O Capitão

Highlights

History of Garimpeiro open pit and underground mining
Mineralised target geology outcropping on surface and exposed in old workings
High grade-results in drilling by Cleveland
New zone of mineralisation discovered 1km away from first discovery

Profile

Dug by hand: the huge Garimpeiro pit at O Capitão

O Capitão is a 3.2km² tenement on the north-west tip of Cleveland’s Premier tenement. A confused ownership status, as well as poorly-located Garimpeiro tailings, has until now stopped major companies from modernizing the project. Cleveland has overcome these barriers and has reached an understanding with the few Garimpeiros who currently occupy the project.

The infrastructure available to O Capitão is good. Sealed roads and gravel tracks link the site to the town of Crixás,
which is 4km away as the crow flies.

History

The site was originally drilled in the 1980’s by SGM and, after significant intercepts, an application for mining was lodged; however, that company was unable to continue its work due to the presence of Garimpeiros (artisanal miners). As many as 6000 Garimpeiros worked at O Capitão throughout the ‘80’s until the town they established was abandoned after an outbreak of yellow fever.

The Garimpeiros were working on a seam that outcropped and gently dipped down to about 40 metres. Wall rock highlights of this seam are up to 6m thick with over 20 g/t Au. The Garimpeiros also dug around 300 shafts across the property, where the prospective geology can be seen outcropping extensively. Ore has been extracted as deep as 80m from several shafts next to the main pit.