Vale extends exhaustion date of Itabira iron ore complex

Brazilian miner Vale said on Friday it has extended the projected exhaustion date of its Itabira iron ore complex to 2053, from a previous estimate of 2041, following advances in geological research and new ore processing technologies.

The change was prompted by a 52% year-on-year increase in the asset’s declared mineral reserves to about 1.15 billion metric tons, Vale said in its 2025 20-F report.

The Itabira complex, located in Brazil’s southeastern Minas Gerais state, produced 25.16 million tons of iron ore in 2025, down 15.7% from a year earlier.

Vale noted it does not foresee an increase in Itabira’s annual output, as it seeks to maintain stable operations over the long term.

(By Marta Nogueira and Fernando Cardoso; Editing by Natalia Siniawski)