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| Sarcheshmeh mine | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex |
| Location | Rafsanjan County, Kerman Province, Iran |
| Coordinates | 30°12′N 55°08′E |
| Products | Copper, molybdenum, gold, silver |
| Owner | National Iranian Copper Industries Company |
| Discovery | 1970s |
| Opening year | 1970s |
Sarcheshmeh mine is one of the world's largest porphyry copper deposits located in Rafsanjan County, Kerman Province, Iran. The deposit has driven regional development and attracted involvement from organizations such as the National Iranian Copper Industries Company and companies linked to the Ministry of Industries and Mines (Iran), influencing projects with institutions like Sharif University of Technology and University of Tehran. The complex yields significant quantities of copper, molybdenum, gold, and silver and features ties to projects and infrastructures involving Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, National Iranian Oil Company, and international geological collaborations.
The mine is a porphyry-type deposit within the Central Iranian Plateau and forms part of Iran's strategic mineral base alongside deposits such as Sungun mine, Miduk mine, and Sar Cheshmeh district. It has been assessed by entities including the United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, and consultancies like Behre Dolbear Group and SRK Consulting for resource estimation, development strategy, and environmental assessment. The site links to academic research from Amirkabir University of Technology, Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), and international journals where authors affiliated with University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, and Curtin University have published comparative porphyry studies.
Sited in Rafsanjan County of Kerman Province, the deposit lies within the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc which hosts numerous porphyry systems including Tuyserkan, Urumieh, and Azarbaijan occurrences. The geology comprises Eocene to Oligocene intrusive suites similar to those studied at Chuquicamata, El Teniente, and Grasberg. Key lithologies are granodiorite and quartz monzonite intrusions overlain by volcanic sequences comparable to formations near Zagros Mountains margins; regional tectonics reference events like the Alpine orogeny and interactions with the Arabian Plate and Eurasian Plate. Structural controls include fault systems analogous to those mapped in Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone and mineralization models reference work by researchers from University of California, Berkeley and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Exploration initiatives began in the mid-20th century with contributions from Iranian institutions and survey teams trained through programs at Imperial College London and Colorado School of Mines. Development accelerated after nationalization and investment from entities such as IMIDRO and National Iranian Copper Industries Company, with technical studies by firms with histories involving Anaconda Copper, Rio Tinto, and Freeport-McMoRan. Projects received oversight linked to ministries including Ministry of Petroleum (Iran) for energy provision and coordination with provincial authorities like Kerman Governorate. International engagement included joint studies referencing standards used by the International Finance Corporation, London Metal Exchange, and consulting by specialists formerly associated with BHP and Anglo American.
Operations employ large-scale open pit methods akin to practices at Chuquicamata and Escondida, with equipment procurement from manufacturers like Komatsu, Caterpillar Inc., and Sandvik AB. Production metrics have been reported alongside comparative output from mines such as Morenci Mine and Kennecott Utah Copper. Ore types and grades inform scheduling models that reference techniques used by Newmont Corporation and Barrick Gold Corporation; workforce training has involved collaborations with Tehran University of Medical Sciences for occupational health and Iranian Technical and Vocational Training Organization for skills. Production logistics interface with export frameworks monitored by Iranian Customs Administration and commodity pricing influenced by indices tracked by the London Metal Exchange, Shanghai Futures Exchange, and analysts at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.
Concentrator facilities use flotation and molybdenite separation similar to flowsheets utilized at Bingham Canyon Mine and laboratory methods standardized by ASTM International and researchers from University of Arizona. Metallurgical testing and smelting link to primary smelters comparable to Iran Smelting Company operations and use technologies supplied by firms like Outotec and FLSmidth. By-products recovery strategies reference approaches used at Cobre Panama and Porgera Mine for gold and silver extraction. Research collaborations include teams from Tshwane University of Technology and University of Queensland developing tailings management and cyanide detoxification protocols informed by guidelines from International Council on Mining and Metals.
The mine underpins regional employment and fiscal contributions to provincial budgets overseen by Kerman Province authorities and national revenue channels like the Plan and Budget Organization (Iran), influencing socio-economic programs involving Iranian Red Crescent Society and local municipalities. Environmental assessments involve the Department of Environment (Iran) and international frameworks such as the Equator Principles and World Health Organization guidelines for water quality. Concerns include tailings stability comparable to incidents at Kabwe and water usage issues paralleling cases in the Atacama Desert; mitigation programs have drawn expertise from United Nations Environment Programme and NGOs like Greenpeace and World Wide Fund for Nature collaborating with Iranian universities. Community engagement initiatives have been modeled after best practices from projects supported by the Asian Development Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Logistics link the site to regional roadways and rail connections coordinated with Islamic Republic of Iran Railways and highways leading to ports such as Bandar Abbas and Chabahar Port for concentrate export. Power supply integrates grids managed by Tavanir and fuel logistics coordinated with National Iranian Oil Company and terminals like Hormozgan Province facilities. Water supply and desalination studies have referenced plants similar to those serving Isfahan and Bushehr, with construction and maintenance contracts awarded to companies like Kayson and MAPNA Group. Emergency response and medical services coordinate with Iranian Red Crescent Society and regional hospitals including Rafsanjan Hospital and teaching centers at Kerman University of Medical Sciences.
Category:Copper mines in Iran