Mining Intelligence and News
Brazil

Andrade Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotIn addition to its open pit Andrade mine, ArcelorMittal manages a crushing and screening facility. The fine material generated at the mine undergoes transportation to the Monlevade plant via a dedicated private railway line.

In 2022, the resource model of Andrade has been updated, resulting in a new pit optimization and mine schedule, with updated Life of Mine schedule for the Itabirite and Hematite ores. The new life of mine extends to 2054, with increased annual ROM capacity up to 4.5 million tonnes after 2027.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
ArcelorMittal SA 100 % Indirect
ArcelorMittal Brasil S.A. (operator) 100 % Direct
The Andrade mine is 100% owned and operated by the Long products division of ArcelorMittal Brazil

Deposit type

  • Banded iron formation

Summary:

The Andrade deposit is located in the north-eastern portion of the Iron Quadrangle. The base stratigraphic section consists of quartzites and sericite-quartzites of the Moeda formation, followed by schists of the Batatal formation, both forming the Caraça group. The iron rich mineral bodies are part of the overlying Cauê formation, which represents the base of the Itabira Group. The Caraça and Itabira groups compose the base of the Paleoproterozoic Minas Supergroup. The Cauê formation rocks are covered by dolomites and marbles, and sometimes weathered phylites and schists, belonging to the Gandarela formation.

The deposit is located in the Iron Ore Quadrangle and it is classified by Banded Iron Formation.

The Andrade mine is on the northeast flank of the Pico do Andrade 8 kilometers northwest of Monlevade. This mine is linked to the Usina Monlevade by a 10-kilometer meter-gage electrified railroad. The Andrade deposit is on the Fazenda de Andrade, which along with several smaller fazendas was acquired by CSBM in 1921.

The ore occurs in the troughs of the syncline and for more than 1,000 meters along the east flank. The ore body as it crops out or is exposed in the opencut mining operations is arcuate, concave to the northeast.

The distribution of the various types of ore and itabirite is highly irregular, and it was not feasible to map them separately. Not uncommonly, alternations of equigranular and schistose material occur in bands, lenses, and irregular forms from a few tenths of a meter to several meters is size. The median length of the ore body is approximately 2,100 meters, extending from the Pico do Andrade slightly north of east for about 1,500 meters and from the peak to the north about 600 meters. The average stratigraphic thickness is about 100 meters.

Both the Andrade and Serra Azul mines are located in the Iron Quadrangle (Quadrilátero Ferrífero), a widely-explored and mined region. The mineralization occurs as Itabirites, banded hematite-silica rocks, with varying weathering degrees. While the Serra Azul ore reserve estimates are constituted of rich friable Itabirites requiring some beneficiation, the Andrade ore reserve estimates are dominated by directly shippable hematite ore.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Iron Ore Mt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1.51.51.61.51.5
All production numbers are expressed as fines.

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1.5 Mt
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3.5 Mt3.5 Mt3.5 Mt3.5 Mt3.5 Mt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2024

Aerial view:

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