Bauxite
Introduction of Alumina Iran's Mines
Holding in its possession all major Iranian bauxite mines, Alumina Iran Company plays an exclusive role in the Iranian aluminum industries as the sole producer of the three products of metal grade alumina, alpha alumina and alumina hydroxide, and is considered as a strategic company in this respect in Iran.
Bauxite mines in control of Alumina Iran Company litter widely throughout Iran, while its limestone mines are in Jajarm.
North Khorasan Province Mines
1. Jajarm Bauxite Mines
A) Jajarm Open Mines
Alumina Iran Company has 19 main open mines in the city of Jajarm. The longitudinal expanse of the mine from west to east, namely: Golbini 1-8, Zou 1-4, Tagouei 1-6, and Sangtarash add up to 16 kilometers in length. The length of these sections are as follows: Golbini: totally 4.7 km, Zou mines: totally 3.3 km, Tagouei Mines, totally 5 km and sangtarash mine is about 3 kilometers in length. The Jajarm bauxite falls in the lens-like layer category. The expanse of bauxite is mostly in the form of layers. The mineral lies on the karstic-dolomites that make up the Elika formation, which lies under the Shales and sandstones of Shemshak formation. The bauxite layer is not of even thickness and consistent quality. In general, the bauxite layer ranges from less than 1 meter to about 40 meters in thickness. The layers that form this unit are as follows:
- Upper kaolin bauxite from gray to brown in color;
- Hard bauxite of brown, light brown, gray, olive green colors (chamosite bauxite). This bauxite, which is more commonly used for feeding the plant in 2.2 modules stored in eight separate ramps in the depot. The Jajarm plant has been designed with 4.66 modules.
- Soft shale bauxite of reddish brown color.
- The underlying kaolin bauxite of gray to light brown color.
Physical characteristics of the minerals
Jajarm bauxite has a texture consisting of fine pyrolytic and oolitic grains. The bauxite fracture surface is almost smooth with a soapy coarse feeling. Jajarm bauxite is of a hard type due to its diaspore content, 6-7 Mohs in harness. A shade of green is visible on Jajarm bauxite when it is high in chamosite content.
The (final and probable) bauxite deposit of Jajarm mine is estimated to be 18.4 million ton, 12.8 ton of which can be extracted in open pits and the remaining 5.6 million ton can be extracted by underground operations. Total extracted deposit from this mine so far is 6 million ton. Average bauxite extraction rate amounts to 60 thousand ton per month.
B) Jajarm Underground Bauxite Mines
Underground extraction potential of this mine is 5.6 million ton, the extraction of 2.8 million ton of which are on the agenda following a detailed plan.
Meanwhile, no tunnel extraction operations have started yet, and a detailed due diligence is underway for assigning its extraction to qualified contractors. The tunnel 3 (which is to lead to underground mines has advanced up to 1,500 meters so far, in addition to 263 meters drilling for ventilation and access to the mines.
2. Kouhbaba Bauxite Mine
Kouhbaba Bauxite mine is located at the 1/100,000 of Jajarm geological sheet and resembles Central Alborz field. This area is located 10 kilometers to the west of Jajarm.
Given the explorations carried out, the deposit of this mine amounts to 273,118 ton with Al2O3=47.57 and SiO2=12.95 with the application of Jajarm alumina integrated cut-off grade of 2.66.
Golestan Province Mines
Aliabad Bauxite Mines
Three mining areas, namely, Siahroudbar, Shirinabad, and Afratakhteh are located in Aliabad Katul in Golestan Province. These areas have been registered in the name of Iran Alumina Company in the past, and actions are underway in order to obtain exploration license.
Semnan Province Mines
1. Tash Bauxite Mine
This mine is located 40 kilometers to the northeast of the city of Shahroud. In this area there is a northeast-southeast extension on carbonated sediments belonging to Trias period (Elika).
The exploration activities performed in this area show that the deposit of this mine amounts to 774,967 ton with the average grade of Al2O3=46.10 and SiO2=7.97 with the application of Jajarm integrated cut-off grade of 2.66.
Meanwhile, the Tash 2 area has a probable deposit of 4 million ton that will add to the deposits of Tash area.
2. Ganu Bauxite Mine
Ganu Mining zone is located 65 kilometers to the northeast of the city of Semnan in the east side of Foulad Mahaleh. Here, again, the bauxite layer is located on the eroded surface of Elika dolomites.
