Mehdiabad Lead, Zinc and Barite Mining Complex produced 283,868 tons of barite during the first three months of the current Iranian year (started March 20), which indicates a 74% rise compared with the corresponding period of last year, Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization reported on its website. Located in Yazd Province, Mehdiabad Mine holds one of the world’s largest deposits of zinc, lead and barite with 400 million tons of proven reserves, 70% of which are zinc and the rest are lead, silver and barite. Barite is primarily used as a weighting agent for drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration. Other uses include filler in paint and plastics, sound reduction in engine compartments, coat of automobile finished for smoothness and corrosion resistance, radiation-shielding cement, glass ceramics and medical applications.
