Natércia Critical Minerals Project
From mineral system to critical-mineral products
Natércia is a developing Brazilian Ni–Co–Mg project combining geological advancement, heap-leach hydrometallurgy and a progressive pathway toward downstream integration.
Nickel · Cobalt · Magnesium | Minas Gerais, Brazil
Project overview
A polymetallic mineral system. An integrated development strategy.
Natércia is being developed around a weathered polymetallic mineral system containing nickel, cobalt and magnesium. MBR's strategy combines geological de-risking, selective ore development and hydrometallurgical processing to progressively advance the mineralized system toward higher-value products.
~8.75 Mt
Preliminary geological inventory
14
Executed drill holes
Ni · Co · Mg
Polymetallic mineral system
Heap Leaching
Core processing platform
Geology & exploration
Building geological confidence
Historical drilling and geological reinterpretation support a preliminary geological inventory of approximately 8.75 Mt within the interpreted mineralized system. The ongoing exploration strategy is focused on increasing geological confidence and advancing toward a formally defined mineral resource.
Technology & process
Heap Leaching at the core of an integrated route
Natércia's processing strategy is built around sulfuric-acid heap leaching, followed by solution purification and selective product recovery.
- Ore
- Heap Leaching
- PLS
- Purification
- MHP
Integrated magnesium value stream
- Mg recovery
- MgSO₄
Downstream development
- MHP
- SX-based separation & purification
- NiSO₄ + CoSO₄
Project infrastructure
An existing platform for pilot-scale development
MBR maintains an existing industrial site in Natércia with approximately 800 m² of covered industrial space and an additional 10,000 m² area available to support the progressive development of the project.
800 m²
Covered industrial facility
10,000 m²
Additional development area
Natércia, MG
Existing project infrastructure
The existing site provides the physical basis for laboratory activities, process development and the planned progressive implementation of pilot-scale hydrometallurgical operations.
Existing industrial facility
800 m² covered industrial space — Natércia, Minas Gerais
Value creation
Multiple value streams from one mineral system
Natércia's development strategy seeks to capture value across the polymetallic mineral system, combining an initial Ni–Co intermediate with integrated magnesium valorization and a progressive pathway toward higher-value refined products.
Core value stream 01
MHP
Primary Ni–Co intermediate
The core Ni–Co recovery pathway targets Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate as an initial intermediate, providing a defined product route while preserving optionality for future downstream refining.
Core value stream 02
MgSO₄
Integrated magnesium value stream
Magnesium recovery is being developed as an additional value stream within the integrated hydrometallurgical route.
Turning process complexity into potential value.
The integrated process strategy evaluates magnesium not solely as a processing burden, but as a recoverable component capable of contributing to the project's overall product portfolio.
Downstream development
NiSO₄ + CoSO₄
Pathway toward refined nickel and cobalt products
Medium-term development includes SX-based separation and purification targeting nickel and cobalt sulfate products.
Project development
Progressive project de-risking
Natércia is advancing through coordinated geological, permitting, process-development and engineering workstreams designed to progressively reduce project risk and establish the basis for future scale-up.
01
Geology
Geological definition & exploration
Geological confidence progressively advancing.
02
Permitting
Mining & dry processing
50 ktpa
Environmentally licensed mining & dry mineral processing
The Natércia Project has obtained environmental licensing for open-pit mining and dry mineral processing at a nominal capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year.
The 50,000 t/y figure refers to the licensed mining and dry-processing envelope and does not represent installed or permitted hydrometallurgical capacity.
03
Process
Hydrometallurgical development
Heap-leach and product-recovery development underway.
04
Engineering
Pilot & scale-up pathway
Progressive engineering definition toward integrated pilot-scale operations.
About MBR
Building value through mineral development
MBR – Minerais do Brasil is a Brazilian mineral-development company focused on identifying, structuring and advancing mineral opportunities through technical development, process integration and progressive downstream value creation.
Natércia represents MBR's current flagship project and reflects this strategy: combining geological development, hydrometallurgical technology and industrial integration to progressively advance the mineralized system toward higher-value critical-mineral products.
MBR pursues strategic partnerships, institutional funding and technical collaboration to accelerate project development and scale-up.
Building the next stage of Natércia
MBR is advancing geological definition, process development, permitting and engineering toward an integrated critical-minerals platform in Minas Gerais, Brazil.