Developing mineral opportunities in Brazil

Director of the Bemisa Group since 2008, with 21 years of experience in the Mining and Private Equity areas as executive of the Opportunity Private Equity Asset Manager.

Director of the Bemisa Group since 2011, with 26 years of experience in construction management, coordination and implementation at the Andrade Gutierrez Group.

Director of the Bemisa Group since 2015 and Mining Engineer (UFMG), with 30 years of experience in developing mining industry projects in companies such as Bunge, Yamana and Galvani.

Director of the Bemisa Group since 2018, with 20 years of experience working in some of the largest law firms in Brazil in the Corporate, Financial and Infrastructure areas.

Baratinha Mine, currently in ramp up phase, it have been obtaining excellent results. The project holds a beneficiation plant with capacity to produce up to 2 million tons of iron ore per year, mainly Sinter Feed with high iron grade.

The Baratinha Mine produces iron ore in the region known as Vale do Aço, in the state of Minas Gerais, a prime location for the domestic market supplying due to its proximity to important steel players and major railroads.

The project area was an old mine that operated until the 1980s. Since the start of the activities, Bemisa Group has been working to recover the environmental liabilities left by the old operation.

The project holds a beneficiation plant with capacity to produce up to 2 million tons of iron ore per year and does use tailing dams in its operation . Besides, Baratinha ore is suitable for the production of Sinter Feed and lump ore (hematitinha), with high iron grade (65% Fe).

In 2018, Baratinha Mine obtained its Mining Concession and an Operation License, initiating the project's ramp-up. 

Located between the Steel Valley and the Pig Iron District. Currently, it is in Exploratory Research and with a rapid development and deployment plan with potential to produce grain and sinter feed.

The Pedra Branca Project is located between the municipalities of Itabira and João Monlevade, in Minas Gerais, about 100 km from Belo Horizonte. 

The Project aims to extract and process iron ore for production and sale of lump and fine products.

Field surveys carried out so far point to a potential resource of approximately 15 million tons of ore, consisting of one million ton of hematite (@ 67% Fe) and 14 million tons of itabirite (@ 40% Fe).

Consolidation of the exploratory survey is underway, with surface geochemistry studies, terrestrial geophysics surveys, and additional drilling having been scheduled.

More than 1 billion tons of certified resources and basic engineering completed for the plant with an annual production capacity of 15 million tons of Premium Quality Pellet Feed Fines with excellent flow logistics.

Located in northeastern Brazil, the Piauí Planalto Project has more than one billion tons of magnetite iron ore certified by SRK Consulting. 

The conceptual and basic engineering studies were concluded with excellent results that demonstrated the feasibility of producing 15 million tons per year of premium quality Pellet Feed Fines (PFF), with an iron content above 70% and contamination levels below market standards (SiO 2 + Al 2 O 3 <2.5% and P <0.015%).

The iron ore produced by the Piauí Planalto Project will be intended for exportation given the exceptional quality of the PFF and access to the Transnordestina Railway, which runs 6 km from the Project and will connect it to two important Brazilian ports, Suape, Pernambuco and Pecém, Ceará, both of which are capable of operating capesize vessels. 

The Piauí Planalto Project will bring socioeconomic benefits to one of the country’s states with the lowest Human Development Index (HDI)  through increased tax collection, job creation, and attraction of new investments to the region where the project is located.

Located in the iron quadrilateral region, the largest mineral province in the southeast region. The drilling survey has indicated a potential resource of around 46 million tons.

Tchao Project, located in the state of Minas Gerais, near the MRS railway, between the municipalities of Brumadinho, Ibirité, and Igarapé, aims to mine iron ore in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero.

The drilling campaign was able to intercept mineralized horizons in all eight drilled holes, characterized by magnetic itabirite with enriched horizon passages.

The volume estimate, conducted by the exploration team, resulted in geological resources in the order of 46 million tons of iron ore.

314 million tons of phosphate rock with international certified. The project has advantageous location because it is in the State of Mato Grosso, where more than 80% of the consumption of phosphate fertilizers comes from imports.

The Jauru Project, located in the state of Mato Grosso, aims to explore and develop phosphate deposits for the production of phosphate fertilizers.

The Project is in a privileged location, because it is situated in the country's largest grain producer and fertilizer consumer region, with more than 80% of P2O5 consumption coming from foreign imports and the rest from other states.

