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Araxa

Producer in Minas Gerais, Brazil with commodities Phosphorus-Phosphates, Niobium (Columbium), REE, Thorium, Vermiculite, Uranium, Barium-Barite
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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. Mining district
  16. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Reserves and resources
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10068132
MRDS ID W001062
Record type Site
Current site name Araxa
Alternate or previous names Barreiro, Arafertil

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -46.91568, -19.63085 (WGS84)
Relative position 8 KM. SOUTH OF CITY OF ARAXA, MINAS GERAIS.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Minas Gerais(province)

Brazil(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Brazil Minas Gerais

Comments on the location information

  • PHOSPHATE OPERATIONS IN NW PORTION OF RING COMPLEX ARE AT 19-40S, 46-55W.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary
Niobium (Columbium) Critical Primary
REE Critical Tertiary
Thorium Tertiary
Vermiculite Tertiary
Uranium Tertiary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • ONLY PRODUCTS MINED ARE PYROCHLORE (BY CBMM) AND APATITE(BY FERTISA). REE=RARE EARTHS

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Ore
Pyrochlore Ore
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Monazite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Vermiculite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Laterization Of Carbonatite(Ls.)

Analytical data

Result PYROCHLORE 2-6%
Result APATITE 1-10%
Result FE 60-70%
Result BARITE 1-11%
Result THORIUM 0.06%
Result URANIUM 0.05% (IN ORE). TYPICAL ANALYSIS FOR PHOSPHATE CONCENTRATE: 70.7 % BPL, 32.4 % P2O5, 2.87 % F, 4.82 % SO3, 1.73 % CO2, 41.2 % CAO, 0.02 % MGO, 0.1 % AL2O3, 4.89 % FE2O3, 0.05 % SIO2, 0.08 % NA2O, 9.3 % BAO, 0.29 % RE2O3, 0.23 % NB2O5, 0.89 % ZRO2, 0.08 % THO2, 0.03 % TIO2

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 24
USGS model code 10
Deposit model name Carbonatite

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Alkalic Volcanic Rock
    Rock unit name Araxa Alkaline Pipe
    Rock description Araxa Alkaline Pipe
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Carbonatite, Intrusive
    Rock unit name Araxa Alkaline Pipe;Araxa Group
    Rock description Araxa Alkaline Pipe;Araxa Group
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock

Nearby scientific data

(1) -46.91568, -19.63085
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Ring Complex
Type of structure Local
Structure description Dome Structure In Country Rocks

Ore body information

  • General form PIPE
    Plunge VERTICAL
    Length 6500M
    Width 6500M
    Depth to top 0M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Near Circular Domed Exposure Carbonatite In Metasediments

Comments on the geologic information

  • KRAUSS REPORTED AGE OF MINERALIZATION AS CRET, TERT-QUAT. ; MAJOR.UNITS: ARAXA GROUP METASEDIMENTS ; GEOL.DESC: CARBONATITE CAPS STOCK OF ALKALINE ROCKS (SEE LEONARDOS P. 25) ; REG.COM: ALKALINE PIPE-LIKE STOCK WITH CARBONATITE ASSOC. FORMS DOMED STRUCTURE ARAXA ROCKS

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1935
Discoverer Djalma Guimaraes
Year of first production 1958

Mining district

District name Araxa, Salitre District

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Companhia Brasileiraa De Metalurgia E Mineracao(Cbmm)
  • Type Owner
    Owner Companhia Brasilerade Metallurgia Mineracao (Cbmm)

