Iran Mineral Output Rises 12%

Production in the 11th month of the Iranian calendar saw a 19.38% year-on-year rise to 29.75 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 33.88 million tons, registering a 15% growth YOY. 

Gologhar Mining and Industrial Complex accounted for 12.12 million tons of the total output, followed by Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 7.78 million tons, Iran Central Iron Ore Company with 4.53 tons, Goharzamin Iron Ore Company with 3.79 million tons, Middle East Mines and Mining Industries Development Holding Company with 3.76 million tons and Opal Parsian Sangan with 1.88 million tons.

The production of granulated iron stood at 6.02 million tons, up 10% YOY.

Pellet had the second largest share with a total output of 29.13 million tons, up 24% YOY. Golgohar was the largest producer with 10.19 million tons, followed by Mobarakeh Steel Company with 6.97 million tons, Khouzestan Steel Company with 5.76 million tons, Chadormalu with 3.1 million tons and MIDHCO with 3.09 million tons.

Direct-reduced iron came next with the production of 17.4 million tons, up 15% YOY. Mobarakeh had the lion’s share with 6.69 million tons, followed by KSC with 3.7 million tons, Hormozgan Steel Company with 1.43 million tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 1.43 million tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 1.12 million tons, Saba Steel Complex with 1.02 million tons, Ghadir Iron and Steel Company with 746,560 tons, MIDHCO with 693,712 tons, Sefiddasht Steel Complex with 418,033 tons and Esfahan Steel Company with 118,340 tons.

 Downstream Steel Sector

Semi-finished steel had the fourth largest share among the minerals produced during the 11-month period. Iranian steel mills produced 15.79 million tons of slab, bloom, billet and ingot, up 20% YOY. 

Mobarakeh Steel Company, with its subsidiaries Saba and Hormozgan Steel, was the biggest producer here with 7.95 million tons. KSC came next with 3.45 million tons, followed by ESCO with 2.09 million tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 760,739 tons, South Kaveh Steel Company with 744,271 ton, Iran Alloy Steel Company with 369,254 tons, Chadormalu with 362,220 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 53%.

About 9.7 million tons of finished steel products, including hot- and cold-rolled coils, rebar, beams, pipes, wide and galvanized sheets were produced during the period, up 6% YOY. 

MSC and its subsidiary Saba Steel had the largest share of production with 5.48 million tons, followed by ESCO with 1.99 million tons, Oxin Steel Company with 659,528 tons, Khorasan Steel Company with 486,624 tons, Ahwaz Rolling and Pipe Mills Company with 276,034 tons, IASCO with 256,755 tons, Azarbaijan Steel Company with 227,674 tons, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Automotive Sheet Company with 194,422 tons and INSIG with 116,319 tons.

 Copper Sector

Copper mines operated by National Copper Industries Company extracted 156.42 million tons of copper oxide ore during the period, up 10% YOY.

Copper miners’ sulfide ore extraction was up 5% YOY to 47.04 million tons.

Copper concentrate was the main product manufactured in this sector. The output stood at 1.05 million tons, recording a 7% rise YOY. It was followed by copper anode with 177,141 tons, down 15%; copper cathode with 140,368 tons, down 19%; and molybdenum with 7,527 tons, up 16% YOY.

 Aluminum Sector

Iran’s three major aluminum producers produced an aggregate of 309,007 tons of aluminum ingots in the 11 months to register a 1% decline YOY. Iran Aluminum Company produced 155,913 tons, Almahdi Aluminum Company 96,867 tons and Hormozal Aluminum Company 56,228 tons.

Iran Alumina Company produced 220,307 tons of alumina powder, up 2% YOY.

 Lead & Zinc

Major Iranian lead and zinc producers extracted 849,857 tons of ore during the period, of which Angouran Lead and Zinc Complex accounted for 811,521 tons and Nakhlak Lead and Zinc Plant for 38,336 tons.