Mineral Products Jump 11%

Major Iranian mining companies produced 228.32 million tons of different mineral products during the first eight months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Nov. 21), registering an 11% growth compared with last year’s corresponding period, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization’s latest report showed.

Production in Aban, the eighth month of the Iranian year ending Nov. 21, indicates a 21.64% year-on-year rise to 29.87 million tons.

Iran is home to 68 types of minerals with over 37 billion tons of proven and 57 billion tons of potential reserves, including large deposits of coal, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, uranium and gold.

  Upstream Steel Sector

Iron ore concentrate had the biggest share in Iran’s mineral production during the period under review with 24.86 million tons, registering an 18% growth YOY.

Gologhar Mining and Industrial Complex accounted for 9.19 million tons of the total output, followed by Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 5.60 million tons, Iran Central Iron Ore Company with 3.28 million tons, Goharzamin Iron Ore Company with 2.66 million tons, Middle East Mines and Mining Industries Development Holding Company with 2.49 million tons, Opal Parsian Sangan with 1.43 million tons and Sangan Iron Ore Complex with 190,940 tons.

Production of granulated iron stood at 3.95 million tons, down 2% YOY. Sangan Iron Ore Complex was the biggest producer with 1.23 million tons, followed by Iran Central Iron Ore Company with 1.05 million tons, Jalal Abad Iron Ore Company with 605,681 tons, Iran Central Plateau Iron Ore Company with 619,842 tons, Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 245,505 tons and Mishdavan Iron Ore Company with 199,879 tons.

Pellet had the second largest share with a total output of 20.8 million tons, up 26% YOY. Golgohar was the largest producer with 7.17 million tons, followed by Mobarakeh Steel Company with 5.08 million tons, Khouzestan Steel Company with 4.29 million tons, Chadormalu with 2.23 million tons and MIDHCO with 2.03 million tons.

Direct-reduced iron came next with the production of 12.65 million tons, up 14% YOY. Mobarakeh had the lion’s share with 4.95 million tons, followed by KSC with 2.76 million tons, Hormozgan Steel Company with 1.03 million tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 977,690 tons, Saba Steel Complex with 715,300 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 768,588 tons, Ghadir Iron and Steel Company with 570,697 tons, MIDHCO with 541,035 tons, Sefiddasht Steel Complex with 242,636 tons and Esfahan Steel Company with 93,840 tons.

  Downstream Steel Sector

Semi-finished steel had the fourth largest share among the mineral products during the eight-month period. Iranian steel mills produced 11.22 million tons of slab, bloom, billet and ingot, up 17% YOY.

Mobarakeh Steel Company was at the forefront with 5.64 million tons. KSC came next with 2.5 million tons, followed by Esfahan Steel Company with 1.52 million tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 545,465 ton, Khorasan Steel Company with 498,786 tons, Iran Alloy Steel Company with 279,097 tons and Iran National Steel Industries Group with 37,049 tons.

All producers posted growth for the period, with the exception of INSIG whose output dropped 37%.

A total of 7 million tons of steel products, including hot- and cold-rolled coils, rebar, beams, pipes, wide and galvanized sheets were produced during the period, up 5% YOY.

MSC and its subsidiary Saba Steel had the largest share of production with 3.96 million tons, followed by ESCO with 1.45 million tons, Oxin Steel Company with 504,298 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 342,044 tons, IASCO with 195,263 tons, Ahwaz Rolling and Pipe Mills Company with 194,061 tons, INSIG with 93,194 tons, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Automotive Sheet Company with 136,413 tons and Azarbaijan Steel Company with 128,264 tons.

   Copper Sector

Copper mines operated by National Copper Industries Company extracted 111.74 million tons of copper oxide ore during the period, up 7% YOY. Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex accounted for 55.56 million tons of the total output. Sungun Copper Complex with 33.37 million tons and Miduk Copper Mine with 22.81 million tons came next. With the exception of Sungun, all the above mines registered growth in their output.

The three mines’ sulfide copper ore extraction was up 5% YOY to reach 34.29 million tons.

Copper concentrate was the main product manufactured in this sector. The output stood at 747,816 tons recording a 5% rise YOY. It was followed by copper anode with 107,587 tons, down 30%; copper cathode with 88,374 tons, down 30%; and molybdenum with 5,496 tons, up 16% YOY.

   Aluminum Sector

Iran’s three major aluminum producers produced an aggregate of 223,877 tons of aluminum ingots in the eight months to register a 2% decline YOY. Iran Aluminum Company produced 113,742 tons, Hormozal Aluminum Company 69,839 tons and Almahdi Aluminum Company 40,296 tons.

Iran Alumina Company produced 160,713 tons of alumina powder, up 3% YOY.

  Lead & Zinc

Major Iranian lead and zinc producers extracted 584,260 tons of ore during the period, of which Angouran Lead and Zinc Complex accounted for 560,260 tons and Nakhlak Lead and Zinc Plant produced 24,000 tons.