According to the Public Relations Department of the Kurdistan Gold Mines Development Company, and as stated by Seyyed Mousavi, the company’s Mining Affairs Manager, exploratory drilling operations at the Qolqoleh gold mine in Saqqez commenced on June 9, 2024, with the deployment of two core drilling rigs.
Dr. Seyyed Zaniar Seyyed Mousavi announced: "As per the planned schedule, 8,000 meters of core drilling and 2,000 meters of Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling will be conducted in collaboration with the Sadr Tamin Exploration and Drilling Company. The goal of this operation is to complete block model data across the mine's four zones and conduct exploration during extraction activities. This initiative is set to be implemented over a six-month period."
The Mining Affairs Manager of the Kurdistan Gold Mines Development Company added: "The existing exploration data for this mining area includes part of the activity by the Geological Survey of Iran in the 2000s (8,200 meters), part of it from the exploration activities of the Kurdistan Gold Company in the mid-2010s (4,500 meters), and another part from the exploration activities of the Kurdistan Gold Company in 2024 (8,200 meters). This has been achieved through approximately 21,000 meters of exploration drilling."
Seyyed Mousavi concluded: "In 2024, following the guidance of the Supreme Leader, which has been named as the year of 'Production Leap with People’s Participation,' we plan to make a significant leap in discovering mineral reserves in the Kurdistan region by utilizing specialized manpower, modern exploration methods, and advanced equipment."
It is worth mentioning that the execution of operations in the Kurdistan Gold Mines Development Company, aimed at completing the studies and increasing the proven and probable reserves at the Qalqala Gold Mine, was resumed in 2024 after a 7-year hiatus in the mining sector. Given the sensitivity of the extraction plan and the continuous supply of feed to the factory, the planning is focused on determining the proven reserves of the Qalqala Gold Mine according to international standards (JORC system) by the end of 2024.
