23 May 2013
Zanjan province has 21 iron mines with exploration licenses and 12 million tons in proven reserves, said the head of Zanjan Industries, Mines and Commerce Department.
Ali Masoumi added that Zanjan is home to 3 percent of the country's proven iron reserves.
"Lead and zinc constitute the largest mineral reserves of Zanjan," he said.
Masoumi said 11 percent of explorations of the province pertained to iron ores in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2013).
"The largest iron reserves are in Sorkheh Dizaj district in Zanjan," he said, adding that mining capacity reaches 4 million tons and its nominal exploration stands at 400,000 tons.
Masoumi noted that close to 75 percent of the total proven reserves of Zanjan are extracted annually.
In February, the US Geological Survey (USGS) announced that Iran was the 10th world iron ore producer in 2012, extracting some 28 million tons of the strategic mineral.
According to a report released by the Information Network for Iran Production and Trade, the USGS referred to Iran as the only country in the Middle East region which possesses the most iron ore reserves.
The strategic mineral is a significant source for Iran's steel industry, the USGS added.
According to the Virginia-based organization, China was the world's biggest iron ore producer in 2012, extracting some 1.3 billion tons of the strategic mineral followed by Australia (525 million tons) and Brazil (375 million tons).
It referred to other major world producers of iron ore in 2012 as India (fourth with 245 million tons), Russia (fifth with 100 million tons), Ukraine (sixth with 81 million tons), South Africa (seventh with 61 million tons), the US (eighth with 53 million tons) and Canada (ninth with 40 million tons).
Zanjan province has 21 iron mines with exploration licenses and 12 million tons in proven reserves, said the head of Zanjan Industries, Mines and Commerce Department.
Ali Masoumi added that Zanjan is home to 3 percent of the country's proven iron reserves.
"Lead and zinc constitute the largest mineral reserves of Zanjan," he said.
Masoumi said 11 percent of explorations of the province pertained to iron ores in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2013).
"The largest iron reserves are in Sorkheh Dizaj district in Zanjan," he said, adding that mining capacity reaches 4 million tons and its nominal exploration stands at 400,000 tons.
Masoumi noted that close to 75 percent of the total proven reserves of Zanjan are extracted annually.
In February, the US Geological Survey (USGS) announced that Iran was the 10th world iron ore producer in 2012, extracting some 28 million tons of the strategic mineral.
According to a report released by the Information Network for Iran Production and Trade, the USGS referred to Iran as the only country in the Middle East region which possesses the most iron ore reserves.
The strategic mineral is a significant source for Iran's steel industry, the USGS added.
According to the Virginia-based organization, China was the world's biggest iron ore producer in 2012, extracting some 1.3 billion tons of the strategic mineral followed by Australia (525 million tons) and Brazil (375 million tons).
It referred to other major world producers of iron ore in 2012 as India (fourth with 245 million tons), Russia (fifth with 100 million tons), Ukraine (sixth with 81 million tons), South Africa (seventh with 61 million tons), the US (eighth with 53 million tons) and Canada (ninth with 40 million tons).
© Iran Daily 2013
