Mina Brejuí

Useful Information

Location:	BR-226, Currais Novos/RN. CEP: 59380-000. (-6.3226587, -36.5475444)
Open:	All year Mon-Fri 7-12, Sat 8-12. Sat only by appointment. [2026]
Fee:	Adults BRL 10, Students BRL 5. [2025]
Classification:	Scheelite Seridó UNESCO Global Geopark
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Cleia Alves, Francisco Souza (2020): Mina Brejuí Revista Labor. 1. pp 356-368. DOI Alexander U. Falster, Luizhelio Barreto da Silav Nen, Wm. B. Simmons, Karen L. Webber (1997): Tungstenite and Associated Minerals from the Skarn of Mina Brejui, Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil Mineral News 13(12), 1, 7-8. H. Beurlen, E. B. Melo, H. S. Villaroel (1982): Remobilization of strata-bound scheelite indicated by tectonic, textural and crystallographic features in Brejuí Mine, NE Brazil In Ore Genesis (pp. 418-425). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. J.A. Souza Neto, J.M. Legrand, M. Volfinger, M.-L. Pascal, P. Sonnet (2008): W–Au skarns in the Neo-Proterozoic Seridó Mobile Belt, Borborema Province in northeastern Brazil: an overview with emphasis on the Bonfim deposit Mineralium Deposita 43, 185-205. Silas Samuel Costa, Ana Maciel, João Junior, Edson Santos (2017): Patrimônio Geomineiro da Mina Brejuí, Currais Novos/rn, Ne Do Brasil In: IV Simpósio Brasileiro de Patrimônio Geológico e II Encontro Luso-Brasileiro de Patrimônio Geomorfológico e Geoconservação. researchgate Maria Helena B.M. de Hollanda, João A. Souza Neto, Carlos J. Archanjo, Holly Stein, Ana C.S. Maia (2017): Age of the granitic magmatism and the W-Mo mineralization in skarns of the Seridó belt (NE Brazil) based on zircon U-Pb (SHRIMP) and molybdenite Re-Os dating online DOI
Address:	Mina Brejuí, BR-226, Currais Novos/RN. CEP: 59380-000, Tel: +55-84-99985-3359. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1940	begin of mining.
1943	Mineração Tomaz Salustino S/A founded, Brejuí Mine established by Tomaz Salustino.
1980s	decline of mining.
1990s	mining paused due to external competition, especially from China.
2000	mining company creates a theme park about the mining history of the region and the role of scheelite in the local economy.
2006	museum inaugurated.
2025	underground tours temporarily suspended.

Geology

The area has South America’s largest scheelite mineralization, an important tungsten ore. Scheelite is a calcium tungstate (CaWO₄). This is a skarn-type deposit in Neoproterozoic marble, gneiss and pegmatite. Exploited were the contents of Molybdenum and Tungsten.

Description

Mina Brejuí (Brejui Mine) was for decades the largest tungsten producer in Brazil. Since 1940 it is the main site of scheelite exploitation in South America. It is also the economic backbone of the area. Currais Novos, a town of 45,000 inhabitants, was the first to have a cable TV operator in the North–Northeast of Brazil. The show mine is actually a sort of theme park presenting the mining history of the region and the role of scheelite in the local economy. But when the external competition, especially from China, made the mining unprofitable, and it was temporary stalling. This started a process of heritage preservation and musealization, which resulted in the Brejuí Mine Theme Park. It has a well-curated museum, a memorial for Tomaz Salustino, the founder of the mine, and offers tours into disused underground galleries. The show mine has its own name, Gruta de Santa Bárbara (Santa Barbara's Grotto), obviously a reference to Saint Barbara, the Patron Saint of the miners.

The museum is named Museu Mineral Mário Moacyr Porto (Mário Moacyr Porto Mineral Museum). It was actually created by Tomaz Salustino, with the help of his marketing and tourism advisor Nia Dutra. It started with a mineral collection, which was soon extended by all aspects of local mining history.

It seems the site is operated by the mining company, and thus open mostly on workdays. It’s possible to make reservations for Saturday morning. The underground tours are currently suspended, only memorial and museum are open. We strongly suggest to book your visit to Mina Brejuí at the given phone number.