Seriedade e segurança, a fórmula para atrair bilhões de dólares dos investidores

Seriedade e segurança, a fórmula para atrair bilhões de dólares dos investidores
Todos sabem que sem um conjunto de fatores como seriedade, obediência às leis, segurança, estabilidade política, infraestrutura e logística nenhum país no mundo conseguirá atrair os grandes investidores da mineração.
São exatamente esses pontos, frequentemente esquecidos, pelos nossos políticos em altos cargos que estão afugentando muitos mineradores do Brasil.
O assunto foi endereçado, muito bem, por um dos maiores investidores do setor, Robert Friedland. O bilionário diz que a África do Sul é um dos melhores países do mundo para receber investimentos na área da mineração. Melhor que a Austrália e Canadá.  Segundo Friedland desenvolver projetos na África do Sul é fácil, ao contrário de países como a Mongólia onde Friedland e a Rio Tinto estão praticamente perdendo as concessões de Oyu Tolgoi, um dos giga-depósitos de ouro e cobre ainda não desenvolvido.
Friedland nunca mencionou o Brasil e prefere investir no Congo...onde tem um depósito de alto teor de cobre chamado Kamoa.
Assim como Friedland a maioria dos grandes investidores procuram outras praias que não as nossas. Quando nós brasileiros conseguiremos reverter e apagar esse estigma de país pouco sério, que não respeita os direitos adquiridos e os contratos já existentes? 
Temos que rever os nossos conceitos e, através do voto, nunca mais eleger esses políticos que tanto fazem contra o nosso país.

Oyu Tolgoi, uma nova estratégia

Oyu Tolgoi, uma nova estratégia
Após vários problemas entre a Rio Tinto e o Governo da Mongólia a Rio tenta uma nova rota para apaziguar os ânimos e colocar uma das maiores minas de cobre e ouro em produção máxima. A novidade se chama Craig Kinnell, o executivo que estará substituindo  Cameron McRae como o CEO de Oyu Tolgoi. Kinnell terá um grande desafio de ajustar os vários pontos de atrito criados pelo seu antecessor com os representantes da Mongólia. No momento a Rio está colocando pressão na Mongólia ao congelar seus investimentos de 5 bilhões de dólares e ameaçando cortar 1.700 empregos. Caso isso venha ocorrer os prejuízos do pequeno país serão imensos.

Uraninite

Uraninite
Pitchblende from Niederschlema-Alberoda deposit, Germany
General
Category	Oxide minerals
Formula (repeating unit)	Uranium dioxide or uranium(IV) oxide (UO2)
Strunz classification	04.DL.05
Crystal symmetry	Isometric, hexoctahedral H-M symbol: (4/m32/m) Space group: F m3m
Unit cell	a = 5.4682 Å; Z = 4
Identification
Color	Steel-black to velvet-black, brownish black, pale gray to pale green; in transmitted light, pale green, pale yellow to deep brown
Crystal habit	Massive, botryoidal, granular. Octahedral crystals uncommon.
Crystal system	Isometric
Cleavage	Indistinct
Fracture	Conchoidal to uneven
Mohs scale hardness	5–6
Luster	Submetallic, greasy, dull
Streak	Brownish black, gray, olive-green
Diaphaneity	Opaque; transparent in thin fragments
Specific gravity	10.63–10.95; decreases on oxidation
Optical properties	Isotropic
Other characteristics	Radioactive: greater than 70 Bq/g
References	[1][2][3][4]
Major varieties
Pitchblende	Massive

Uraninite is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO₂, but also contains UO₃ and oxides of lead, thorium, and rare earth elements. It is most commonly known as pitchblende (from pitch, because of its black color, and blende, a term used by German miners to denote minerals whose density suggested metal content, but whose exploitation was, at the time they were named, either impossible or not economically feasible). The mineral has been known at least since the 15th century from silver mines in the Ore Mountains, on the German/Czech border. The type locality is the town of Jáchymov, on the Czech side of the mountains, where F.E.Brückmann described the mineral in 1727.^[5] Pitchblende from the Johanngeorgenstadt deposit in Germany was used by M. Klaproth in 1789 to discover the element uranium.^[6]
All uraninite minerals contain a small amount of radium as a radioactive decay product of uranium. Uraninite also always contains small amounts of the lead isotopes ²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁷Pb, the end products of the decay series of the uranium isotopes ²³⁸U and ²³⁵U respectively. Small amounts of helium are also present in uraninite as a result of alpha decay. Helium was first found on Earth in uraninite after having been discovered spectroscopically in the Sun's atmosphere. The extremely rare element technetium can be found in uraninite in very small quantities (about 0.2 ng/kg), produced by the spontaneous fission of uranium-238.

