Vargem Grande Operation, Abóboras mine.   The final visit of the day was to Vale's Abóboras mine, approximatly 10 km southeast of Capitão do Mato.   This new mine is still under construction (upper-left image).   The group was shown the ore and country rocks in the new pit and on its margin by mine geologist Leandro Azevado (second from left in the lower-right image).   The Vargem Grande deposits are located on the eastern limb of the Moeda Syncline.   The view behind the group (upper-left and upper-right image) from the edge of the Abóboras pit, looks east across the underlying Rio das Velhas granite-greenstones and older basement of the thrust imbricated Bação Dome, to the Santa Rita Syncline where the more prominent jagged ridges on the horizon 25 km away, are associated with the Moeda quartzite and Caué itabirites, which host the Mariana Complex ores the group visited next day.  On the left image, the pinnacle of the Pico de Itabirito (and faintly discernable pit benches surrounding it) stands out in the late afternoon sun, marking the southern continuation of the host Caué itabirites on the eastern limb of the Moeda Syncline.
Photographs by Mike Porter.