Pocos de Caldas

Pocos de Caldas (Morro do Ferro)

Alkalic igneous rare earth element deposit in Minas Gerais, Sao Paolo, Brazil

Deposit type: Alkalic igneous

REE minerals: allanite, bastnäsite, eudidymite, cerianite

Ore minerals: baddeleyite, zircon, caldasite, thorogummite, magnetite, fluorite, astrophyllite, lavenite, rosenbuschite, gibbsite (Th, U, Mo)

Gangue minerals: natrolite, cancrinite, nephm kao

Host rock types: highly weathered lujavrite and khibinite, nepheline syenite, phonolite; bauxite

Average grade:

Status: Past producer U, Zr, Bauxite

Company:

Resource estimates:

>1.0 Mt @ 4% REO, 1% ThO2

1.5 Mt bas or 0.050 t REO (1990)

6 Mt @ 3% REO

Eudialyte contents range from 0 to 11% in the relatively small host bodies. Was once one of world's biggest baddeleyite deposits, but now nearly depleted. Weathered magnetite stockwork in alkaline rocks.

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org

2. http://mrdata.usgs.gov/ree/show-ree.php?rec_id=235