The operation phase of the Cana Brava Mine is characterized by a series of operations.

Top layer removal
It consists in the removal of the vegetation, soil and rock in order to expose the ore to the mining. The total thickness of the soil together with that of the changed rock varies from 2 to 15 m. In the area, the silt-clayish alteration soil is predominant, with varied color, prevailing the red and yellow shades, covered by a centimetric area of organic soil. On the edges of pit A, in some sections, there are talus deposits of silt-clayish constitution with rough material (gravel and small stones) and of brown-reddish color. The soil and the changed rock are removed by shovels and loaded in large-sized dumping trucks. The most portion of the removed material is promptly deposited on the already defined sectors of the disposal areas, near to the pits (disposal areas A and B). A small quantity of such material is stored for later utilization.

Perforation and disassembly
The object of these two operations is to cause the fragmentation of the rocky massif at the mining front for obtaining diameters compatible with the loading, transport and hopper equipment (road) of the primary crusher. In case blocks with diameter larger than 1 meter are created, they will be subject to secondary disassembly. The disassembly operation is preceded of drilling in the rock bench to make the bores that will be loaded with explosives. The explosives are of the emulsion type, comprised mainly of ammonia nitrate. The emulsion density varies from 1 to 1.3 grams per cubic centimeter, with good water resistance, being pumped directly from a mobile unit, which prepares and loads the product automatically on the bores. A contractor engaged by the company makes such work.
Upon the detonation, it is obtained rock fragmented in blocks and the higher blocks may be subject to secondary disassembly, also with the use of explosives. The resulting blocks are loaded and transported in large trucks and sent to the processing unit or the sterile disposal areas, depending on their nature. The formation of pits is inherent to the open pit disassemble, due to the geometry and to the dip of the mineralized bodies, and affects the flows of rain and underground water.