Baku, Azerbaijan, August 25
Trend:
The official statistics indicate that the output of Mouteh Gold Mine, Iran’s first exploited deposit of the precious mineral, has registered a significant growth in the current fiscal year, started March 20, 2018.
The Mouteh Gold complex, located in central Iran, produced over 175 kilograms of gold ingots in the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 20-July 22).
The output indicates a 29-percent growth compared with the same period of the preceding year (136 kilograms), Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) said.
The figure is also 59 percent more compared to the planed output in the 4-month period, which was 110 kilograms.
The complex’s gold ingot output in the fourth calendar month (June 21-July 22) accounted to 45 kilograms, registering a rise by 25 percent year-on-year.
The Mouteh Gold complex produced over 602 kilograms of gold ingots in the last fiscal year, ended March 20, 2018, 58 percent more on yearly basis.
The figure was also 133 percent more compared to the planed output in the 12-month period.
The complex is located 295 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Chah Khatoun Gold Mine is the main source of Mouteh's gold extraction.
The Iranian officials say the country’s gold production would rise from 5 tons to 8 tons by the end of the current year (March 2019).
Iran has identified as many as 15 mines so far, capable of yielding 320 tons of processed gold. The country’s gold mines are mostly concentrated in the country’s Azerbaijan region, where about 0.5 percent of the world’s minable gold reserves lie in West Azerbaijan province.
The Zarshuran gold complex is one of the most important mineral projects, widely referred to as the "golden giant of Iran".
Initial estimates have put recoverable gold deposits in Zarshuran at 55 tons, which could rise to 110 tons by further drilling.