Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração operates the Araxá deposit in Minas Gerais, responsible for approximately 93% of global niobium production. No other critical-minerals market is as concentrated globally. Niobium's primary use is high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel, with growing applications in lithium-ion battery anodes.
Sigma's Grota do Cirilo operation holds 270,000 tonnes/year nameplate capacity, fifth-largest globally. Phase 2 targets 520,000 tonnes. All-in sustaining costs near US$600/t. The company transitioned to owner-operated mining in 2025 and restructured processing-equipment ownership during strategic restructuring.
Vale produced 177,200 tonnes of nickel in 2025 from Onça Puma (Pará), Barro Alto and Codemin (Goiás via Anglo American joint arrangements). Copper from Sossego and Salobo in Carajás produces approximately 400,000 tonnes of concentrate per year. Onça Puma's second furnace commissioned September 2025 added 60% capacity.
Largo's Maracás-Menininha in Bahia is one of the world's largest primary vanadium producers. The company has also developed its own vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) technology — an unusual mine-to-battery integration for a junior-scale operator.
Horizonte's Araguaia project in Pará is a development-stage nickel laterite project intended to add to Brazil's nickel belt capacity alongside Onça Puma and the Goiás operations.
Frontera Minerals, one of Latin America's leading junior mining groups, created Libra Energy Materials (CSE: LIBR, FSE: W0R0) through the acquisition of Brion Minerals in 2025. Libra holds 21 hard-rock lithium projects, 8 graphite projects and 1 cobalt-nickel project across approximately 30,706 hectares in Brazil, plus a US$33 million KoBold Metals earn-in covering three Ontario projects.