Production statistics

  • Year 1971
    Material NB
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^60. % Nb2o5 (Conc)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Nb2O5 Niobium (Columbium) Niobium (Columbium) 60wt-pct
  • Year 1971
    Material NB
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^63. % Nb (Ferrocolumbium)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Niobium (Columbium) Niobium (Columbium) 63wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Period 1979/80
    Material ORE P
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^52.4% Bpl
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Phosphorus-Phosphates Phosphorus 52wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Period 1979/80
    Material CON P
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^76.5% Bpl
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Phosphorus-Phosphates Phosphorus 77wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • CBMM REPORTS THAT UP TO 7-30-72 (START OF ACTIVITIES) HAVE PRODUCED TOTAL OF OVER 50,000 TONS 60% NB2O5 CONC., 9,000 TONS FERRO COLUMBIUM; ANNUAL CAPACITY IS 18,000 TONS CONC., 4000 TONS FECB. THE OPERATIONS OF COMPANHIA BRASILEIRA DE METAL E MINERACAO (49%) OWNED BY MOLYBDENUM CORPORATION) OF ARAXA CONTRIBUTE OVER ONE THIRD OF FREE WORLD SUPPLY OF COLUMBIUM. PRODUCTION OF PYROCHLORE CONCENTRATES, WHICH BEGAN IN 1966 HAS REACHED PLANT CAPACITY OF 7500 TONS PER YEAR. TWO PRODUCTS ARE PREPARED MAINLY FOR EXPORT TO THE U.S.A.; PYROCHLORE CONCENTRATES AVERAGING 60.9% NB, AND FERRO COLUMBIUM, AVERAGING 66% NB. THE LATTER IS PRODUCED USING CONCENTRATES AND TOTALS ABOUTH 2500 TONS PER YEAR. THE MINE AND PLANT ARE 5 KM WEST OF THE GRAND HOTEL OF BARREIRAS AND 4 KM FROM THE CITY OF ARAXA.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1979
    Total resources 84000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Niobium (Columbium) Nb2o5 3 wt-pct Niobium (Columbium) Major 1979
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Total resources 936265932000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Niobium (Columbium) Nb2o5 1.57 wt-pct Niobium (Columbium) Major 1986

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • BOTTOM THIS DEPOSIT NOT YET REACHED BY DRILLING HENCE GUESTIMATES AS MUCH AS BILLION TON ORE RESOURCES CONSIDERED POSSIBLE
  • DRILLING DEEP (500 METERS) HAS NOT REACHED BOTTOM THIS DEPOSIT HENCE SOME EST. OF NEAR BILLION TON NB ORE RESOURCES.
  • ITEM 1=PROVED RESERVES;ITEM 2=PROBABLE RESERVES; ITEM 3=POSSIBLE RESERVES. ORE (1) MEASURED, ORE (2) INDICATED, ORE (3) INFERRED, ORE (4) TOTAL RESERVE, ORE (5) MEASURED RESERVE WITH 2.5% CUTOFF GRADE, ORE (7) MEASURED RESERVES WITH 2.0% CUTOFF GRADE, ORE (8) MEASURED RESERVE WITH 1.0% CUTOFF GRADE FOR WEATHERED MATERIAL, ORE (9) INDICATED RESERVES FOR FRESH ROCK.

Comments on the workings information

  • C.B.M.M. ABOUT 20% OWNED BY MOLYBDENUM CORP. OF AMERICA

Comments on development

  • PROPERTY PARTLY OWNED BY COMPANHIA AGRICOLA DE MINAS GERAIS (CAMIG) WITH INTEREST IN THE APATITE DEPOSITS. THE APATITE PROCESSING PLANT OWNED BY COMPANHIA AGRICOLA DE MINAS GERAIS (THE STATE) 2 KM FROM ARAXA PRODUCES 20,000 TONS PER YEAR OF GROUND APATITE FOR DIRECT AGRICULTURAL USE. THE ORE CONSISTS LARGELY OF DECOMPOSED CLAY-LIKE MATERIAL HAVING A FEW HARD PIECES OF ROCK. AVERAGE GRADE OF ORE MINED IS 28% P5O2. HIGH LIME (40% CAO) AND 14% IRON MAKE ACIDULATION NOT FEASIBLE. MATERIAL IS BAGGED IN 50 KG SACKS AND SOLD AT NCR $53 PER TON, F.O.B. PLANT. PART OF THE CRUSHED MATERIAL, RANGING 1/2 INCH TO ONE INCH IN SIZE, IS DELIVERED BY RAIL CARS TO THE PHOSPHORUS FUSION PLANT AT POCOS DE CALDAS. ; ECON.COM: PROD. CAPACITY NB CONC. COULD BE DOUBLED IN 3 MO, FERROCOLUMBIUM IN ONE MONTH

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    GUIMARAES, D., 1957, JAZIDA PIROCLORO ARAXA, DEPARTMENTO NACIONAL DA PRODUCAS MINERAL (DFPM).