Occurrence

Uraninite crystals from Topsham, Maine (size: 2.7×2.4×1.4 cm)

Uraninite is a major ore of uranium. Some of the highest grade uranium ores in the world were found in the Shinkolobwe mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the initial source for the Manhattan Project) and in the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Another important source of pitchblende is at Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada, where it is found in large quantities associated with silver. It also occurs in Australia, Germany, England, and South Africa. In the United States it can be found in the states of New Hampshire, Connecticut, North Carolina, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The geologist Charles Steen made a fortune on the production of Uraninite in his Mi Vida mine in Moab, Utah.
Uranium ore is generally processed close to the mine into yellowcake, which is an intermediate step in the processing of uranium.

See also

• Thorianite
• Uranium ore deposits
• List of minerals
• List of uranium mines

References

1. ^ Klein, Cornelis and Cornelius S. Hurlbut, Jr., Manual of Mineralogy, Wiley, 1985, 20th ed. pp. 307–308 ISBN 0-471-80580-7
2. ^ Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W. and Nichols, Monte C. (ed.). "Uraninite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. III (Halides, Hydroxides, Oxides). Chantilly, VA, US: Mineralogical Society of America. ISBN 0-9622097-2-4. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
3. ^ Uraninite. Mindat.org
4. ^ Uraninite. Webmineral.com
5. ^ Veselovsky, F., Ondrus, P., Gabsová, A., Hlousek, J., Vlasimsky, P., Chernyshew, I.V. (2003). "Who was who in Jáchymov mineralogy II". Journal of the Czech Geological Society (3–4 ed.) 48: 93–205.
6. ^ Schüttmann, W. (1998). "Das Erzgebirge und sein Uran". RADIZ-Information 16: 13–34.

Cassiterite

Cassiterite
Cassiterite with muscovite, from Xuebaoding, Huya, Pingwu, Mianyang, Sichuan, China (size: 100 x 95 mm, 1128 g)
General
Category	Oxide minerals
Formula (repeating unit)	SnO2
Strunz classification	04.DB.05
Crystal symmetry	Tetragonal 4/m 2/m 2/m
Unit cell	a = 4.7382(4) Å, c = 3.1871(1) Å; Z=2
Identification
Color	Black, brownish black, reddish brown, red, yellow, gray, white; rarely colorless
Crystal habit	Pyramidic, prismatic, radially fibrous botryoidal crusts and concretionary masses; coarse to fine granular, massive
Crystal system	Tetragonal - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal 4/m 2/m 2/m
Twinning	Very common on {011}, as contact and penetration twins, geniculated; lamellar
Cleavage	{100} imperfect, {110} indistinct; partings on {111} or {011}
Fracture	Subconchoidal to uneven
Tenacity	Brittle
Mohs scale hardness	6–7
Luster	Adamantine to adamantine metallic, splendent; may be greasy on fractures
Streak	White to brownish
Diaphaneity	Transparent when light colored, dark material nearly opaque; commonly zoned
Specific gravity	6.98 - 7.1
Optical properties	Uniaxial (+)
Refractive index	nω = 1.990 - 2.010 nε = 2.093 - 2.100
Birefringence	δ = 0.103
Pleochroism	Pleochroic haloes have been observed. Dichroic in yellow, green, red, brown, usually weak, or absent, but strong at times
Fusibility	infusible
Solubility	insoluble
References	[1][2][3][4]

Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral, SnO₂. It is generally opaque, but it is translucent in thin crystals. Its luster and multiple crystal faces produce a desirable gem. Cassiterite has been the chief tin ore throughout ancient history and remains the most important source of tin today.^[1]

