Morro Velho

Producer in Minas Gerais, Brazil with commodities Gold, Silver
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. Reserves and resources
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10158561
MAS/MILS ID 3510230004
Record type Site
Current site name Morro Velho
Alternate or previous names Mina De Bela Fama, Mina Velha, Mina Grande, Mina De Raposos, Mina De Bicalho, Mina De Faria, Mina Esperanca, Mina De Cuiaba, Raposos

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -43.85085, -19.97059 (WGS84)
Elevation 1075
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

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 Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Arsenopyrite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown
Tetrahedrite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -43.85085, -19.97059

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N15W
    Dip 50E
    Thickness 5M
    Length 2400M
    Width 150M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 REPLACEMENT
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin CONT METASOMATIC
    Primary Ore Control FOLDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N15W:50E
    Date of Last Modification 870729
  • Area 15000HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 15000
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1834

Mining district

District name Minas Gerais

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Bozzano And Simonsen
    Interest 51
    Home office Brazil
    Year 1992
  • Type Owner
    Owner Anglo-American Corp.
    Interest 49
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1992
  • Type Operator
    Owner Mineracao Do Morro Velho, S. A.
    Year 1982

Production statistics

  • Year 1967
    Description Gold Ore Mined 465700 Metric Tonnes Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 465700mt
  • Year 1970
    Description Gold Ore Mined 504900 Metric Tonnes Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 504900mt
  • Year 1973
    Description Gold Ore Mined 523799 Metric Tonnes Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 523799mt
  • Year 1976
    Description Gold Ore Mined 474700 Metric Tonnes Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 474700mt
  • Year 1979
    Description Gold Ore Mined 474700 Metric Tonnes Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 474700mt
  • Year 1980
    Description Gold Ore Mined 465000 Metric Tonnes Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 465000mt

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTS A AND B ARE REFINED IN NOVA LIMA, ALSO. THEY ARE IDENTICAL. THE REASON FOR TWO RECORDS BEING REPRESENTED IS THE DIFFERENCE IN MILL INPUT.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Indicated 20321000mt ore
    Demonstrated 20321000mt ore
    Total resources 20321000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 1.86 g/mt Silver Minor 1981
    Gold Au 9.31 g/mt Gold Major 1981

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • BOZANO SIMONSEN AND ANGLO AMERICAN DO BRASIL = OWNERS ANALYZED DEMONSTRATED RESOURCES FOR 1984 AU STUDY INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING MINES AS COMPRISING THE MORRO VELHO OPERATION: CUIABA, RAPOSOS, MINA VELHO/MINA GRANDE, BICALHO, BELA FAMA AND FARIA. OLD DATA BASE HAS FOLLOWING SEQ.NO. ASSIGNED-MINA MORRO VELHO(3510230004),MINA RAPOSOS(3510230005),MINA BICALHO(3510230006), MINA BELLA FAMA(3510230007) AND MINA FARIA(3510230008).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 2453M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method SHRINKAGE METHODS
    Percent Recovery 95
    Hardness of Rock UNKNOWN
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Number of Shafts 5
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 4833
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 87.32
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE TWO MILL RECORDS REFLECT THE DIFFERENCE IN CAPACITY FROM THE EXPANSION OF MINE AND MILL FACILITIES.
  • THE TWO DEVELOPMENT RECORDS RESULT FROM AN EXPANSION PROJECT WHICH WILL COME ON-LINE IN 1986. THIS PROPOSED EXPANSION INVOLVES: DEEPENING OF RAPOSOS MINE, DEVELOPING A NEW MINE AT CUIABA, AND CONSTRUCTING A MILL AT RAPOSOS.
  • DILUTION OF THE ORE IS 24%. THERE ARE ACTUALLY 3 METHODS USED AT MORRO VELHO: SHRINKAGE STOPING (40%), OPEN STOPING (40%) AND CUT AND FILL (20%).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    PROCESSAMENTO, REVISTA LATINO, AMERICANA DE MINERACAO, MAIO

  • Deposit

    ANGLO-AMERICAN (MORRO VELHO): IN MINERIOS, EXTRACAO &

  • Deposit

    PROCESSAMENTO, REVISTA LATINO AMERICANA DE MINERACAO, MAIO

  • Deposit

    1981, P. 63.

  • Deposit

    MORRO VELHO- EXPANSION PLAN, WORLD MINING, V. 34, NO. 12,

  • Deposit

    1981.

  • Deposit

    TOLBERT, G.E. GEOLOGY OF THE RAPOSOS GOLD MINE, MINAS

  • Deposit

    GERAIS, BRAZIL, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 59, PP. 775-798, 1964.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE MORRO VELHO GOLD MINE CONSISTS OF 9 DIFFERENT MINES, WHICH ARE LISTED IN THE N (ALTERNATE NAMES) DATA SET.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 18-SEP-92 Boyle, Ed U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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