Las Brisas property, Antioquia

The Las Brisas property was a chrysotile deposit in the Andes of Antioquia, Colombia, which Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, placed "near Campamento, 100 miles north of Medellin."¹ In 1973 the journal, citing the Northern Miner, reported that Nicolet Industries, Inc. and its Colombian partner, Asbestos Colombianas, S.A., had found "a high-quality asbestos orebody," with a bulk sample taken "from 590 feet of adits in the R Zone" and recovery "slightly above 10%."⁷ In 1975 the journal reported that Eternit Colombiana S.A. of Bogota had the year before "purchased the 70% interest previously held by Nicolet Industries."¹

The sources give the size of the deposit in different terms: the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1976 reported "9.3 million short tons of ore capable of producing 390,000 tons of chrysotile asbestos," while Asbestos that year gave "8.4-million metric tons of asbestos, capable of producing about 390,000 tons of fiber," and in 1977 "8.4-million tons, capable of yielding some 400,000 tons of fiber."^3,8,9 The yearbook for 1976 also said Minera Las Brisas, S. A. had completed feasibility studies.³

The planned start kept moving: in 1975 Asbestos described "a start-up yearly production of 15,000 metric tons, beginning in 1977," with fiber "comparable to QAMA Grades 4 and 5"; in 1976 both sources gave 20,000 tons a year beginning in 1979.^1,3,8 In 1978 the journal reported "completion of construction of the mill building," a total investment of "some US$10-million," and production "expected by early 1981, with a start-up rate of 6,000 tonnes per year and an eventual output of 16,000 tonnes."² In 1979 it described "a $43-million asbestos fiber concentrator of 20,000 tonnes-per-year capacity" under construction.⁴ The yearbook for 1980 said "late 1980 was the scheduled startup time," with production "set for 20,000 metric tons per year of grades 4, 5, 6, and 7."⁵ In January 1981 the company's president, L. A. Serna, told Asbestos that start-up "is now scheduled for the third quarter of 1981," and that "total output will be absorbed by Colombian markets."⁶

The documents report work here (mining, shafts or a mill) but no fiber sold or shipped; that is what our documents say, and the mine may still have sold some.²

Location

Output the documents report

Figures as printed, in the units each document uses (short tons before about 1990, metric tons after, in most U.S. chapters). Some are a year's output, some a daily rate or a capacity, some a company's total rather than this mine's alone; the statement for that year below says which.

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1973

• Exploration: “the property is reported to have been proven to contain a high-quality asbestos orebody. A bulk sample recently was procured from 590 feet of adits in the R Zone and recovery was slightly above 10%” (Nicolet Industries, Inc.; Asbestos Colombianas, S.A.), as reported by Northern Miner, p. 34⁷

1974

• Ownership: “Last year, EC purchased the 70% interest previously held by Nicolet Industries, Inc.” (Eternit Colombiana S.A.), p. 48¹

1976

• Reserves: “Feasibility studies indicated the presence of 8.4-million metric tons of asbestos, capable of producing about 390,000 tons of fiber. Fiber production at 20,000 tons per annum is scheduled to begin in 1979” (Minera Las Brisas S.A.), p. 44⁸
• Reserves: “9.3 million short tons of ore capable of producing 390,000 tons of chrysotile asbestos”, p. 9³
• Exploration: “completion of feasibility studies of its asbestos property in the Antioquia Province” (Minera Las Brisas, S. A.), p. 9³

1977

• Mill: “Design capacity of the operation includes a start-up yearly production of 15,000 metric tons, beginning in 1977” (Eternit Colombiana S.A.), p. 48¹
• Reserves: “Reserves at Campamentos have been estimated at 8.4-million tons, capable of yielding some 400,000 tons of fiber” (Minera Las Brisas S.A.), p. 39⁹

1978

• Mill: “Completion of construction of the mill building; production is expected by early 1981, with a start-up rate of 6,000 tonnes per year and an eventual output of 16,000 tonnes” (Minera Las Brisas S.A.), p. 54²

1979

• Opened: “Production at a 20,000-ton annual rate is planned to begin in 1979”, p. 9³
• Mill: “The Chrysotile mine and mill under construction ... includes a $43-million asbestos fiber concentrator of 20,000 tonnes-per-year capacity” (Minera Las Brisas S.A.), p. 46⁴

1980

• Output: “Production is set for 20,000 metric tons per year of grades 4, 5, 6, and 7” (Minera Las Brisas, S. A.), p. 8⁵
• Opened: “Late 1980 was the scheduled startup time for the Minera Las Brisas, S. A. asbestos mine at Antioquia” (Minera Las Brisas, S. A.), p. 8⁵

1981

• Opened: “start-up of production at the Chrysotile processing plant ... is now scheduled for the third quarter of 1981” (Minera Las Brisas S.A.), p. 36⁶

Other names

Documents call this mine “asbestos property in the Antioquia Province”, “Minera Las Brisas asbestos mine at Antioquia”.

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 48.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, December 1978 (December 1, 1978), p. 54.
3. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1976 (January 1, 1977), p. 9.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1979, December 1979 (December 1, 1979), p. 46.
5. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1980 (January 1, 1981), p. 8.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1981, January 1981 (January 1, 1981), p. 36.
7. Asbestos Magazine, 1973, June 1973 (June 1, 1973), p. 34.
8. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 44.
9. Asbestos Magazine, 1977, December 1977 (December 1, 1977), p. 39.