Mining Intelligence and News
Brazil

Grota do Cirilo Phase 1 - Xuxa Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Lithium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
Related AssetGrota do Cirilo Phase 2 - Barreiro Project

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Sigma Lithium Resources Corp. 100 % Indirect
Sigma Mineração S.A. (SMSA) is the Brazilian subsidiary of Sigma and is the owner of the mining rights and the holder of mining concessions ordinance which includes the Xuxa, Barrerio, Murial, Lavra do Meio and Nezinho do Chicao deposits.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Pegmatite

Summary:

The host rock for the Xuxa pegmatite body is a biotite–quartz schist with a well-developed crenulation cleavage. Pegmatite xenoliths have been observed within the schist, with sizes ranging from a few centimetres to a metre. The pegmatite/schist contact is frequently hornfelsed.

The pegmatite is concordant with the regional foliation, striking northwest–southeast and dipping at 45–55º to the southeast. Drill data indicate the pegmatite has a strike length of 1,700 m, averages 12–13 m in thickness, and can reach as much as 20 m thick. It has been drill tested to 259 m vertical depth. It remains open to the west, east, and at depth.

Pegmatite mineralogy consists of the following minerals, with their approximate vein content: spodumene (20%), microcline and albite (40–45%), quartz (30%) and muscovite (5%). Spodumene occurs as pale green to colourless, elongated, tabular, crystals that can range in size from millimetre to as much as 80 cm in length and be as wide as 10 cm. The spodumene laths are set in a medium- to very coarse-grained groundmass of colourless albite, translucent quartz and pale grey perthitic microcline. Pale yellow–green medium- to coarsegrained muscovite micas may be present. Poikilitic textures of spodumene and quartz are common. Tantalite–columbite and cassiterite can occur in association with albite.

The Xuxa pegmatite dike is found on both sides of the Piaui River but does not crop out in the river valley. Two drill holes were angled to pass below the Piaui River, with one hole drilled from each bank. The drill holes intercepted pegmatite at depth. Core logging showed the spodumene to be weathered and contain replacement textures. The current interpretation is that the Piaui River occupy a fault trace, and that the interpreted fault has thinned the pegmatite body in that location.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. Annual (Projected)LOM (Projected)
Spodumene Mineral in concentrate kt 15119
Spodumene Concentrate kt 2702,160
Lithium Carbonate t 36,700

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 6, 2023
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....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 6, 2023

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