SP announces discovery of clay pre-salt in the interior
Folha de S. Paulo
The government of São Paulo announced this week the discovery of 135 million tons of clay in the region of Presidente Epitácio (655 km from São Paulo). It is the fourth biggest reserve ever found in the country. The region, traditional center of ceramics production, was suffering with the shortage of raw material since the beginning of the decade, when floods caused by the construction of the Sergio Motta hydroelectric power plant flooded the reserves used by the producers.
The announcement was made after studies of the IPT (Institute of Technological Research) to assess the size and the quality of the material available, used in the confection of blocks, slabs and roofing tiles. According to Marsis Cabral Júnior, geologist who coordinated the studies, the 135 million tons of clay should be enough to supply the demand of the nearly 70 companies of the region for almost one century.
The exploration of the material, however, still depends on environmental licenses and on the concession of the rights of extraction by the DNPM (National Department of Mineral Production). According to the geologist, this process can take up to two years. The Secretary of Development of the State, Geraldo Alckmin, sees in the discovery a chance of development for the small companies of the west region of São Paulo: "It is our regional pre-salt", he affirms.
Clay, like the other minerals, belongs exclusively to the Federal Government. According to Marsis, the extraction of the material from the reserve will be made by the Incoesp, the cooperative of ceramics producers of the region that was granted a license from the Federal Government to explore the area. According to data of the Anicer (National Association of the Ceramic Industry), the sector employs 400 thousand people in Brazil and it makes R$ 6 billion (US$ 3.2 billion) in income a year.