Iran has seen record levels of activity in its second largest iron ore mine in the past 17 months amid efforts by the country to expand its massive metals and mining sector.
A Wednesday report by the official IRNA news agency said that excavation works at Sangan ore mine, located in the eastern Iranian province of Khorasan Razavi, had increased by 2,600% in the period between August 2021 and January this year compared to the same previous period.
The report said output of iron ore at Sangan had reached 30 million metric tons (mt) over the same period, up 50% compared to the period between August 2020 and January last year.
Fine iron ore output at Sangan rose by 450% to 2.2 million mt while its concentrate and pellet outputs increased by 22% and 10% to 11 million mt and 12 million mt, respectively, over the same period, said the report.
The increased activity in the mine led to the creation of 500 new direct jobs in the mine, it added.
Sangan, located 60 kilometers south of the city of Taybad near the Afghan border, is Iran’s second largest iron ore mine. It is responsible for 25% of the total feedstock supplied to Iranian steel industry.
Record activity in the mine comes as Iran continues with plans to expand its mining and metals sector as it seeks to reduce its reliance on oil.
Iran’s state metals company IMIDRO said on Wednesday it has plans to invest up to $12 billion in the Iranian mining sector by 2032.