Mariana Operation, Alegría mine.   After an early start, the group was driven across the Quadrilátero Ferrífero to Vale's Mariana Complex mine offices to be welcomed by Chief Mine Geologist Valeria Ribeiro.   As at the other Vale mines visited, the tour was recognised by the Australian flag being flown alongside those of Brazil and Vale (lower middle image) at the mine gate.   Following the group's arrival and refreshments, they were given a briefing on the operation, and the geology and mineralisation at the deposits of the complex by Valeria, and then taken to the viewpoint above the Alegría mine. The left image shows a small section of the extensive Alegría pit with the prominent ridge of footwall Moeda quartzite to the left, separated from the Caué itabirite that hosts the ore by the less resistant Batatal phyllite.   The top-right image shows our hosts Valeria Ribeiro (right), mine geologist Adilson Dias and Gesner Santos who pointed out and discussed the main points of the deposit in the mine below, before taking the group down into the pit to study the ore and hosts in detail (lower-right and lower-left images).
Photographs by Mike Porter.