Gold Rush In Brazil: 94 Mapped Areas Could Generate Billions In Exports

Written by Maria Heloisa Barbosa Borges

Published on 23/07/2025 at 08:40

Updated on 23/07/2025 at 08:41

Brasil mapeia 94 jazidas de ouro e reacende polêmica entre lucro bilionário e risco ambiental

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Brazilian Geological Survey Report Highlights 94 Gold Deposits With Exploration Viability and Rekindles Debate About Economic and Environmental Impacts in the Country

The Brazilian government mapped 94 gold deposits with high exploration potential in various regions of the country, especially in the Legal Amazon. This information is included in the report “Mineral Economy of Gold,” published by the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB), which aims to support future private investments and increase national gold production.

Contrary to what has been reported in some headlines, these are not new discoveries. The report consolidates existing geological and geochemical data, pointing out 94 gold deposits in districts with favorable characteristics for mining — without necessarily representing proven reserves. The focus is on attracting capital and guiding public policies for sustainable mining.

Most Deposits Are in the Northern Region

Gold Rush in Brazil: 94 Mapped Areas Could Generate Billions in Exports — Gold Deposit

The SGB survey identified 94 gold deposits distributed across 20 Brazilian states, with over 80% concentrated in the Legal Amazon. Pará leads the ranking with 51 mapped areas, followed by Amazonas, Roraima, Rondônia, and Amapá. There are also areas in traditional mining states such as Minas Gerais, Goiás, and Bahia.

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Brazil Is the 7th Largest Gold Producer in the World

Currently, Brazil ranks 7th in the world for gold production, with 107 tons annually. Minas Gerais leads with 38.5 tons, followed by Pará (34 tons), Mato Grosso (14.6 tons), and Goiás (14 tons). With the mapped 94 gold deposits, the country could rise in the global ranking and generate billions in exports and royalties via CFEM (Financial Compensation for the Exploration of Mineral Resources).

According to the SGB, known reserves total 2,400 tons. If the current production pace is maintained, these reserves would be depleted in just over 20 years. The addition of new areas could extend this timeframe and strengthen Brazil’s trade balance.

Companies Are Already Monitoring Areas for Future Investments

Although there are no ongoing concessions for the 94 gold deposits, the market is already reacting to the report. Companies like Kinross Gold, Equinox Gold, Pan American Silver (formerly Yamana), Serabi Gold, and Aura Minerals are assessing projects in the mapped regions, primarily in Pará and Amapá.

In addition to multinationals, the Brazilian company Nexa Resources has shown interest in assets sold by BHP in 2025. According to the government, some of the areas will be included in future auctions of the Investment Partnership Program (PPI), with bidding expected to start in 2026.

Economic Growth May Come With Environmental Risks

The mapping of the 94 gold deposits represents a significant economic opportunity, especially for Northern Brazil, where unemployment rates are higher. Mining can generate jobs, increase municipal revenue, and boost infrastructure projects.

On the other hand, environmental entities and researchers warn of the risks. Studies from MapBiomas and Greenpeace show that legal or illegal mining areas have already caused deforestation of more than 1.2 million hectares in the Amazon between 2005 and 2023. There is also mercury contamination, conflicts with indigenous people, and an increase in environmental crimes in remote areas.

Gold Production Needs to Be Balanced With Sustainability

Experts advocate for the implementation of three-phase licensing, the use of clean technology, and digital monitoring to prevent growth in production from leading to environmental collapses. Gold is strategic for the Brazilian economy, but its exploitation must respect socio-environmental limits, especially in sensitive biomes like the Amazon.

The SGB report does not authorize any new mines. It merely provides technical data for future decisions to be made based on scientific evidence — and not just on immediate economic interests.

Do you believe Brazil should explore these 94 gold deposits to boost the economy, or do the environmental risks weigh more heavily? Comment and join the discussion.

1 Comment

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Fausto Oliveira

#233341

06/02/2026 10:52

Sim, sou inteiramente favorável à exploração. Impacto ambiental pode ser mitigado e prevenido.

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Gold Rush In Brazil: 94 Mapped Areas Could Generate Billions In Exports

Brazilian Geological Survey Report Highlights 94 Gold Deposits With Exploration Viability and Rekindles Debate About Economic and Environmental Impacts in the Country

Most Deposits Are in the Northern Region

Brazil Is the 7th Largest Gold Producer in the World

Companies Are Already Monitoring Areas for Future Investments

Economic Growth May Come With Environmental Risks

Gold Production Needs to Be Balanced With Sustainability

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Gold Rush In Brazil: 94 Mapped Areas Could Generate Billions In Exports

Brazilian Geological Survey Report Highlights 94 Gold Deposits With Exploration Viability and Rekindles Debate About Economic and Environmental Impacts in the Country

Most Deposits Are in the Northern Region

Brazil Is the 7th Largest Gold Producer in the World

Companies Are Already Monitoring Areas for Future Investments

Economic Growth May Come With Environmental Risks

Gold Production Needs to Be Balanced With Sustainability

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

A giant brown band visible from space, approximately 8,850 kilometers long, connected Africa to America in the Atlantic Ocean, and satellites revealed that it is neither land nor pollution, but the largest accumulation of seaweed in the world, which broke records in 2025.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

In just one cast, fishermen are surprised to capture 14,096 mullets in Bombinhas and close a historic season with 58,000 fish; scene recorded in the Santa Catarina paradise marks the last day of the 2026 season.

Consumers eat six times more chicken than in the 1960s, global meat supply quadruples in 60 years, and FAO report reveals the invisible cost on the plate: livestock could drive 80% of the increase in agricultural emissions over the next decade.

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