The National Iranian Copper Industries Company and its subsidiaries, including Sungun Complex, Miduk Complex and Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex, produced an aggregate of 691,381 tons of copper concentrate during the first seven months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Oct. 22) to register a decrease of 1% compared with last year’s similar period.
Production in the month ending Oct. 22 stood at 101,712 tons going down 2% year-on-year, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization’s latest report shows.
Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex had the lion’s share with 409,510 tons, remaining unchanged YOY. Sungun Complex produced 197,008 tons, down 1% YOY as Miduk Complex produced 84,863 tons to witness an 8% drop YOY.
Meanwhile, Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex and Khatoon Abad Copper Refinery produced an aggregate of 182,818 tons of copper anode during the period under review, up 5% YOY. Sarcheshmeh had the biggest share with 136,571 tons, up 22% YOY. Khatoon Abad produced 46,247 tons, down by 26% YOY.
Copper anode production during the seventh month stood at 19,411 tons, down 31% YOY.
Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex and Miduk Complex produced a total of 154,211 tons of copper cathode during the period, up by 13% YOY. Again, Sarcheshmeh had the largest share with 99,097 tons as Miduk produced 55,114 tons.
Copper cathode output during the seventh month reached 21,790 tons, going up by 2% YOY.
A total of 4,632 tons of molybdenum were produced by Sarcheshmeh and Sungun (3,485 and 1,147 tons respectively) during the seven-month period, which indicates a 14% increase YOY.
Molybdenum output during the month to Oct. 22 totaled 659 tons, up by 20% YOY.
According to the United States Geological Survey, Iran holds the world's ninth largest copper reserves.
Exports of copper and downstream products last Iranian year (ended March 20) stood at 365,070 tons worth about $917.53 million, down by 52% in tonnage and up by 13% in value YOY.
The import of copper and downstream products stood at 1,870 tons worth $17.42 million, indicating a 93.3% and 90.7% decrease in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Copper and downstream products were the third major mineral commodity on the list of the country’s mineral trade.
A total of 56,000 tons of copper were exported from Iran during the first six months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Sept. 22), according to the managing director of National Iranian Copper Industries Company.
Ardeshir Sa'd-Mohammadi added that H1 exports exceeded the total volume of shipments in the last fiscal 2018-19 (at 47,000 tons).
According to the official, Iran’s copper output stood at 132,400 tons during the six-month period.
"Iran’s copper production is expected to exceed 260,000 tons by the end of the current fiscal year [March 19, 2020] and will exceed 300,000 tons next year [March 2020-21]," he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Iran's copper smelting capacity is expected to reach 400,000 tons–twice the current capacity–by the end of the current fiscal [March 2020], he added.
Taking into account the development of copper mines of Der Alo Copper Mine, Darezar Copper Mine and Khatoon Abad (all three in Kerman Province) as well as new explorations, Sa'd-Mohammadi believes the country’s copper reserves will last for the next 100 years at least.
On July 3, 1972, Kerman’s Sarcheshmeh Copper Mines Company was incorporated and in 1976 it was renamed National Iranian Copper Industries Company, which encompasses all operations of copper mines in the country.
The functions of this company include: To extract and operate copper mines; produce high-grade copper products such as cathode, slab, billet and 8-mm wires.
New Projects Inaugurated at Sarcheshmeh
Five industrial, mineral projects were inaugurated at Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex located in Rafsanjan County, Kerman Province, on Tuesday with a total investment of 751 billion rials ($6.61 million).
Among the projects were a sulfuric acid plant that was inaugurated in the presence of Industries Minster Reza Rahmani, Managing Director of the National Iranian Copper Industries Company Ardeshir Sa'd-Mohammadi as well as other officials from Rafsanjan County.
The plant has a production capacity of 610,000 tons per year and will create 200 jobs. A total of 450 billion rials ($3.96 million) were invested in this plant, IRNA reported.
Other projects inaugurated at Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex include:
* A project to increase capacity of waste thickeners at Sarcheshmeh with an investment of 250 billion rials ($2.2 million). The project has a capacity of harvesting 5.7 million square meters per year.
* A project to renovate anode furnace and casting wheel with an investment of 39 billion rials ($343,612). The project has the capacity for refining 250 tons of copper on each cycle and casting 50 tons per hour.
* A project related to transferring minerals to thickening plants with an investment of 12 billion rials ($105,726).
* A project related to smart alarm systems and mine management with an investment of 2 billion rials ($17,621).
Rahmani told ILNA that 15 trillion rials ($132.15 million) in total investments in Kerman Province pertain to copper projects.
The ministry is pursuing plans related to copper projects in the provinces of Kerman, Yazd, East Azarbaijan and Sistan-Baluchestan with a total investment of €2.5 billion, the minister said in the inaugural ceremony.
