Iran Mineral Output Tops 250m Tons

Production in the ninth Iranian month indicates a 17.93% rise to 29.95 million tons year-on-year.

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 27.9 million tons, registering a 17% growth YOY. Gologhar Mining and Industrial Complex accounted for 10.31 million tons of the total output, followed by Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 6.32 million tons, Iran Central Iron Ore Company with 3.7 tons, Goharzamin Iron Ore Company with 3.03 million tons, Middle East Mines and Mining Industries Development Holding Company with 2.89 million tons and Opal Parsian Sangan with 1.64 million tons.

Production of granulated iron stood at 4.61 million tons, up 2% YOY.

Pellet had the second largest share with a total output of 23.62 million tons, up 26% YOY. Golgohar was the largest producer with 8.18 million tons, followed by Mobarakeh Steel Company with 5.68 million tons, Khouzestan Steel Company with 4.83 million tons, Chadormalu with 2.57 million tons and MIDHCO with 2.35 million tons.

Direct-reduced iron came next with the production of 14.32 million tons, up 15% YOY. Mobarakeh had the lion’s share with 5.56 million tons, followed by KSC with 3.09 million tons, Hormozgan Steel Company with 1.15 million tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 1.13 million tons, Saba Steel Complex with 824,318 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 891,855 tons, Ghadir Iron and Steel Company with 630,369 tons, MIDHCO with 618,621 tons, Sefid Dasht Steel Complex with 295,950 tons and Esfahan Steel Company with 105,106 tons.

 Downstream Steel Sector

Semi-finished steel had the fourth largest share among the mineral products produced during the nine-month period. Iranian steel mills produced 12.77 million tons of slab, bloom, billet and ingot, up 19% YOY.

Mobarakeh Steel Company led the pack with 6.42 million tons. ESCO came next with 2.81 million tons, followed by KSC with 1.7 million tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 640,698 ton, Khorasan Steel Company with 581,763 tons, Iran Alloy Steel Company with 309,330 tons and Iran National Steel Industries Group with 42,573 tons.

All producers posted growth for the period, with the exception of INSIG whose output dropped 43%.

A total of 7.9 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 4.47 million tons, followed by ESCO with 1.63 tons, Oxin Steel Company with 551,737 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 388,201 tons, Ahwaz Rolling and Pipe Mills Company with 226,863 tons, INSIG with 103,539 tons, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Automotive Sheet Company with 157,106 tons and Azarbaijan Steel Company with 154,316 tons and IASCO with 216,429 tons.

 Copper Sector

Copper mines operated by National Copper Industries Company extracted 126.22 million tons of copper oxide ore during the period, up 8% YOY.

Copper miners’ sulfide ore extraction was up 6% YOY to 38.69 million tons. Copper concentrate was the main product manufactured in this sector. The output stood at 851,917 tons and recorded a 6% rise YOY.

It was followed by copper anode with 130,197 tons, down 24%; copper cathode with 105,687 tons, down 25%; and molybdenum with 6,316 tons, up 17% year-on-year.

  Aluminum Sector

Iran’s three major aluminum producers registered an aggregate output of 251,858 tons of aluminum ingots in the nine months to register a 2% decline YOY.

Iran Aluminum Company produced 127,312 tons, Hormozal Aluminum Company 79,018 tons and Almahdi Aluminum Company 45,528 tons.

Iran Alumina Company produced 179,576 tons of alumina powder, up 2% YOY.

   Lead & Zinc

Major Iranian lead and zinc producers extracted 714,642 tons of ore during the period, of which Angouran Lead and Zinc Complex accounted for 686,503 tons and Nakhlak Lead and Zinc Plant for 28,139 tons.