Contents

• 1 Occurrence
• 2 Crystallography
• 3 Etymology
• 4 References

Occurrence

Cassiterite bipyramids, edge length ca. 30 mm, Sichuan, China

Most sources of cassiterite today are found in alluvial or placer deposits containing the resistant weathered grains. The best sources of primary cassiterite are found in the tin mines of Bolivia, where it is found in hydrothermal veins. Rwanda has a nascent cassiterite mining industry. Fighting over cassiterite deposits (particularly in Walikale) is a major cause of the conflict waged in eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[5][6]
Cassiterite is a widespread minor constituent of igneous rocks. The Bolivian veins and the old exhausted workings of Cornwall, England, are concentrated in high temperature quartz veins and pegmatites associated with granitic intrusives. The veins commonly contain tourmaline, topaz, fluorite, apatite, wolframite, molybdenite, and arsenopyrite. The mineral occurs extensively in Cornwall as surface deposits on Bodmin Moor, for example, where there are extensive traces of an hydraulic mining method known as streaming. The current major tin production comes from placer or alluvial deposits in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Maakhir region of Somalia, and Russia. Hydraulic mining methods are used to concentrate mined ore, a process which relies on the high specific gravity of the SnO₂ ore, of about 7.0.

Crystallography

Crystal structure of cassiterite

Crystal twinning is common in cassiterite and most aggregate specimens show crystal twins. The typical twin is bent at a near-60-degree angle, forming an "elbow twin". Botryoidal or reniform cassiterite is called wood tin.
Cassiterite is also used as a gemstone and collector specimens when quality crystals are found.

Etymology

The name derives from the Greek kassiteros for "tin"—or from the Phoenician word Cassiterid referring to the islands of Ireland and Britain, the ancient sources of tin—or, as Roman Ghirshman (1954) suggests, from the region of the Kassites, an ancient people in west and central Iran.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Handbook of Mineralogy
2. ^ Mindat
3. ^ Webmineral
4. ^ Hurlbut, Cornelius S.; Klein, Cornelis (1985). Manual of Mineralogy (20th ed.). New York: John Wiley and Sons. pp. 306–307. ISBN 0-471-80580-7.
5. ^ Watt, Louise (2008-11-01). "Mining for minerals fuels Congo conflict". Yahoo News! (Yahoo! Inc). Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
6. ^ Polgreen, Lydia (2008-11-16). "Congo's Riches, Looted by Renegade Troops". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-16.

Stalactitic-botryoidal, banded, "wood tin" cassiterite, 5.0 x 4.9 x 3.3 cm, Durango, Mexico

Close up of cassiterite crystals

Chromite

Chromite
General
Category	Oxide minerals Spinel group Spinel structural group
Formula (repeating unit)	(Fe, Mg)Cr2O4
Strunz classification	04.BB.05
Crystal symmetry	Isometric hexoctahedral H-M symbol: (4/m3 2/m) Space group: F d3m
Unit cell	a = 8.344 Å; Z = 8
Identification
Color	Black to brownish black; brown to brownish black on thin edges in transmitted light
Crystal habit	Octahedral rare; massive to granular
Crystal system	Isometric
Twinning	Spinel law on {1ll}
Cleavage	None, parting may develop along {111}
Fracture	Uneven
Tenacity	Brittle
Mohs scale hardness	5.5
Luster	Submetallic
Streak	Brown
Diaphaneity	Translucent to opaque.
Specific gravity	4.5 - 4.8
Optical properties	Isotropic
Refractive index	n = 2.08-2.16
Other characteristics	Weakly magnetic
References	[1][2][3][4]

This article is about the mineral. For the chromium(III) anion and its salts, see Chromite (compound).

Chromium ore output in 2002

Chromite is an iron chromium oxide: FeCr₂O₄. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. Magnesium can substitute for iron in variable amounts as it forms a solid solution with magnesiochromite (MgCr₂O₄);^[5] substitution of aluminium occurs leading to hercynite (FeAl₂O₄).^[6]
It is an industrially important mineral for the production of metallic chromium, used as an alloying ingredient in stainless and tool steels.

Contents

• 1 Occurrence
• 2 Usage
• 3 Mining
  • 3.1 Minor production
• 4 References
• 5 External links

Occurrence

A chromite prospect in Yukon. The black bands are chromite, which also carries platinum group metals. Gray rock is bleached ultramafics.

