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Brazil

Celesta Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe Celesta Copper Mine is a notable copper and gold mining operation. The project encompasses multiple high-grade Iron Oxide Copper-Gold (IOCG) breccias, with the Osmar target being the primary focus of current mining activities.

Celesta was producing until Q3-2022 and paid royalties until Q2-2022 but struggled with a lack of working capital, and operations were suspended pending the restructuring of ownership and raising of new finance.

In October 2024, operations resumed at the Celesta Copper Mine, with mining and processing ore from stockpiles and the Osmar pit.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Lara Exploration Ltd. 5 % Indirect
Tessarema Resources Inc. 40 % Indirect
North Extracao de Minerio Ltda. 55 % Indirect
Celesta Mineração S.A., the operating company for the Celesta mine, is jointly owned by North Extração de Minério Ltda. (55%), Tessarema Resources Inc. (40%), and Lara Exploration Ltd., which holds a 5% carried preferred interest on net profits along with a 2% NSR royalty on production.

In early 2024, the partners agreed to restructure the company, granting Tessarema an option to acquire North’s 55% stake. Public disclosures through late 2025 continue to reference this as an option, with no definitive confirmation that the transaction has closed. Accordingly, the working assumption remains that legal ownership is still 55% North, 40% Tessarema, and 5% Lara. However, Tessarema has gained increasing financial and operational influence by funding the mine restart and associated drilling.

Deposit type

  • Hydrothermal
  • IOCG

Summary:

The Celesta Copper Project comprises multiple high-grade IOCG breccias.

The Maravaia deposit encloses four main copper-gold prospects, named respectively West, Osmar (now the Celesta), Galpão and East targets.

The Osmar Target is characterized by the presence of metamafic rocks, metadiorite, iron formation with strong hydrothermal alteration, amphibole-rich breccia zones and quartz breccias, altered amphibole-gneiss, intrusive magnetic gabbro-diorite, intrusive rocks of anorthositic composition, consolidated lateritic cover, lateritic covers, ferruginous colluvium (residual and transported), alluvial cover and old mining dump.

Two main associations of hydrothermal alteration were identified: a distal, pervasive alteration, characterized by the presence of scapolite and amphibole (in part chloritized), affected by deformation and shear (NNW and NW); the second association, superimposed on the first, is marked by breccia zones (NNW-SSE trending) with amphibole-albite-magnetite and that includes the copper occurrences on surface. Brecciation increases eastwards, with more frequent presence of veins of hydrothermal magnetite. It is noteworthy the correlation of these magnetite veins with second order magnetic anomalies. The two associations are limited to the east by a N20ºE oriented structure. The north-northeast limit is marked by thick iron formation unit, with enrichment in iron (iron deposit of Mineração Vertical Ltda.).

Diamond drillholes intercepted mineralized hydrothermal breccias containing amphibolemagnetite carbonate-chalcopyrite-pyrite and quartz-chlorite-clay-amphibole-chalcopyrite-pyrite, with higher content of sulfides. The frequent presence of kaolinite in the drill cores was reported, associated with the mineralized intercepts. A thick profile of supergene enrichment developed in the area, with the presence of malachite, cuprite, native copper, chalcocite and jasperoid.

The copper-gold Maravaia mineralization is hosted in veins associated with hydrothermal breccias, contained in NS to NE/SW orientated tension gashes. These structures are associated with a NW/SE shear zone that cuts amphibolite, diorite and gabbro and, located between the regional Cinzento and Carajás shear belts.

The surface mineralization (up to ± 70 m deep) is composed of malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, cuprite and native copper, plus hydroxides of copper and iron.

At depths greater than 70 m, chalcocite, chalcopyrite and native copper predominate, with subordinate bornite, pyrite and magnetite.

Zones extremely rich in copper occur locally with massive horizons of native copper associated with chalcocite and cuprite at depths greater than 120 m.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

2020 production numbers have been reported for the ramp-up phase between July and December 2020.
CommodityProductUnits2020
Copper Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe
Copper Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe
Gold Metal in concentrate oz  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

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Workforce

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