Morro Velho Mine

Producer in Minas Gerais, Brazil with commodities Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium, Copper
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Ownership information
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10068856
MRDS ID W002125
Record type Site
Current site name Morro Velho Mine
Alternate or previous names Ore Bodies: Main Ore Body, South Ore Body, X Ore Body, Northwest Ore Body, Gamba Ore Body

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -43.84895, -19.94749 (WGS84)
Relative position NOVA LIMA

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Minas Gerais(province)

Brazil(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Brazil Minas Gerais

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Platinum Critical Secondary
Palladium Critical Secondary
Copper Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Cubanite Ore
Galena Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore
Scheelite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stibnite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Wolframite Ore
Anatase Gangue
Apatite Gangue
Biotite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Clinozoisite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Gypsum Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Rutile Gangue
Selenite Gangue
Sericite Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Sphene Gangue
Talc Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue
Zircon Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Sericitazation, Carbonatization, Chloritization (Inner To Outer Zone)

Analytical data

Result MASSIVE SULFIDE ORE (IN PPM) 10 AU, 2 AG, 0.15 PD, 0.13 PT
Result LAPA SECA UNMINERALIZED (IN PPM) 0.342 AU, 0.139 AG, 0.090 PD, 0.109 PT
Result GREENSCHISTS DISTANT FROM ORE ZONE (IN PPM) O.004 AU, 0.129 AG, 0.124 PD, 0.153 PT. MORE ANALYSIS GIVEN BY ABREV AND OTHERS (1988).

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 276
USGS model code 36b
Deposit model name Homestake Au
Mark3 model number 1

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock
    Rock unit name Engenheiro Correa Group, Granite;Rio Das Vehas Super Group
    Rock description Engenheiro Correa Group, Granite;Rio Das Vehas Super Group
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoarchean
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoarchean
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate
    Rock unit name Lapa Seca Formation
    Rock description Lapa Seca Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Chert

Nearby scientific data

(1) -43.84895, -19.94749

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description In A Complex Antiform With Overturned North Limb

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR AND LINEAR

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Lense Shaped Ore Beds Are Bounded By Schists

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1825
Year of first production 1834

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Saint John Del Rey Mining Co.
    First year 1834
  • Type Owner
    Owner Mineracao Morro Velho, S. A.
  • Type Operator
    Owner Mineracao Morro Velho, S. A., Who Are
    First year 1960
    Last year 1960
  • Type Operator
    Owner Grupos Bozzano Simonsen
    First year 1980
  • Type Operator
    Owner Anglo American
    First year 1975

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1984
    Total resources 45000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 8 g/mt Gold Major 1984

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    RIDGE, J.D., 1972, ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF MINERAL DEPOSITS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

  • Deposit

    CEASAR, P. DE A.B., 1984, PRINCIPIAS DEPOSITOS MINERAIS: CONCEITOS, METODOLOGIA E LISTAGEM IN SCHOBBENHAUS, C., AMEIDA CAMPOS, D., DERZE, G.R., AND ASMUS, H.E., EDS., GEOLOGIA DO BRASIL: BRASILIA, DEPARTAMENTO NACIONAL DA PRODUCAO MINERAL, P. 249-419.

  • Deposit

    ABREU, A.S., DINIZ, H.B., BUENO DO PRADO, M.G. AND SANTOS, S.P., 1988, A MINA DE OURO DE SAO BENTO, SANTA BARBARA, MINAS GERAIS IN SCHOBBENHAUS BRASIL; V. 3, P. 393-411.

  • Deposit

    LADEIRA, E.A., 1991, GENESIS OF GOLD IN QUADRILATERO FERRIFERO, A REMARKABLE CASE OF PERMANENCY, RECYCLING AND INHERITANCE - A TRIBUTE TO DJALMA GUIMARAES, PIERRE ROUTHIER AND HANS RAMBERG: IN BRAZIL GOLD '91 E.A. LADEIRA, ED., BALKEMA ROTTERDAM, P. 11-30.

  • Deposit

    VIEIRA, F.W.R., 1991, TEXTURES AND PROCESSES OF HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION AND MINERALIZATION IN THE NOVA LIMA GROUP, MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL, IN BRAZIL GOLD '91, E.A. LADEIRA, ED.: BALKEMA, ROTTERDAM, P. 319-325.

  • Deposit

    GAIR, J.E., 1962, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NOVA LIMA AND RIO ACIMA QUADRANGLES, MINAS GERAIS, BRASIL: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 341-A, 67 P.

  • Production

    WRITTEN COMMUN. FROM A. RANSOME AMERICAN EMBASSY AT RIO DE JANEIRO; ABREV AND OTHERS (1988); CEASAR (1984) FOR AU(1). ABREU AND OTHERS (1988) FOR AU(2) AND ORE COMMENTS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1974 Warfle, Thomas M. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-1993 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.