Mina De Aguas Claras

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

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10078081
MRDS ID W026236
Record type Site
Current site name Mina De Aguas Claras
Alternate or previous names Aguas Claras

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -43.89617, -19.95138 (WGS84)
Elevation 4330
Location accuracy 1000(meters)
Relative position 3-5 KM E OF BELO HORIZONTE

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
Iron Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • ORES HAVE NO TI, CU, PB, ZN, AS, BI, SB, AND SN; MAIN IMPURITIES ARE SILICA, ALUMINA, PHOSPHOROUS, AND SULFUR BUT ALL IN AMOUNTS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. 80% MASSIVE ORE AND 20% NON MASSIVE.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Quartz Gangue

Analytical data

Result +100 MESH WHICH FORMS 46.7% OF DEPOSIT AVERAGES 68.0% FE, 0.04% P, 1.0% AL2O3, AND 0.7% SIO2 (GOMES, 1986).

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 241
USGS model code 34a
Deposit model name Superior Fe (BC name is Lake Superior & Rapitan types iron-formation)

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Phyllite
    Rock unit name Batatal Formation, Caraca Group, Minas Series;Gandarela Formation, Itabira Group, Minas Series
    Rock description Batatal Formation, Caraca Group, Minas Series;Gandarela Formation, Itabira Group, Minas Series
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Greenschist
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Iron Formation
    Rock unit name Caue Formation, Itabira Group, Minas Series
    Rock description Caue Formation, Itabira Group, Minas Series

Nearby scientific data

(1) -43.89617, -19.95138

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Complex Folding And Granitic Intrusions; Iron Formations Run In Bands Of Varying Widths And Cutting Across Quadrilatero From East To West And North To South; Thickness Ranges To Several Hundred Feet

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR LENSES (OF HEMATITE)
    Strike N45E
    Dip 30 - 70 SE
    Thickness 250M
    Length 1650M
    Depth to bottom 500M

Comments on the geologic information

  • DEPOSIT CONTAINS HEMATITE LENS (COMPACT), TRIABLE HEMATITE, SILICEOUS: TABIRITE, DOLOMITIC ITABIRITE AND IS UNDERLAIN BY THE BATATAL AND OVERLAIN BY THE GANDARELA. GOMES (1986) HAS MAP AND CROSS-SECTION.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Year of first production 1884

Mining district

District name Quadrilatero Ferrifero, Congonhas Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Mineracoes Brasileiras Reunidas S/A (Mbr)

Comments on the production information

  • ELABORATE CONCENTRATING PLANTS AND SHIPPING FACILITIES BEING BUILT ( 1974 ). MAY BE DEPLETED BEFORE 2000 (U.S. EMBASSY, 1994).

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1973
    Total resources 240000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 64 wt-pct Iron Major 1973
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1973
    Total resources 375000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 64 wt-pct Iron Major 1973
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Total resources 177000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 68 wt-pct Iron Major 1986

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • * IN ADDITION TO HEMATITE ORE REPORTED ABOVE, LARGE TONNAGES OF ITABIRITE ORE EXIST.
  • TOTAL ORE RESERVE (1986 DATA); WASTE TO MINERALIZED IS 0.83

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN PIT WITH 13M LEVELS

Comments on development

  • 42 EXPLORATION ADITS, 24080 M OF DRILL TO PROVE DEPOSIT

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit $190 MILLION ESTIMATED INVESTMENT AS OF 1 / 73
Deposit First Production Year: 1884 (GOLD); JULY, 1973 (FE)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-74 Cooper, Margaret (Shaffer, Glenn L.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAR-94 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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