Chromite is found in peridotite from the Earth's mantle. It also occurs in layered ultramafic intrusive rocks.^[7] In addition, it is found in metamorphic rocks such as some serpentinites. Ore deposits of chromite form as early magmatic differentiates. It is commonly associated with olivine, magnetite, serpentine, and corundum. The vast Bushveld igneous complex of South Africa is a large layered mafic to ultramafic igneous body with some layers consisting of 90% chromite making the rare rock type, chromitite.^[8] The Stillwater igneous complex in Montana also contains significant chromite.^[2]

Usage

The only ores of chromium are the minerals chromite and magnesiochromite. Most of the time, economic geology names chromite the whole chromite-magnesiochromite series: FeCr₂O₄, (Fe,Mg)Cr₂O₄, (Mg,Fe)Cr₂O₄ and MgCr₂O₄.^[4] The two main products of chromite refining are ferrochromium and metallic chromium; for those products the ore smelter process differs considerably. For the production of ferrochromium the chromite ore (FeCr₂O₄) is reduced with either aluminium or silicon in an aluminothermic reaction and for the production of pure chromium the iron has to be separated from the chromium in a two step roasting and leaching process.^[9]
Chromite is also used as a refractory material, because it has a high heat stability.^[10]

Mining

In 2002 14,600,000 metric tons of chromite were mined. The largest producers were South Africa (44%) India (18%),^[11] Kazakhstan (16%) Zimbabwe (5%), Finland (4%) Iran (4%) and Brazil (2%) with several other countries producing the rest of less than 10% of the world production.^[12][13]

Minor production

Afghanistan has significant deposits of high grade chromite ore, which is mined illegally in Khost Province and then smuggled out of the country.^[14]
In Pakistan, chromite is mined from the ultramafic rocks in mainly the khanozai area of Pishine District of Balochistan. Most of the chromite is of metallurgical grade with Cr₂O₃ averaging 54% and a chrome to iron ratio of 2.6:1.
Recently, the biggest user of chromite ore has been China, importing large quantities from South Africa, Pakistan and other countries. The concentrate is used to make ferrochromium, which is in turn used to make stainless steel and some other alloys.^[15]
In April 2010 the Government of Ontario announced^[16] that they would be opening up a large chromite deposit to development in the northern part of Ontario known as the Ring of Fire.
Australia has a single working chromite mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, near the Indigenous community of Jigalong. The mine produces high grade lump chromite in the region of 300,000 tonnes per year.

References

1. Jump up ^ http://www.handbookofmineralogy.com/pdfs/chromite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
2. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} Klein, Corneis and Cornelius S. Hurlbut, Manual of Mineralogy, Wiley, 20th ed., pp. 312-313 ISBN 0-471-80580-7
3. Jump up ^ http://webmineral.com/data/Chromite.shtml Webmineral data
4. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} http://www.mindat.org/min-1036.html Mindat.org
5. Jump up ^ http://www.mindat.org/min-8675.html Mindat
6. Jump up ^ http://www.mindat.org/min-8674.html Mindat
7. Jump up ^ Gu, F; Wills, B (1988). "Chromite- mineralogy and processing". Minerals Engineering 1 (3): 235. doi:10.1016/0892-6875(88)90045-3.
8. Jump up ^ Guilbert, John M., and Park, Charles F., Jr. (1986) The Geology of Ore Deposits, Freeman, ISBN 0-7167-1456-6
9. Jump up ^ Papp, John F.; Lipin Bruce R. (2006). "Chromite". Industrial Minerals & Rocks: Commodities, Markets, and Uses (7th ed.). SME. ISBN 978-0-87335-233-8.
10. Jump up ^ Routschka, Gerald (2008). Pocket Manual Refractory Materials: Structure - Properties - Verification. Vulkan-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-8027-3158-7.
11. Jump up ^ "Chromites of India".
12. Jump up ^ Papp, John F. "Mineral Commodity Summary 2006: Chromium". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
13. Jump up ^ Papp, John F. "Minerals Yearbook 2006: Chromium". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
14. Jump up ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/world/asia/afghans-wary-as-efforts-pick-up-to-tap-mineral-riches.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120909
15. Jump up ^ "How Products are Made, Vol. 1". Retrieved 29 Dec., 2010.
16. Jump up ^ "YouTube - premierofontario's Channel". Youtube. Retrieved 2010-04-13.