The Matinde formation is the uppermost Karoo formation in the Tete/Moatize area and is comprised of a uniform series of coarse, highly compact cross bedded sandstones with locally developed conglomerates. Thin high ash coal and carbonaceous shales occur intermittently throughout the Matinde formation, but are not of economical value.

In the Moatize-Minjova basin, economically significant coal seams are present at intervals over a total stratigraphic thickness of 317 m within the Serie Produtiva only. It consists of a sequence of shales, mudstones and siltstones, intercalated with coal seams and carbonaceous shales. The sediments were deposited in a deltaic environment under stable conditions and slow subsidence. Coal is contained in six multi-seam coal bearing zones known stratigraphically from the youngest to the oldest as:
- Andre (± 1.5 m).
- Grand Falesia (± 11 m).
- Intermedia (± 9 m).
- Bananeiras (± 40 m).
- Chipanga (± 35 m).
- Souza Pinto (± 13 m).

Seams consist of bright coal, mainly vitrinite, alternating with dull detrital coal, carbonaceous shale and shale. The shale to coal ratio in the Chipanga seam is in the order of 60/40.

The Chipanga Seam is economically the most important of the coal seams, as it is thicker and laterally more extensive and therefore has the largest reserves.

The Moatize-Minjova Coal basin is a NW-SE trending graben, 20 km long and 7 km wide, associated with the Zambezi Valley distension zone. The graben is bounded by normal faults with throws of between 500 m and 800 m, which are marked by thick fault breccias.

The mining method chosen is to use large scale open pit mining truck and shovel system to mine the Moatize deposit.

Open-cut mine was developed directly by Vale. Operations started in August 2011 and are expected to reach a nominal production capacity of 22 Mtpy, considering the Moatize expansion, comprised of metallurgical and thermal coal and the Nacala Logistics Corridor ramp-up.

Moatize’s main branded products are the Chipanga premium hard coking coal and Moatize Low Vol Premium hard coking coal, but there is operational flexibility for multiple products. The optimal product portfolio will come as a result of market trials. Coal from the mines is currently processed at a CHPP with a capacity of 4,000 metric tons per hour. An additional CHPP began production in August 2016, which increased feed capacity by additional 4,000 metric tons per hour.