Summary

Mine Type	Open Pit
Study Completed	Feasibility
Stage	Construction
Commodities	Nickel Cobalt
Mining Method	Truck & Shovel / Loader
Project Timeline	...
Mine Life	...
Snapshot	The Piaui deposit is a nickel-cobalt laterite deposit. Brazilian Nickel operated a demonstration plant at Piauí in 2016–2017 and later expanded it into the PNP1000 operation in 2021, which ran until the end of 2023 and produced nickel and cobalt as mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP). In 2024, BRN’s focus shifted from operating the small-scale PNP1000 plant to preparing for the implementation of the large-scale project. By the end of 2024, 26 out of 39 actions related to the construction phase of the large-scale project had been completed, while the remaining ones were in progress. In March 2025, Brazilian Nickel Limited signed a non-binding agreement to supply Electro Mobility Materials Europe SAS with nickel and cobalt as mixed hydroxide product for at least 10 years from the planned start-up of the Piauí Project. As of June 2025, Brazilian Nickel had secured all required installation licenses, enabling construction to proceed once financing is finalized.

Deposit type

• Laterite

Summary:

The PNP deposit is a nickel-cobalt laterite deposit.

The geological setting of the Piaui deposit is within a terrain of intensely deformed volcanic, volcanosedimentary and sedimentary rocks of Precambrian age which have been intruded by mahc-ultramafic bodies. The Piaui ultramafic comprises a massive body of serpentinised dunite and peridotite, grading to the south into a mafic complex of diorites, gabbros and troctolites. The ulnamafic body as expressed by the lateritised hill is about 3 km long (E-W) by about 1.3 km wide (N-S). The hill rises about 100 m above the surrounding plain. The ultramahc body has been intensely and deeply lateritised forming the nickel deposit. The character of the nickeliferous laterite is typical of lateritised dunites, which are composed almost entirely of MgO and SiOz and are highly susceptible to breakdown in the weathering environment. Olivine breaks down as Mg is rapidly removed in solution, and the relatively small amount of Fe remains as limonite.

In the study region, two types of rocks are found: sedimentary in the north, metamorphic and crystalline in the south.

Sedimentary rocks, due to the physical characteristics of permeability (ability to let liquids pass through the interior without altering it), are able to store underground water and form aquifers.

Metamorphic rocks, as the name implies (Greek: meta = change; morphs = shape) are those that have undergone transformations during their formation. These changes involved exposure to different temperatures and pressure for a long time and therefore took on a different shape and mineral composition than the initial rock. This type of rock attracts economic interest, such as the Piaui Nickel Project.

Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Processing

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Water usage

Commodity Production

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual ore mining rate	....
Annual processing capacity	....

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Profile	Ref. Date
.......................	.......................		Jan 8, 2026
.......................	.......................		Jan 8, 2026
.......................	.......................		Jan 7, 2026
.......................	.......................		Jan 7, 2026

Employees	Year
......	2025