The Bemisa Group has carried out about 25,000 meters of drilling at the Jauru Project targets, which enabled the certification of 314 Mt of phosphate rock by SRK Consulting.

The research and process work is financed by FINEP – Studies and Projects Financier, a publicly-held company linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, whose main objective is to foster research projects focused on technological innovation.

The project has demonstrated the potential for mineral water from surface samples in its preliminary survey. Well drilling from which flow monitoring and chemical quality of the water will be made.

Três Picos is a mineral water project located in the municipality of Teresópolis, in the mountainous region of the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Mineral water is one of the most promising growth commodities of the 21st century. In the last ten years, per capita consumption of bottled mineral water has doubled in Brazil, due to the population's expanding awareness of health, along with the heat and the country’s water situation.

Preliminary results of the chemical analysis of the upwelling points were excellent, according to the PUC-RJ report, indicating a neutral pH factor, between 6 and 8, low levels of heavy metals and alkalis, tending to be classified as a light mineral water.

In order to verify the existence of fissure aquifers, terrestrial geophysics surveys were carried out and several zones with a high potential for sub-surface water were identified.

Deep well drilling were programmed from which flow monitoring and chemical quality of the water will be made in conjunction with the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM) and Mineral Resources Research Company (CPRM).

Preliminary exploration research indicated potential with rock samples with more than 10 g/t Au. Targets for the first drilling campaign were identified.

The Água Azul Project is located in the southeast part of the state, near the Carajás iron district. 

Exploratory work on the Água Azul Project began with an extensive regional recognition campaign in all areas that were part of the portfolio at that time. Surface sampling work was carried out during the first large-scale sweep. Consistent anomalies indicative of copper-gold mineralization associated with Salobo, Sapucaia, Inajá and Tucumã greenstones were reported, which directed exploration to the areas located on these geological units.

The regional recognition campaign results led to the need to consolidate activities, prioritizing potential targets where soil and rock sampling was carried out using grid and terrestrial geophysical surveys.

Five targets were identified, where Au levels in the soil reached 850 ppb and rock samples exceeded 10 g/t Au. When combined with IP anomalies and detail geology, these geochemical results led to a drilling campaign schedule with an estimated 2,500 drilled meters.

Nickelsulfide project with three drilling campaigns which identified geological potential to host a world-class deposit.

The Canabrava Project, located in the northern part of the state of Goiás, near the nickel reserve of Barro Alto, aims to mine Nickelsulfide. 

The good results of the geochemical sampling campaigns, led to the realization of the aerogeophysical survey (VTEM), which identified 16 exploratory targets with potential for Nickel-Copper Sulphide mineralization and terrestrial geophysics by IP.

After completing the first stage of mineral exploration, the Bemisa Group carried theree drilling campaigns totaling drilling adds up to more than 4,500 meters and 29 holes.

Based on the work carried out to-date, the Canabrava Project reveals a geological potential to host a world-class deposit of high tonnage and low grade Nickelsulfide (over 100 million tons with a concentration of 0.5% Nickel).

Located in the State of Minas Gerais, the project have developed exploration works with soil sampling, rock and soil analysis, and mineralogical characterization of the deposit and process tests.

Located in the State of Minas Gerais, the Bambuí Project had its field work developed with surface sampling campaigns, in which rock and soil samples were collected and analyzed.

From the drilling campaigns results, the Group conducted the mineralogical characterization of the deposit and process tests in order to identify the REE-bearing minerals and their behavior in the concentration. As a result of this collaboration, the main REE phases were identified for new process tests.

With the potential for implantation of an industrial complex producing soil and cement corrective agent, the results of the project's drilling campaigns indicate a potential for 66 billion tons.

The Santa Maria da Vitória Project aims to implement an industrial complex with the capacity to produce soil and cement corrective mixtures generated from the processing of the extensive limestone reserve.

Two diamond drilling campaigns were carried out with more than 6,500 meters drilled, distributed in 69 holes and 13 areas defined as priorities, aimed at defining the resources of calcite and dolomite limestone. The results pointed to potential resources of more than 66 billion tons, consisting of approximately 57 billion tons of calcite limestone and 9 billion tons of dolomite limestone.

The results of the characterization tests carried out by the Technological Research Institute (TRI) have confirmed excellent quality both in the magnesian horizon and the carbonate horizon, thus diversifying the options in relation to the final products.