TEHRAN – With the exploration of new copper mines in Iran’s central and southeast provinces of Yazd and Sistan-Baluchestan, the region will join the nation’s two other copper producing provinces namely, Kerman and East Azarbaijan.

Upon development of the condensation plant projects in the southern provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan and Yazd, annual production from Darreh Zereshk and Chehel-Kureh mines in the provinces are expected to correspondingly hit 2.5 million tons and 400,000 tons, the head of the National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICICO) noted.

Darreh Zereshk and Chehel-Kureh mines are also expected to respectively yield 32,025 tons and 6,014 tons of concentrates with 30 percent purity and 20 percent purity per annum, Ali-Asghar Purmand stated.

The nation’s cathode copper production in the next four years is planned to hit 440,000 tons however, in order to reach the target figure around Rls.13,000 billion of investment is needed, he maintained.

Referring to the environmental concerns raised by the copper production plants in Kerman region, he asserted that the company has taken required measures to tackle the problem. He promised that no copper associated pollution would be created in Kerman region as of the end of the year (Iranian year ends March 20, 2006).