Iran Mineral Output Up 13%

Major Iranian mining companies produced 28.02 million tons of mineral products during the one-month period ending April 20, indicating a 13% growth compared with last year’s similar period, according to the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization’s latest report.

Iran Upstream Steel Sector

Iron ore concentrate had the biggest share in Iran’s mineral production during the period with 2.986 million tons, registering a 63.89% growth year-on-year.

Gologhar Mining and Industrial Complex accounted for 1.05 million tons of the total output, followed by Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 849,569 tons, Iran Central Iron Ore Company with 405,262 tons, Middle East Mines and Mining Industries Development Holding Company with 234,329 tons, Goharzamin Iron Ore Company with 270,197 tons and Opal Parsian Sangan with 176,549 tons.

The above companies posted double-digit growth with the exception of Gohar Zamin and MIDHCO. The former had no production early last year while the latter’s output dropped by 20.28%. Opal Parsian Sangan had the highest growth with a 510.2% upsurge in output.

Production of granulated iron stood at 482,759 tons, up 2.13%. Iran Central Iron Ore Company was the biggest producer with 165,900 tons, followed by Jalalabad Iron Ore Company with 140,000 tons, Iran Central Plateau Iron Ore Company with 65,066 tons, Sangan Iron Ore Complex with 49,867 tons, Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 37,700 tons and Mishdavan Iron Ore Company with 24,225 tons.

Pellet had the second largest share with a total output of 2.546 million tons, up 22.13%. Golgohar was the largest producer with 862,469 tons, followed by Mobarakeh Steel Company with 672,480 tons, Khouzestan Steel Company with 498,319 tons, Chadormalu with 298,389 tons and MIDHCO with 214,404 tons.

Direct-reduced iron came next with 1.564 million tons in output, which shows a 9.8% rise. Mobarakeh had the lion’s share producing 674,665 tons, followed by KSC with 365,496 tons, Hormozgan Steel Company with 148,240 tons, Saba Steel Complex with 112,341 tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 70,757 tons, MIDHCO with 70,656 tons, Ghadir Iron and Steel Company with 61,655 tons and Khorasan Steel Company with 61,148 tons.

Downstream Steel Sector

Semi-finished steel had the fourth largest share among Iran's mineral products. Iranian steel mills produced 1.334 million tons of slab, bloom, billet and ingot during the period, up 10.09%.

MSC was at the forefront with 748,275 tons. KSC was next with 325,856 tons, followed by Esfahan Steel Company with 183,992 tons, Iran Alloy Steel Company with 37,483 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 31,352 tons and Iran National Steel Industries Group with 7,813 tons.

Meanwhile, 877,992 tons of steel products, including hot- and cold-rolled coils, rebar, beams, pipes, wide and galvanized sheets were produced in the month ending April 20, up 17.25%. MSC and its subsidiary Saba Steel had the largest share of production with 534,769 tons, followed by ESCO with 174,145 tons, Oxin Steel Company with 55,079 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 28,329 tons, IASCO with 24,247 tons, INSIG with 19,232 tons, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Automotive Sheet Company with 17,921 tons, Azarbaijabn Steel Company with 12,732 tons and Ahvaz Rolling and Pipe Mills Company with 11,538 tons.

 Iran Copper Sector

Copper mines operated by National Copper Industries Company extracted 13.617 million tons of copper oxide ore during the month, indicating an 8.5% growth.

Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex accounted for 6.577 million tons of the total output, which was followed by Sungun Copper Complex with 4.174 million tons and Miduk Copper Mine with 2.865 million tons.

With the exception of Miduk, the above mines recorded a decline in extraction.

The three mines’ sulfide copper ore extraction was up 4.25% to reach 4.408 million ton.

Copper concentrate was the main product manufactured in this sector. The output stood at 94,116 tons, recording a 0.47% rise. It was followed by copper anode with 19,184 tons, down 9.42%; copper cathode with 13,447 tons, down 0.01%; and molybdenum with 704 tons, up 40.29%.

 Aluminum, Lead & Zinc

Iran’s three major aluminum producers produced an aggregate of 27,962 tons of aluminum ingots during the previous month to register a 4.29% decline.

Iran Aluminum Company produced 14,014 tons, Hormozal Aluminum Company 8,853 tons and Almahdi Aluminum Company 5,095 tons.

Iran Alumina Company produced 20,187 tons of alumina powder, up 5.84%.

Major Iranian lead and zinc producers extracted 52,454 tons of ore in the month ending April 20, of which Angouran Lead and Zinc Complex accounted for 50,100 tons and Nakhlak Lead and Zinc Plant for 2,354.41 tons.