Vazante mine, Vazante, Minas Gerais, Brazili
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Vazante mine | Mine (Active) |
| Vazante | Municipality |
| Minas Gerais | State |
| Brazil | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
17° 57' 18'' South , 46° 51' 9'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Mine (Active) - last checked 2024
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Vazante | 15,459 (2012) | 6.8km |
| Presidente Olegário | 13,586 (2012) | 68.9km |
Mindat Locality ID:
106407
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:106407:3
GUID (UUID V4):
5683ff0e-5de1-4154-bb88-0932c5658520
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Vazante zinc mine
Group of several mines, closely located and jointly operated by Votorantim Metais. From S to N:
- Lumiadeira (underground and open pit)
- Morro da Usina (underground)
- Mineira (open pit)
- Sucuri (underground and open pit).
Zinc was discovered in 1933 near the village of Vazante, located in the Brasília Fold Belt. At first, mining was by independent miners using hand tools, referred to in this area as artisanal miners (called garimpeiros). In 1969 a larger open-pit operation by Votorantim Metais began producing ore that could be processed for its zinc content. Underground mining began in 1983. Since then, the Vazante mine has become the largest producer of zinc in Brazil, with reserves estimated at 26.6 million tonnes of ore having up to 19.5% Zn content.
The primary zinc ore is the silicate willemite which occurs in pods and veinlets in a brecciated shear zone associated with the Vazante fault zone. The fault strikes N50E and dips at 60-70 degrees NW, cutting dolomitic metasediments of the Serra do Poço Verde Formation of late Mesoproterozoic age (estimated at 1.1 to 1.0 Ga). The willemite ore body extends along the fault zone for nearly 5 km, and ranges from the surface to a depth of somewhat greater than 400 meters. The fault is interpreted as a syn-sedimentary growth fault formed along the margins of a marine basin and reactivated multiple times during the Brasiliano Orogeny (ca. 630-500 Ma). Formation of the zinc silicate deposit is not well understood, but presence of willemite and hematite required oxidizing conditions. Lead isotope data suggest an upper crustal source for the lead and zinc. Hot, acidic and sulfur-deficient fluids rich in the metal flowed upward and mixed with oxygen-depleted, cool, meteoric waters under more alkaline conditions where willemite precipitated.
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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.Mineral List
Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities20 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
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Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities
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Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Chalcocite | 2.BA.05 | Cu2S |
| ⓘ | Stromeyerite | 2.BA.40 | AgCuS |
| ⓘ | Covellite | 2.CA.05a | CuS |
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Zincite | 4.AB.20 | ZnO |
| ⓘ | Franklinite | 4.BB.05 | Zn2+Fe3+2O4 |
| ⓘ | Gahnite | 4.BB.05 | ZnAl2O4 |
| ⓘ | Magnetite | 4.BB.05 | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
| ⓘ | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Siderite | 5.AB.05 | FeCO3 |
| ⓘ | Smithsonite | 5.AB.05 | ZnCO3 |
| ⓘ | Dolomite | 5.AB.10 | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| ⓘ | Ankerite | 5.AB.10 | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Baryte | 7.AD.35 | BaSO4 |
| ⓘ | Anglesite | 7.AD.35 | PbSO4 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Willemite | 9.AA.05 | Zn2SiO4 |
| ⓘ | Hemimorphite | 9.BD.10 | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| ⓘ | Talc | 9.EC.05 | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Chlorite Group' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Apatite' | - | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| H | ⓘ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| C | ⓘ Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| C | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Smithsonite | ZnCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| O | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| O | ⓘ Franklinite | Zn2+Fe23+O4 |
| O | ⓘ Gahnite | ZnAl2O4 |
| O | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| O | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| O | ⓘ Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Smithsonite | ZnCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Willemite | Zn2SiO4 |
| O | ⓘ Zincite | ZnO |
| O | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| F | Fluorine | |
| F | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| Mg | ⓘ Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| Mg | ⓘ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Gahnite | ZnAl2O4 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Willemite | Zn2SiO4 |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| S | ⓘ Covellite | CuS |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| S | ⓘ Stromeyerite | AgCuS |
| Cl | Chlorine | |
| Cl | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| Ca | ⓘ Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| Ca | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Franklinite | Zn2+Fe23+O4 |
| Fe | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| Fe | ⓘ Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
| Fe | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | ⓘ Covellite | CuS |
| Cu | ⓘ Stromeyerite | AgCuS |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Franklinite | Zn2+Fe23+O4 |
| Zn | ⓘ Gahnite | ZnAl2O4 |
| Zn | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| Zn | ⓘ Smithsonite | ZnCO3 |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Zn | ⓘ Willemite | Zn2SiO4 |
| Zn | ⓘ Zincite | ZnO |
| Ag | Silver | |
| Ag | ⓘ Stromeyerite | AgCuS |
| Ba | Barium | |
| Ba | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
Localities in this Region
- Minas Gerais
- Vazante
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
South AmericaContinent
South America PlateTectonic Plate
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References
rigeo.cprm.gov.br (n.d.) http://rigeo.cprm.gov.br/xmlui/bitstream/handle/doc/16884/IRM%20Metalogenia%20.%20distrito%20zinc%C3%ADfero%20de%20Vazante.pdf?sequence=1
Olivo, Gema R., Monteiro, Lena V. S., Baia, Fernando, Slezak, Paul, Carvalho, Igor, Fernandes, Neil A., Oliveira, Gustavo D., Neto, Basilio Botura, Alexandra McGladrey, Adalene M. Silva, Moura, Márcia A., Layton-Matthews, Daniel (2018) The Proterozoic Vazante Hypogene Zinc Silicate District, Minas Gerais, Brazil: A Review of the Ore System Applied to Mineral Exploration. Minerals, 8 (1) 22 doi:10.3390/min8010022
Vazante mine, Vazante, Minas Gerais, Brazil