The Mineração Usiminas mineral claims are located along the western segment of Curral ridge, locally referred to as the Serra Azul (literally Blue Ridge). The Serra Azul, extending for ca 30 km in the NE-SW, is underlain by a continuous outcrop belt of the Cauê Formation, which hosts several iron ore deposits (Simmons, 1968; Romano, 1989; Romano et al, 1991; Alkmim, 2009), including the Western, Central and Eastern mines, as well as the Camargos and Pau de Vinho deposits of the Mineração Usiminas. As part of the Curral ridge, the Serra Azul is the morphologic expression of an overturned, SE-dipping homocline that involves Rio das Velhas and Minas strata (Dorr, 1969). Along the Serra Azul, the basal units of the Minas supergroup are very thin and Gandarela Dolomite is absent for over almost its whole length (Simmons, 1968; Alkmim, 2009).

The Serra Azul overturned homocline can be subdivided into three structural domains (Alkmim 2009). Along the structural domain I, which encompasses the Western Mine and the major part of the Central Mine, the thickness of the overturned Cauê Iron Formation increases from west to east, varying from around 50 m, at the western end of the ridge, to 250 m at the Central Mine. The dips also increase from west to east, being 20o at Ponta da Serra and reaching 45o at Central Mine. Standard itabirites and their weathering products are the more abundant ore types in this domain. The amount of fresh magnetitic itabirite is negligible. Howeve ........

(Translated from Portuguese by Google Translate)
Deposits will continue to be mined using the classic method of successive open pit benches.

The friable materials will be dismantled and loaded using excavators, which will unload onto trucks with a nominal capacity of 40 t. These will carry out the transport to the destination area. In the case of compact / semi-compact materials, their dismantling will be carried out with the use of explosives, later also being loaded onto trucks using loaders.

Materials considered sterile will be transported to the pile of the genus, while rich ore (Fe > 49%) will be transported to Ore Treatment Facility's located in the Oeste and Central mines.

For the upstream slopes of the massif, the following characteristics were defined: maximum height of 6m; 20° face angle; and maintenance of countertops 5m wide to preserve the massif. As for the slopes inside the reservoir, the following characteristics were defined: maximum height of 3m; face angle of 33° and berms with a minimum width of 5m upstream of the massif.

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