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Iran’s five-month mineral production grows

Business Materials 16 September 2012 16:02 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sep.16/ Trend F.Milad/

Iran experienced a noticeable growth in mineral products output during the first five months of the current Iranian year, which began on March 20, the IRNA news agency quoted an official with the industry ministry as saying.

Mohammad Fatemian added, "despite all the problems related to financial deficit and raw materials shortage, iron ore, ceramics, and crude steel outputs rose by 13.8 percent, 7.7 percent, and 3.3 percent compared to the same period last year."

Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari has said that Iran holds two percent of the world's total mineral reserves.

He added that the mineral reserves include 12 metal and 36 non-metal ores.

Some 5,000 mines are being exploited in the country, he said, adding that around 340 million tons of minerals were extracted in the past year, which ended on March 19.

Meanwhile, the deputy head of Iran's Geology and Mineral Exploration Organization Behrouz Borna has said that the country ranks first in the Middle East for possessing the region's largest mineral reserves, Press TV reported.

Iran is ranked among the 15 major mineral-rich countries of the world and exports its industrial and mineral products to 159 countries, including Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan.

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