Iron ore has been mined at Gol Gohar for an estimated 900 years; a large underground mine and smaller open-pit mine in the center of the area used to exist as traces of historical mining activity, but activity since the 20th century has mostly erased these traces. An estimated 350,000 tons of iron ore were extracted from the old mines at Gol Gohar over the course of their existence. In 1969, the Iran Barite Company began exploratory work at the Gol Gohar site; this was then delegated to the National Iranian Steel Industries Co. (or NISIC), a
government corporation that now operates under the name
National Iran Steel Company. NISIC then entered into a joint venture with the Swedish company
Granges International Mining to continue exploring the deposits. Exploratory drillings began in 1975 on 6 different areas, and mining activity began in 1994. == Geology ==