Azerbaijan, Baku, Mar. 2/ Trend F.Milad/
Iran produced some 303,000 tons of aluminium ingots in the first 11 months of the current calendar year, ended on February 19, 2012, showing around a 10 per cent rise compared with the same period last year, Mehr news agency reported.
IRALCO was the main producer with over 159,000 tons of output, the report added.
Deputy Head of Iran's Geology and Mineral Exploration Organisation Behrouz Borna has said that the country ranks first in the Middle East for possessing the region's largest mineral reserves.
"Iran holds three per cent of the world's mineral reserves which puts the country first in the Middle East and third in Asia," Mr Borna added, Press TV reported.
The official also said that the country holds about 68 kinds of minerals. He added that 20 other types of minerals have been identified through recent explorations.
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.