Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 13
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran’s copper concentrate output amounted to 851,917 tons in the first nine months of current Iranian fiscal year (March 20-Dec. 21).
The figure indicates an increase by 7.9 percent as compared to the same period of the preceding year, according to the data of Iran’s state-run Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO).
The country’s overall copper concentrate output reached 1.046 million tons during the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2017).
Some 105,917 tons of copper cathode (27.4 percent fall), as well as 130,197 tons of copper anode were produced in Iran during the 9-month period.
Iran produced 192,650 tons of copper cathode and 228,571 tons of copper anode during the last fiscal year.
Iran extracted 126.221 million tons of copper ore in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. The country’s copper ore output stood at 140.462 million tons during the last fiscal year.
Iran possesses 22 million of copper reserve, equal to 1.3 percent of the world’s proven copper reserves, according to the report.
At present, six copper mines are operating in the country.
Iran’s copper production capacity stands at around 200,000 tons per year and the capacity is projected to double by March 2020.