Iran has plans for carrying out mining exploration projects over 240,000 sq km across 12 provinces in the biggest development attempt seen in the sector, said a senior official, in a report.

The effort is in line with Iran's bid to move toward high-end processed products and do away with sales of raw materials, Mehdi Karbasian, Deputy Industries, Mines and Trade Minister, was quoted a saying in an Iran Daily report, citing Press TV.

The country is courting international prospectors into a sector which boasts some of the world's most enormous riches but remains vastly underdeveloped in the shadow of its sprawling oil industry, added Karbasian, who is also the head of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO),

He said that the 240,000 sq km of exploration work in 12 provinces of the country has been put on the agenda as a big national project that can doubly help the development and processing of minerals.