Sao Domingos Mine
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The São Domingos Mine is a deserted open-pit pyrite mine in São Domingos in Portugal. This site is one of the surfacing massive sulphide deposits in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, that extends from the south of Portugal into Spain. The Romans have been mining in the São Domingos area for gold and silver for about 400 years. Mining stopped here when the Romans left. In 1855 mining was resumed, as the international demand for copper grew during the Industrial Revolution. The mining concession was leased for 50 years to an English mining company, Mason & Barry, because of their industrial mining expertise. They switched from tunnel mining to open pit mining. Copper ore was the main product of the mine; in addition, pyrite was mined as a source of sulphur. About 25 megaton of ore has been extracted until the mine was closed in 1966.
[edit] External links
- Instituto Gelogicao e Mineiro - Environmental State:Past and present
- geocaching.com - Mine description
- Society of Economic Geologists - Introduction to the Iberian Pyrite Belt
