Morro Do Niquel Mine and Feni Smelt

Producer in Goias, Brazil with commodity Nickel
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10279848
MAS/MILS ID 3510170015
Record type Site
Current site name Morro Do Niquel Mine and Feni Smelt
Alternate or previous names Morro Do Niquel

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -46.49898, -22.91413 (WGS84)
Elevation 890

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Goias(province)

Brazil(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Brazil Goias

Comments on the location information

  • THE SMELTER IS LOCATED IN PRATOPOLIS, BRAZIL.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Nickel Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Garnierite Unknown
Limonite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

(1) -46.49898, -22.91413

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Shape of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 INTERM ARGILLIC
    Date of Last Modification 830712
  • Depth to top 25M
    Field Value
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Minimum Depth to Top 20
    Date of Last Modification 910710

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1922
Mining method Strip-Hillside
Year of first production 1962
Milling method Pyrometallurgy Unspecified

Mining district

District name Minas Gerais

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Mineracao Morro Do Niquel
    Home office Brazil
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Banque Do L'Indochine
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Imetal S. A.
    Year 1987
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Hochschild
    Year 1986
  • Type Owner
    Owner Blanquier Estate
    Year 1991
  • Type Owner
    Owner Anglo American
    Year 1991

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description Nickel Output 21% Conc.; Input Was 1.5% 300000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Nickel Nickel 2wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCT TABLE A LISTS THE OUTPUT CAPACITY IN TERMS OF CONTAINED NI, WHICH IS 6 TONNES/DY. THE TOTAL OUTPUT OF FERRONICKEL IS 26 TONNES/DY, 24% OF WHICH IS NI CONTAINED.
  • FERRONICKEL PRODUCES VARIES FROM 22 TO 24% NI.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • SUPPLIED BY CONTRACTOR. TONNAGE-GRADE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CONSERVATIVE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 12.5HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method STRIP-HILLSIDE
    Percent Waste Rock 17
    Primary Material Cover HARDPAN
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore HARDPAN
    Capacity 879
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1991

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    NICKDATA, INC. 1987.

  • Deposit

    LANGLER ERNST. "FERRONICKEL PRODUCTION AT MORRO DO NIQUEL,

  • Deposit

    MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL." INTERNATIONAL LATERITE

  • Deposit

    SYMPOSIUM. 1979. PP. 397-411.

  • Deposit

    PERSONAL COMMUNICATION. PRIVATE CONSULTANT IN BRAZIL. 1981.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING, METALLURGICAL, AND

  • Deposit

    PETROLEUM ENGINEERS. INTERNATIONAL LATERITE

  • Deposit

    SYMPOSIUM. FERRONICKEL PRODUCTION AT MORRO DO NIQUEL

  • Deposit

    MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL. E. LANGER. FEB. 19-21, 1979,

  • Deposit

    P.397.

  • Deposit

    NICKDATA, INC. A COMPREHENSIVE NICKEL INDUSTRY COST DATABASE

  • Deposit

    AND COSTING PROGRAM. 1991. ILMAR J. MARTENS,

  • Deposit

    THOMAS F. TORRIES.

  • Deposit

    BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR / 1991. AVAILABILITY

  • Deposit

    OF PRIMARY NICKEL IN MARKET ECONOMY COUNTRIES. A

  • Deposit

    MINERALS AVAILABILITY APPRAISAL. DONALD I. BLEIWAS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OREBODY RESULT OF FOUR STAGES: INTRUSION OF PERIDOTITE, EXPOSURE OF PERIDOTITE, SERPENTINIZATION THROUGH THE ACTION OF METEORITIC WATER, AND FINALLY LATERIZATION OF THE SERPENTINITE. SHAPE OF OREBODY IS A LARGE ELLIPTICAL HILL WITH MAJOR AND MINOR AXIS OF 900 AND 400 METERS RESPECTIVELY. GANGUE INCLUDES LIMONITES AND CLAYS. ORE IS GARNIERITE AND NICKELFEROUS LIMONITE.. MINE HAS IRREGULAR BENCH LAYOUT WITH VARIABLE BENCH HEIGHT AND SLOPE. NEW RESERVES ARE NOT LISTED. HOWEVER, IT IS LIKELY THAT RESERVES WILL BE DEPLETED "SOON" ACCORDING TO REGULAR PRODUCTION OF PAST 4 YEARS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-SEP-1992 Bleiwas, Donald U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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