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Barro Alto

Prospect in Goias, Brazil with commodities Nickel, Iron, Cobalt, Copper, PGE
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10079620
MRDS ID W029663
Record type Site
Current site name Barro Alto
Alternate or previous names Barro Alto Deposit, Barro Alto Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -48.79908, -15.04768 (WGS84)
Elevation 900
Relative position ABOUT 150 KM NW OF BRASILIA, 350 KM BY ROAD; 45 KM NORTH OF TOWN GOIANESIA
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Geographic areas

Country State
Brazil Goias

Comments on the location information

  • MIDPOINT OF BARRO ALTO DEPOSIT.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Nickel Primary
Iron Primary
Cobalt Secondary
Copper Secondary
PGE Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Garnierite Ore
Limonite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Serpentinization

Analytical data

Result MOISTURE CONTENT UP TO 30 %. THE A1 OREBODY CONTAINS 2.08 % NI IN THE WEST AND 1.85 % NI IN THE EAST. THE A OREBODY CONTAINS 20 S102 35.5 %, AL203 31.0 %, MG0 12.0 %, FE-OXIDE 17.0 %, CR203 1.06 %, CU 0.005

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 110
USGS model code 38a
BC deposit profile B02
Deposit model name Lateritic Ni

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Dunite
    Rock unit name Araxa Group;Araxa Group;Araxa Group
    Rock description Araxa Group;Araxa Group;Araxa Group

Nearby scientific data

(1) -48.79908, -15.04768
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Geologic structures

Type Description Terms
Regional Central Goias Complex
Local Faults

Ore body information

  • General form WEDGE
    Strike N-S
    Dip 70 DEG E
    Thickness 20M
    Width 30M
    Length 2900M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Serpentine Peridotite And Dunite (In A Valley Between Anorthosite In The West And Gabbros In The East)

Comments on the geologic information

  • GARNIERITE AND LIMONITE, THE DEPOSIT IS LOCATED IN THE EASTERN SIDE OF AN INTRUSIVE COMPLEX, WHERE IT IS ABOUT 25 KM LONG AND 1-2 KM WIDE. TWO TYPES OF ORE ARE RECOGNIZED: E-TYPE (SERPENTINIZED PERIDOTITE) WITH A LOWER GRADE OF NI AND W-TYPE (SERPENTINIZED DUNITE) WITH A HIGHER GRADE OF NICKEL.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1934
Discoverer Helmuth Brockes

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Companhia De Mineracao De Ferro E Carao
    First year 1969
    Last year 1972
  • Type Joint Venture Owner
    Owner Baminco
    First year 1969
    Last year 1972
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Bamisal (Brazil) And Inco (Canada)
    Interest 49
    First year 1969
    Last year 1972
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Exploration Und Bergbau (Germany)
    Interest 25.5
    First year 1969
    Last year 1972
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Metallgesellschaft (Germany)
    Interest 25.5
    First year 1969
    Last year 1972

Comments on the production information

  • A PRODUCTION OF 20,000 TPA FERRO-NICKEL IS PLANNED. PRODUCTION OF 22,700 MT/YR NICKEL IN 55,000 MT OF FERRONICKEL IS PLANNED.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • H1) 1975: THE PROBABLE RESERVES OF 44,693,000 T ORE CONTAIN 1.4 TO 2.08 PER CENT NICKEL. ORE (1 ) TOTAL RESERVE, ORE (2) MEASURED. ORE (3) INDICARED, ORE (4) INFERRED. RR1L RF1, 1982, P. 287, RR2 RF3, P. 34; RR3: R1, 1980, P. 301. RR1 AN RR2 ARE MEASURED PLUS INDICATED RESOURCES.
  • RR25 INFERRED RESOURCES

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 7000HA

Comments on the workings information

  • TWO TYPES OF ORE, E-TYPE (SERPENTINIZATED PERIDOTITE) WITH A LOWER GRADE OF NICKEL AND SIO2; W-TYPE (SERPENTINIZATED DUNITE) WITH A HIGHER GRADE OF NICKEL AND SIO2.

Comments on development

  • NON-GEOLOGIC CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT OR EXPANSION IN 1-5 YEARS (X; WORLD NICKEL PRICE), DEVELOPMENT (NO). ; ECON.COM: CALCULATED INVESTMENTS FOR MINE AND SMELTER $ 300 MILLION (1975)

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS W029663

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    STACHE, G.A. 1976: UNTERSUCHUNG ZUR GEOLOGIE, PETROGRAPHIE, METAMORPHOSE UND GENESE DES BASISCH-ULTRABASISCHEN MASSIVS VON BARRO ALTO/GOIAS, CLAUSTHALER GEOL. ABHANDLUNGEN NO.24, FEBR.1976;

  • Deposit

    ANUARIO MINERAL BRASILEIRO, 1976

  • Deposit

    JUNIOR, J.D.A.B., 1986, AS JAZIDAS DE NIQUEL LATERITICO DE BARRO ALTO, GOIAS, IN PRINCIPAIS DEPOSITOS MINERAIS DO BRASIL, EDS. C. SCHOBBENHAUS AND C.E.S. COELHO: MINISTERIO DAS MINAS E ENERGIA, BRASILIA, V. 11, P. 315-334.

  • Deposit

    [BRAZIL] DEPARTAMENTO NACIONAL DA PRODUCAO MINERAL, [1978-84], ANUARIO MINERAL BRASILEIRO: RIO DE JANEIRO, DEPARTAMENTO NACIONAL DA PRODUCAO MINERAL, 6 V. (RR1, RR2, RR25)

  • Deposit

    ROSKILL INFORMATION SERVICES, 1981, THE ECONOMICS OF NICKEL, 3RD ED.: LONDON, ROSKILL INFORMATION SERVICES [498] P. (PA8).

  • Deposit

    ROSKILL INFORMATION SERVICES, 1977, THE ECONOMICS OF NICKEL, 2ND ED.: LONDON, ROSKILL INFORMATION SERVICES [587] P. (RR3).

  • Deposit

    MINING MAG., 1977, NICKEL (BRAZIL) V. 137, NO. 3.

  • Reserve-Resource

    E1 + E2) ANUARIO MINERAL BRASILEIRO 1976

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE ZONE OF SERPENTINIZATION IS ABOUT 25 KM LONG AND ONE TO TWO KM WIDE.
Deposit RECORD ISM0224 WAS COMPILED FOR THE INTERNATATIONAL STRATEGIC MIINERALS INVENTORY. THE DATA WERE USED IN PREPARATION OF THE USGS CIRCULAR 930 SERIES OF REPORTS. MINERAL RESOURE CATEGORIES AND CODES HEREIN ARE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM RECOMMENDED BY THE UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY FOR MINERAL RESOURCES. (SEE NATIONAL RESOURCES FORUM, V. 4, NO. 3, P. 307-313). SURFACE 2.5 M.
Deposit DUPLICATE RECORD ISM0224 HAS BEEN DELETED.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-1977 Saam, Henning G. (Shaffer, Glenn L.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-APR-1994 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey