A project to explore for iron ore in the Nui Vi iron mine in Tran Yen District, Yen Bai Province has just been approved by the Prime Minister.

At the same time, a project to measure the capacity of the Thanh Son coal mine in Son Dong District, Bac Giang Province was passed by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.

Under the decisions, the exploration projects will be implemented immediately at the end of 2008.

According to officials, the exploration projects will soon be wrapped up, as the mines are open, and it will not take much time to measure the mines’ reserves.

The Provincial People’s Committees of Yen Bai and Bac Giang have been entrusted to select competent investors for exploration projects.

After the explorations are finished, the results will be sent to the Reserve Assessment Commission, who will then decide on exploitation of the mines.

According to experts, the reserves of the two mines are promising.

The iron ore mine is expected to provide materials for the steel plant in the Yen Bai Southern Industrial Zone, while coal will serve power plants and other industries in and around the province of Bac Giang, said officials.

Source: DDDN

Translated by Thu Nguyen