  • Deposit

    LEONARDOS, O.H., 1956, BRAZIL CARBONATITES, D.F.P.M. BOL. 80, (PORT).

  • Deposit

    C.B.M.M. 1972, BROCHURE ON ARAXA OPERATIONS(ENGLISH).

  • Deposit

    JOHN COLES, 1972, ORAL COMMUN., GEOLOGIST WITH COMPANHIA BRASILEIRA DE METALURGIA.

  • Deposit

    WENDEL, C.A., 1969, MONTHLY REPORT ON BRAZIL PROJECT (MAY).

  • Deposit

    KRAUSS AND OTHERS, 1984: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 930-C, 41 P.

  • Deposit

    ALBUQUERQUE, G.S., AND GIANNERINI, J.F., 1981, APERCU SUR L'INDUSTRIE DU PHOSPHATE AU BRESIL: INDUSTRIE MINERALE, . 63, NO. 10.

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR CORP., 1980, WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS, 4TH ED., LONDON.

  • Deposit

    CESAR, P. DE A.B., 1984, PRINCIPAIS DEPOSITOS MINERAIS: CONCEITOS, METODOLOGIA E LISTAGEM, CAPITULO IX, IN SCHOBBENHAUS, C., CAMPOS, D. DE A., DERZE, G.R., ASMUS, H.E., EDS., GEOLOGIA DO BRASIL: DEPARTAMENTO NACIONAL DA PRODUCAO MINERAL, P. 359-419.

  • Deposit

    DA SILVA, A.B., 1986, JAZIDA DE NIOBIO DE ARAXA, MINAS GERAIS, IN PRINCIPAIS DEPOSITOS MINERAIS DO BRASIL, EDS., C. SCHOBBENHAUS AND C.E.S. COELHO: MINISTERIO DAS MINAS E ENERGIA, BRASILIA, V. 11, P. 436-453.

  • Deposit

    1955 DIREXPL FERTISA- REPORT

  • Deposit

    1955 GEOCHEM INST. TEC. IND. -REPORT

  • Deposit

    1955 GEOPHYS PROSPEC-REPORT

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Production

    MINERALS ATTACHE, U.S. EMB. RIO; BROCHURE DEVELOPMENT, ANITAPOLIS, 1980.

  • Reserve-Resource

    CBBM GEOLOGIST, RIO, VERBAL COMM. NOV. 1972

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ARAXA DEPOSIT IS IN CIRCULAR PIPE STRUCTURE 44 KM IN DIAMETER WITH PYROCHLORE DISSEMINATED IN HIGHLY WEATHERED ROCK ORIGINALLY A CARBONATITE (LIMESTONE OUTCROPS PRESENT). ESTIMATED RESERVES ALL CATAGORIES ARE UP TO 750 MILLION TONS OF ORE AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES OF ONE BILLION TONS ORE WITH AVERAGE 3% NB2O5. THE ESTIMATES MADE IN 1972, AT WHICH TIME CBMM DRILLING HAS NOT REACHED THE BOTTOM OF THE DEPOSIT. ALSO NOTE THAT CBMM PUBLISHED RESERVE FIGURES OF 381 MILLION METRIC TONNES ORE IN ALL CATEGORIES WITH AVERAGE 3.3% NB2O5 CONTENT.
Deposit GEOLOGY OF THIS DEPOSIT AND SIMILAR DEPOSITS IN BRAZIL LIKELY WELL KNOWN BY CBMM BUT NOT PUBLISHED OR RELEASED. AS OF 11-87, THIS RECORD CONTAINS DATA FROM W001381, W002358, W002357, AND ISM0387 (ULRICH KRAUSS-- ISMI) WHICH HAVE BEEN DELETED FROM THE DATA BASE.
Deposit First Production Year: 1958 BY WAH CHANG CORP
Deposit Discovery Year: 1930'S
Deposit THIS RECORD CONTAINS DATA FROM W001381, W002358, W002357, AND ISM0387 (ULRICH KRAUSS--ISMI) WHICH HAVE BEEN DELETED FROM THE DATA BASE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1972 White, Max G. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-NOV-1987 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-APR-1994 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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