Quartzite - Sento Sé/BA | Brasil Mineração

Quartzite
Sento Sé - BA

The area of mining process no. 870.959/2021 occupies 65,40ha and is located in the municipality of Sento Sé, Bahia, Brazil.

HIGHLIGHTS

LOGISTICAL FRAMEWORK

The project has good logistical support including access roads suitable for heavy vehicles. The nearby city of Umburanas provides operational support infrastructure. There is also three-phase power located 470 meters from the main target and surface water available near the quartzite deposits

GOLOGICAL CONTEXT

The quartzite outcrops are well-crystallized and show minimal superficial brittle structures, such as fractures and faults. There is also evidence of ductile deformation in the rock, caused by folding and shearing, which could add value to the extracted blocks. The presence of primary sedimentary marks and structures, like different types of stratifications, further indicates the quality of the deposit

ECONOMICAL FEASIBILITY

Based on existing data, there is preliminary evidence of the technical-economic feasibility of quartzite block production. The report concludes that the project can produce a final product that meets market demands and has high added value. The preliminary investigation suggests the area is an important target for further investigation

HIGH MINERAL POTENTIAL

The project area contains a large volume of quartzite, which is sufficient for large-scale production. The quartzite also has a high surface quality, with few surface-fractured zones. This means the rock is suitable for quarry development and is likely to yield a high volume of usable material

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LOCATION AND LOGISTICS

The mining process area No. 870.959/2021 covers 65.4 hectares and is located in the municipality of Sento Sé/BA, near the border with Umburanas/BA. Figure 1 below illustrates the geographic location of the title.

Fig 1 & 2. Geographical Location of the Visited ANM Process

ACCESS ROUTES

The access between the nearest city (Umburanas/BA) and the visited area is made via 52 km of dirt road, with structural conditions suitable for heavy vehicle traffic.

a), b), and c) illustrate some points of access to the visited ANM process, a dirt road starting from Umburanas, BA. Highlight in c) is a truck transporting two quartzite blocks extracted from quarries neighboring the process.

The gray quartzite deposit in focus is located approximately 550 km from Salvador/BA, while the distance to Cachoeiro de Itapemirim/ES is around 1,600 km.

MUNICIPAL AND LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Nearest City (Umburanas):

Umburanas has good infrastructure to support a mining project, as it offers various options for hotels/inns, workshops, heavy equipment rental, banks, gas stations, among others.

The high activity of companies focused on the maintenance and installation of wind farms in the region contributes to these aspects.

Nearest District (Campo Largo):

The district of "Campo Largo," which belongs to Sento Sé, is the closest inhabited locality to the deposit in focus, located 2.6 km from the ANM process boundary.

The presence of a perennial stream nearby allows easy access to water, as its collection would take place outside any potential Permanent Preservation Area (PPA) of the watercourse margin. Three-phase power is also nearby, approximately 470 meters in a straight line (from the power grid to the visited outcrops).

Fig 3. Illustration of the positioning of the nearest power grid to the area, as well as the drainage systems that can provide a water supply for mining operations in the northwest quartzite sector of the ANM process.

REGIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

The regional geology influencing the characteristics of the visited area is associated with the rocks of the northern sector of the Chapada Diamantina Group and the Morro do Chapéu Formation, featuring mountainous topography and terrain with altitudes above 1,000 meters.

The predominant rocks in both groups include metaconglomerates, various types of metarenites, quartzites, metarhythmites, and other fine-grained rocks with low-grade metamorphism, schists, and other lithotypes associated with this type of polydeformed continental margin sedimentation environment. According to geological bibliographic maps, the Morro do Chapéu Formation is the most prominent in the context of these areas.

The lithofacies association of the Morro do Chapéu Formation, based on descriptions from articles and academic studies conducted in Sento Sé and Umburanas, aligns closely with field observations. These include quartz-arenites, arkosic sandstones, and quartzites with plane-parallel and cross-bedding, as well as symmetrical and asymmetrical ripple marks.

Figure 5 outlines the regional geological context in which the process is situated.

Fig 5. Regional geology highlighting the distribution of the Chapada Diamantina Group and the Morro do Chapéu Formation, the main regional influences in the area.

LOCAL GEOLOGY

The mountainous formations that are highly prevalent in the region, associated with the northern sector of the Morro do Chapéu Formation, create a favorable environment for economic quartzite deposits of varying colors and styles. Active quarries extracting quartzite are located very close to the title in focus.