After the completion of exploration activities in the area, the whole probable deposits of the area has been estimated to be around 2.5 million ton with the integrated cut-off grade of 2.66 the definite deposit of bauxite in Ganu mine is 1,889,750 ton with the average grade of Al2O3=45.05 and SiO2=10.53 with the application of Jajarm cut-off grade of 2.66.
Yazd Province Mines
1. Chekchek Bauxite Mines
The bauxite horizon in this mine is in the form of lens-like layers with the corrosive and karstic Elika with the approximate length of 3.5 km in an intermittent manner. Total bauxite outcrup is about 1 kilometer, and its average thickness is about 3.04 meter.
The deposit of Chekchek mine’s bauxite is 2,287,103 ton with the average Al2O3=46.39 and SiO2=10.37 with the application of Jajarm integrated cut-off grade of 2.66.
2. East Dehdasht Bauxite Mine
This region is located 30 kilometers to the north and northeast of the city of Yazd.
The bauxite zone in this area with the north-northwest extension to south-southeast extension on the karstic surface of the karstic surface of dolomites of Shotori (Elika) formations and is covered with the shale and sandstone sediments of Taiband (Shemshak) formation (Shemshak). A great portion of bauxite zone stretches in the area without any coverage. The age of the East Dehdasht Mine dates back to the upper Trias period. In this region the bauxite mineral is seen with the approximate length of 13 kilometers in an intermittent way.
The deposit of this mineral is estimated to be 1,792,604 ton with the average grade of Al2O3=46.76 and SiO2=12.92 with the application of Jajarm integrated cut-off grade of 2.66.
3. West Dehdasht Bauxite Mine
The bauxite horizon in this mine fills the corroded karstic Elika surface with the length of 2.5 kilometers in an intermittent way. The average thickness of the bauxite horizon ranges from 1 to 4 meters and in some points it reaches 10 meters due to holes resulting from tectonic factors.
The deposit of this mineral amounts to 1,986,297 ton with the average grade of Al2O3=54.09 and SiO2=11.98 with the application of Jajarm integrated cut-off grade of 2.66.
Kerman Province Mines
1. Darsinoyeh Bauxite Mine
This mine is located 2 kilometers to the southeast of the Darsinoyeh village and about 20 kilometers to the southeast of the city of Kerman.
In this area, again the bauxite horizon is in the form of lens-like layers within the karstic holes resulting from the corrosion of Shotori dolomites. The age of this mine dates back to the middle Trias period and early late Triassic period.
Given the exploration activities carried out, the deposit of this mine amounts to 218,579 ton with the average grade of Al2O3=45.51 and SiO2=14.18 with the application of Jajarm Alumina integrated cut-off grade of 2.66.
2. Balbaluyeh Bauxite Mine
Balbaluyeh Mine is located 21 kilometers to the southeast of the city of Kerman and 14 kilometers to the north of the city of Mahan.
The mineral substance in the Balbaluyeh lies on an initial anticline with a northwest-southeast direction in a region with the approximate length of 13 kilometers and width of 2 kilometers.
Given the exploration activities performed, the deposit of this mine has been estimated to be 2,190,701 ton with the average grade of Al2O3=40.63 and SiO2=15.56 with the application of Jajarm integrated cut-off grade of 2.66.
At present, supplementary exploratory studies are underway in the region.
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province Mines
Mendon Mine
This mine is located on the west side of Mendon village and about 51 kilometers to the north east of the city of Dehdasht.
In this region, the mineral substance is in the form of bauxite lenses formed in shallow karstic holes within the Sarvak (Upper Cretaceous). The thickness of these lenses is low in proportion to their area, a condition that gives the form of a lens-like layered shape.
The upper part of this mineral is filled with Ilam limestone.
Given that the most important aluminum containing mineral that forms Mendon Bauxite Mine is bohemite. this kind of bauxite is called bohemite bauxite.
Exploration activities show the Mendon bauxite deposit t be 750,000 ton with the average grade of Al2O3=55.50 and SiO2=8 with the application of the Alumina Iran integrated cut-off grade if 2.66.
The Sarfaryab bauxite region with the geological deposit of 3 million tons in this region is a good candidate for exploration.