorism, halting production for many years. Efforts are underway to restart the mine through investment partnerships .
 
 

Samawah Mine

 
The Samawah mine, located in Muthanna Governorate in southern Iraq, is “one of the five most prominent mines in Iraq specializing in extracting rock salt. The salt ore there is distinguished by its high quality and pure sedimentary composition, and is used in the food and chemical industries,” according to what the “Energy” platform reviewed.
 
She added, “The mine operates intermittently and is managed by the General Company for Mining Industries. It suffers from a lack of investment, but it covers a significant portion of the local market’s needs, with the potential to develop it into a regional center for salt exports.”
 

Iron and manganese

Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the Kurdistan Region has “promising areas for iron deposits, particularly in Qara Dagh and Birspi, where sedimentary rocks contain hematite and magnetite ores at concentrations ranging from 30 to 45%.”
 
Despite these positive indicators, according to the Energy report, “none of these mines have been commercially exploited yet. Manganese is found in areas such as Soran and Dohuk, but exploration is still preliminary. Factors such as the lack of infrastructure and transportation, in addition to weak financing, represent the most significant obstacles to developing these sites.”

Zinc and lead

 
The Ministry of Energy explained that “there are indications of the presence of good-quality zinc and lead deposits within MVT-type replacement carbonate formations in mountainous areas near the Turkish and Iranian borders, such as Mergasor, Zakho, and Qalaat Diza.”
 
“The main minerals there include galena and sphalerite, along with barite and fluorite. Despite the presence of these resources, the mines have not yet been exploited, but they represent a golden opportunity for Iraq’s future plans to develop the mining sector.”