Mavita mine, south of Vila Manica near the Rhodesian border, Mozambique

The Mavita mine lay in Mozambique, "south of Vila Manica near the Rhodesian border," according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1962, which reported that "long-fiber tremolite was produced from the Mavita mine of Sociedade Mineira de Mavita, Lda.," and "exported to several countries including the United States for asbestos-cement manufacture."¹ Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, later named a different fiber and owner: in December 1975 it said Minas Gerais de Mocambique, Lda., "is programmed to commence operating by mid-1976 at its Anthophyllite mine and mill at Mavita," and passed on preliminary figures giving reserves of "250,000 tons of proven ore, 1-million tons of probable ore and 20-million tons of possible ore."³ In 1976 and again in 1978 the journal said only that the company "was scheduled to begin" producing anthophyllite "Grades 3-7" at Mavita, "50 kilometers southwest of Vila Pery."^4,5 In December 1979 it reported that production "is underway," with the word "reportedly."² In January 1981, though, it said the company was "pilot testing and expects to soon be producing Anthophyllite from the Mavita Mines," and that "the property has been closed since mid-1975."⁶

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.¹

Year by year

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

1962

• Worked: “Long-fiber tremolite was produced from the Mavita mine” (Sociedade Mineira de Mavita, Lda.), p. 10¹
• Fiber: “Long-fiber tremolite” (Sociedade Mineira de Mavita, Lda.), p. 10¹
• Buyers: “exported to several countries including the United States for asbestos-cement manufacture” (Sociedade Mineira de Mavita, Lda.), p. 10¹

1975

• Reserves: “reserves appear to be 250,000 tons of proven ore, 1-million tons of probable ore and 20-million tons of possible ore” (Minas Gerais de Mocambique, Lda.), p. 51³
• Idle: “is pilot testing and expects to soon be producing Anthophyllite from the Mavita Mines. The property has been closed since mid-1975” (Minas Gerais de Mozambique Lda.), p. 38⁶

1976

• Opened: “programmed to commence operating by mid-1976 at its Anthophyllite mine and mill at Mavita” (Minas Gerais de Mocambique, Lda.), p. 50³
• Opened: “was scheduled to begin producing Anthophyllite (Grades 3-7) this year at Mavita” (Minas Gerais de Mocambique, Lda.), p. 46⁴

1978

• Reserves: “was scheduled to begin Anthophyllite Grades 3-7 production in 1976 at Mavita, 50 kilometers southwest of Vila Pery. Proven ore reserves have been calculated at 250,000 tons” (Minas Gerais de Mozambique Lta.), p. 55⁵

1979

• Worked: “Reportedly, production of Anthophyllite Grades 3-7 is underway by Minas Gerais de Mozambique Lta. at Mavita” (Minas Gerais de Mozambique Lta.), p. 47²

Other names

Documents call this mine “Mavita mine”, “Mavita Mines”.

References

1. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1962 (January 1, 1963), p. 10.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1979, December 1979 (December 1, 1979), p. 47.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), pp. 50–51.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 46.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, December 1978 (December 1, 1978), p. 55.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1981, January 1981 (January 1, 1981), p. 38.