The primary alkaline intrusive complex of interest for Cajati is the Jacupiranga Ultramafic-Carbonatitic Mesozoic Complex. The economically exploitable portion of the Jacupiranga Alkaline Complex is focused on phosphate mineralization within the carbonatite domain of the complex. The Cajati carbonatite-hosted apatite mine in southern Brazil recovers apatite from the world-famous Jacupiranga carbonatite. Calcite is recovered as a by-product from the tailings resulting from beneficiation of apatite, and is used in the cement industry. Mining at Cajati began in 1943 with the extraction of supergene ores with about 20% P2O5. 30 years later mining progressed into bedrock ores with 5% P2O5. Carbonatite is younger than the abundant jacupirangite (nepheline-magnetite-titanaugite) in the open pit mine and where the two rocks are in contact the edges of jacupirangite breccia blocks are metasomatised to distinctly banded sodic fenites. Disseminated pyrrhotite and magnetite are common in the carbonatite.

The phosphate ore is extracted through surface mining by drilling and blasting, loaded into trucks and transported to the beneficiation plant on-site at Cajati.

- subscription is required.