Throughout the process area, gray quartzite outcrops predominate. These are well-crystallized, with minimal occurrence of superficial brittle structures (fractures and faults) and evidence of ductile deformation in the rock (caused by folding and shearing).

Quartzite outcrops frequently exhibit primary sedimentary marks and structures, such as various types of stratifications. These structural characteristics of the massif, combined with the visual quality of the rocks, provide good potential for possible block extraction with economic viability.

Field activities included data collection from large outcrops and sampling of quartzites with a typically grayish coloration.

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MINING HISTORY OF THE AREA

Among the regional mineral potential for different substances, quartzites stand out the most. At a distance of 450 meters from the boundaries of the evaluated area, there are active quartzite mines, demonstrating the local potential for economic deposits of this type of material, as well as other quarries located slightly farther away but within the same geological context.

Figure 7 below illustrates the location of the mentioned active quarry.

Fig 7. Map showing the location of the quartzite mine in operation near the evaluated process.

OBTAINED RESULTS

METHODOLOGY OF THE EVALUATION CONDUCTED

The methodology applied in this evaluation is divided into three stages:
(1) evaluation of the set of procedural data from the ANM for the mining title; (2) field reconnaissance; and (3) data correlation and interpretation.

The first stage consisted of verifying the procedural history of title 870.959/2021 at the ANM, where the events registered during the validity of the title were analyzed, as well as its current condition and phase, which, in this case, is regular and in the "Research Authorization" phase;
The field reconnaissance lasted 2 days, during which several outcrops were visited to identify the lithostructural characteristics of the existing quartzite. During the visit, strategic information was also checked for the feasibility of a mining operation, such as distances and conditions of access routes, presence of water, energy, landowner interest, and volume/quality of the rocks;
Technical and strategic interpretations regarding the obtained data were made to assess the feasibility of opening a quarry in the area, along with relevant recommendations.

SURFACE QUALITY OF THE QUARTZITE

As mentioned earlier, in the geological unit in focus, quartzite outcrops predominate, which can be either slightly or highly silicified, as well as metarenites, which are typically well recrystallized. What differentiates the isotropic quality in the rock matrix, according to field data, is the associated structure, as ductile deformation zones were observed in many "slab outcrops," indicating that there are areas with higher potential for certain types of blocks.

Shows the large proportions of quartzite outcrops in the visited unit.

Illustrates an example of a ductile deformation zone caused by a drag folding structure, which could add more value to the blocks extracted from these zones.

Shows the large proportions of quartzite outcrops in the visited unit.

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Examples of the grayish coloration of the quartzites.

A predominant characteristic of the more crystallized rocks in the unit.

Examples of the grayish coloration of the quartzites.

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Fig 8. Illustration of the gray-colored, deformed quartzite style that is expected as a product from production in the evaluated area.

According to the data obtained in the field, the entire polygon of ANM process 870.959/2021 is considered an important target for further investigation.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

The previous chapters make it clear that there is a positive preliminary mineral potential for ANM Process 870.959/2021. Thus, the scenario outlined below includes research activities designed to advance the work from exploration to mining.

ORNAMENTAL ROCK

As explained in previously in the report, the northern area (870.959/2021) presents excellent preliminary characteristics in terms of volume, surface quality of the rock, and structural isotropy, as well as topography that, despite being mountainous, offers good conditions for developing mining operations (without steep slopes).

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS

REGARDING THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE MINING TITLE, it is established that:

It is in the research authorization phase;
It is compliant with ANM regulations (BA Management Office);
It does not have an active environmental license.

REGARDING THE GEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF THE QUARTZITE DEPOSIT, it is concluded that:

It has a large volume, sufficient for large-scale production;
It produces a final product that meets market demands and has high added value;
It contains few surface-fractured zones requiring specific investigations, with predominant targets consisting of unfractured rock masses favorable for quarry development.

REGARDING THE STRATEGIC ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT, it is noted that:

The primary landowner shows interest in advancing research activities and in a potential mining enterprise;
Access roads are in sufficient condition for heavy vehicle traffic, as shown in Photograph 1;
There is a short distance (50 km) to the city of Umburanas-BA, where there is good operational support infrastructure for a quarry;
Three-phase power is located 470 meters from the main target;
Surface water is available near the quartzite deposits.

REGARDING THE CURRENT ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT:

Based on the existing data, it is preliminarily possible to conclude the technical-economic feasibility of quartzite block production.