Iranian news article centering on Mehdiabad. Ambitious heading...

Iranian news article centering on Mehdiabad. Ambitious heading since not producing yet but perhaps it indicates desire to get exploitation moving. Hopefully (advisedly) good news coming soon.

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http://www.upi.com/Arabia2000/view.php?StoryID=20070115-910067-5222-r

Iran greatest producer of zinc, lead in ME
Tehran, Jan 15, IRNA Iran-Middle East-Zinc Iran has turned into the greatest producer of zinc and lead in the Middle East, since it discovered 250 million tons of reserves.

Manager of the Geology and Mineral Discovery Organization Behrouz Borna said that the reserves have been identified after carrying out exploratory work on Mehdi-Abad zinc and lead mines in Yazd province.

Given the fact that Iran houses three and eight percent of the world's total lead and zinc reserves, the organization plans to increase exploitation of these minerals across the country, he added.

Borna announced that the pureness of the reserves is seven percent, adding that the figure is of significance according to international standards.

With the expansion of discoveries and use of modern technology in this respect, exploration of new zinc and lead reserves in eastern Iran has been made possible, he noted.

He referred to project to study abandoned zinc and lead mines throughout the country as one of the programs of the organization, and said that it will classify the mines.

The official also noted that 5.7 and one percent of lead and zinc production in the world belong to Iran.