en.Wedoany.com Reported - New progress has been made in the study of the formation of major iron ore deposits in Brazil, with findings presented by geologist Rosaline C. F. de Silva from the Department of Geology at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) at the Simexmin 2026 conference held in Ouro Preto. This work was carried out through extensive collaboration among universities, companies, and research institutions.
The presentation, titled "Advances in the Understanding of Iron Ore Mineralization in Selected Deposits of the Carajás and Quadrilátero Ferrífero Mineral Provinces," brought together a series of research results from a technical-scientific cooperation project. The project involves several Brazilian universities, the Brazilian Mining Sector Development and Innovation Agency (ADIMB), Vale, and other institutions.
As the coordinator of the iron ore mineralization project, Rosaline explained that the related research has progressed through master's and doctoral studies, as well as theses, with the core focus on understanding the transition between iron formations and high-grade ore bodies—i.e., the wall rock relationships of ore deposition. The latest research helps elucidate the origin of so-called hypogene ore bodies, which form at depth and may represent the roots of known shallower deposits.
Understanding the transformation of iron formations into high-grade ore has a direct impact on exploration activities. Rosaline noted that recognizing this geological evolution can identify features that serve as indicators for new mineralization discoveries, thereby supporting different stages of the mineral chain, from exploration target generation to ore and contaminant characterization.
Although the Carajás and Iron Quadrangle mineral provinces host the world's largest iron ore reserves, with important differences in their geological formation processes—banded iron formations in Carajás are older and associated with Archean volcanic environments, while the host rocks in the Iron Quadrangle formed later, in the Paleoproterozoic, within a platform sedimentary environment—the mechanisms that produce high-grade ore are similar. Hypogene mineralization is often controlled by geological structures and subsequently modified by supergene processes, resulting in the formation of large iron ore deposits in both provinces.
The collaborative model adopted by the project was also a highlight of the presentation. Rosaline believes that close ties between universities and companies are essential for advancing applied scientific knowledge in mining, helping to align academic research with industry challenges. Even in extensively studied areas such as Carajás and the Iron Quadrangle, there is still room for new discoveries, with the main potential lying in the continuity of mineralized bodies at greater depths.
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