Iran Q1 Mineral Output Exceeds 84m Tons

Major Iranian mining companies produced 84.89 million tons of mineral products during the first quarter of the current fiscal year (March 21-June 21), registering a 9.49% growth compared to last year’s corresponding period, according to the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization’s latest report.

The miners’ performance for Khordad, the third Iranian month ending June 21, indicates an 8.93% year-on-year rise to 28.29 million tons.

Yet the Khordad output dropped 0.8% compared to the previous month (April 21-May 21).

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 9.49 million tons, registering a 37.62% growth YOY.

Golgohar Mining and Industrial Complex accounted for 3.31 million tons of the total output, followed by Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 2.32 million tons, Iran Central Iron Ore Company with 1.13 tons, Gohar Zamin Iron Ore Company with 1.048 million tons, Middle East Mines and Mining Industries Development Holding Company with 939,957 tons, Opal Parsian Sangan with 524,519 tons and Sangan Iron Ore Complex with 190,940 tons.

MIDHCO, Golgohar and Sangan were the only producers posting growth in production. Output at Chadormalu slid 2.55% YOY. Gohar Zamin, Opal Parsian and Sangan’s production remained unchanged.

Production of granulated iron stood at 1.512 million tons, down 5.02% YOY. Iran Central Iron Ore Company was the biggest producer with 468,870 tons, followed by Jalalabad Iron Ore Company with 312,184 tons, Iran Central Plateau Iron Ore Company with 261,594 tons, Sangan Iron Ore Complex with 273,140 tons, Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 100,940 tons and Mishdavan iron Ore Company with 95,585 tons.

Pellet had the second largest share with a total output of 7.79 million tons, up 22.29% YOY. Golgohar was the largest producer with 2.56 million tons, followed by Mobarakeh Steel Company with 1.89 million tons, Khouzestan Steel Company with 1.64 million tons, Chadormalu with 938,640 tons and MIDHCO with 750,424 tons.

Direct-reduced iron came next with production of 4.77 million tons, up 12.61% YOY. Mobarakeh had the lion’s share with 1.97 million tons, followed by KSC with 1.07 million tons, Hormozgan Steel Company with 411,805 tons, Saba Steel Complex with 322.123 tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 303,032 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 273,315 tons, MIDHCO with 212,872 tons and Ghadir Iron and Steel Company with 212,738 tons.

Downstream Steel Sector

Semi-finished steel had the fourth largest share among mineral products produced during the three-month period. Iranian steel mills produced 4.14 million tons of slab, bloom, billet and ingot, up 11.89% YOY.

Mobarakeh Steel Company was at the forefront with 2.19 million tons. KSC came next with 944,151 tons, followed by Esfahan Steel Company with 529,953 tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 182,741 ton, Khorasan Steel Company with 151,052 tons, Iran Alloy Steel Company with 113,428 tons and Iran National Steel Industries Group with 27,389 tons.

All producers posted double-digit growth for the period, with the exception of ESCO whose output dropped 14.82% YOY.

Meanwhile, 2.58 million tons of steel products, including hot and cold-rolled coils, rebar, beams, pipes, wide and galvanized sheets were produced during the period, up 4.54% YOY.

MSC and its subsidiary Saba Steel had the largest share of production with 1.51 million tons, followed by ESCO with 524,458 tons, Oxin Steel Company with 152,124 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 122,291 tons, IASCO with 77,011 tons, INSIG with 69,780 tons, Ahvaz Rolling and Pipe Mills Company with 49,711 tons, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Automotive Sheet Company with 47,543 tons and Azarbaijan Steel Company with 35,341 tons.

 Copper Sector

Copper mines operated by National Copper Industries Company extracted 40.79 million tons of copper oxide ore during the period, up 5.57% YOY. Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex accounted for 19.95 million tons of the total output. Sungun Copper Complex with 3.69 million tons and Miduk Copper Mine with 2.04 million tons came next. With the exception of Sarcheshmeh, all the above mines registered output growth.

The three mines’ sulfide copper ore extraction was up 0.07% YOY to 13.137 million tons.

Copper concentrate was the main product manufactured in this sector. The output stood at 284,674 tons recording a 2.72% rise YOY. It was followed by copper anode with 45,521 tons, down 22.48%; copper cathode with 35,571 tons, down 18.86%; and molybdenum with 10,275 tons, up 11.84% YOY.

 Aluminum Sector

Iran’s three major aluminum producers produced an aggregate of 82,605 tons of aluminum ingots in spring to register a 5.51% decline YOY. Iran Aluminum Company produced 41,720 tons, Hormozal Aluminum Company 26,064 tons and Almahdi Aluminum Company 14,821 tons.

Iran Alumina Company produced 61,166 tons of alumina powder, up 3.97% YOY.

 Lead & Zinc

Major Iranian lead and zinc producers extracted 197,384 tons of ore during the period, of which Angouran Lead and Zinc Complex accounted for 190,155 tons and Nakhlak Lead and Zinc Plant for 7,229 tons.