Name of the Mine
Tucumã Operation (formerly Boa Esperança project).

Location
The Tucumã mine is located in Pará state, Brazil.

Mine Owner/s
Brazil-focused copper producer Ero Copper Corp, through its 99.6% interest in Mineração Caraíba.

Brief Description
Tucumã is a high-margin openpit copper operation, which recently achieved commercial production.

Brief History
The Boa Esperança project, which became the Tucumã Operation, started in 2003 with the discovery of the mineral deposit by Codelco do Brasil. Exploration drilling started in December 2003. 

Between 2004 and 2006, extensive exploratory research was conducted. In October 2007, mining rights were allocated to Mineração Caraíba. Environmental licensing studies started in 2008, with the environmental-impact study approved in 2010. After a period of hiatus, the project was resumed by Ero Copper in 2020. The installation licence was issued in 2021. Construction was finalised in the second quarter of 2024, and the first saleable copper concentrate was produced in July 2024. 

The Tucumã Operation officially achieved commercial production on July 1, 2025.

Primary Metals/Minerals  
Copper.

Secondary Metals/Minerals
None stated.

Geology/Mineralisation 
The Carajás mineral province, where the Tucumã deposit is located, is on the east side of the Amazon craton and is considered one of the most important mineral provinces in Brazil. It encompasses two distinct tectonic domains, both Archean in age. 

The South Block, which is the older of the two (3 Ga to 2.86 Ga) and where the Tucumã deposit is located, is called the Rio Maria Block, and contains a typical granite-greenstone belt terrain. 

The North Block, which is the younger domain (2.8 Ga to 2.5 Ga), is called Carajás and comprises volcano-sedimentary rocks and granitoids, which host the large iron, copper/gold, manganese, nickel and zinc deposits in the province. These two blocks are products of the juxtaposition of volcanic island arcs and plutonic-like Andes environments, associated with an intra-continental mantle plume. 

The Tucumã copper deposit occurs within an isolated hill, which is elongated in a north-northeast direction and located 38 km south-west following a straight line from the town of Tucumã. The topographic high mainly comprises breccias composed of quartz and magnetite, which cut the Neoarchean biotite-granite (2.78 Ga), the host of the copper mineralisation. The Neoarchean biotite granite intrudes into the Mesoarchean Rio Maria granodiorite (2.85 Ga). Mineralisation encompasses a series of brecciated zones.

Reserves 
As at August 31, 2021, total proven and probable reserves were estimated at 43.05-million tonnes grading at 0.83% copper.

Resources 
Total measured and indicated resources as at August 31, 2021, were estimated at 47,69-million tonnes grading at 0.86%. Inferred mineral resources were estimated at 11.59-million tonnes grading at 0.8% copper.

Type of Mine 
Conventional openpit operation.

Mining Method 
Mining includes normal drilling, blasting, loading with backhoe configured excavators and conventional trucks over an 8 m bench height. Mining will be performed on a sub-bench or flitch basis. Mining will include supporting functions such as ancillary activities, dewatering, grade control, and equipment maintenance.

Major Infrastructure/Equipment 
The processing plant is designed to process four-million tonnes of ore a year. It uses a conventional three-stage crushing circuit and ball mill comminution process, followed by flotation.

Key equipment includes primary, secondary, and tertiary crushers, screening and conveyance systems, ball mill, flotation cells, and filter presses.

A power substation and a 16 km power line connects to the national grid.

Other Infrastructure includes access roads, water storage reservoir, site drainage, run-of-mine stockpiles, mine offices, and workshops.

Prospects 
Tucumã is a key growth driver for Ero Copper. Having achieved commercial production on July 1, 2025, the operation is focused on increasing plant throughput volumes and production. 

Contact Details 
Ero Copper Corp
Tel +1 604 449 9244
Email info@erocopper.com
Website https://erocopper.com/