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Contents of this paper were reviewed by the Technical Committee of the 16 th International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical Society and do not necessarily represent any position of the SBGf, its officers or members. Electronic reproduction or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Brazilian Geophysical Society is prohibited.

The Morro do Padre deposit contains a valuable niobium resource estimated at 14.5 Mt at 1.52 wt % Nb2O5 (at a cut-off grade of 0.5% Nb2O5) hosted in carbonatite-related rocks and their regolith in the southern part of the Catalão II Complex, in central Brazil. Morro do Padre shares numerous geologic features with some of the biggest niobium producers in the world (the Boa Vista mine, also in Catalão II, the Mina II in Catalão I, and the CBMM mine in the Araxá Complex) and can help advance our understanding of the ore formation processes involved. The Morro do Padre hypogene zone is characterized by E-W–trending dike swarms of tetraferriphlogopite phoscorites (magnetite-apatite-carbonate-tetraferriphlogopite-pyrochlore rocks) and carbonatites intrusive within Precambrian rocks. The magmatic origin of these Nb-rich rocks is supported by country rock xenoliths within dikes and ponding into a stratified sill with repetitive cumulus layers. At least two tetraferriphlogopite phoscorite phases (apatite-rich or pegmatoidal P1 and the magnetite-rich P2) and two carbonatite phases (C1 calcite carbonatite and C2 dolomite carbonatite) are present. The bulk of hypogene mineralization is primarily controlled by the emplacement of P2 dikes and secondarily by C1 and C2 dikes where pyrochlore is accessory. Whole-rock and pyrochlore chemistry and textural and spatial relationships suggest that the genesis of P2 (and that of the niobium deposit) is due to the emplacement of a parental dolomite carbonatite magma that crystallized medium- to coarse-grained magnetite, apatite, tetraferriphlogopite, and pyrochlore on dike walls upon cooling, in an elaborate magmatic type of “cumulate dike build-up.” Weathering generated the regolith zone, where the dissolution of barren phases compounded the Nb concentration even further. Morro do Padre showcases the role of carbonatite-phoscorite magmatism in producing Fe-P-Nb–rich rocks and economic niobium mineralization.

ABSTRACT. The Morro do Padre niobium Deposit, in the Late-Cretaceous Catal˜ao 2 alkaline-carbonatite complex, central Brazil, consists of stockworks of nelsonite and carbonatite dykes intruded into Precambrian phyllites, quartzites, and amphibolites. A gamma-ray spectrometry and magnetic susceptibility petrophysical survey was conducted on the cores of 73 drill holes in fresh-rock, producing a total of 1295 geophysical samples. Nelsonite, the host rock of the niobium mineralization in the Morro do Padre Deposit, has a characteristic geophysical signature, with higher gamma-ray spectrometry counting rates and magnetic susceptibility values, compared to other rock types. The studied nelsonites may be divided into N1 and N2 types. N2 nelsonite is richer in K, U and Th than N1. Carbonatites are divided into magnetic (C1) and nonmagnetic (C2) varieties. The nonmagnetic carbonatites can be subdivided into C2a and C2b. The C2a carbonatite is richer in K, U and Th than C2b, which is consistent with the presence of apatite and/or monazite in the former. The geophysical 3Dmodeling has shown that the main mineralized body is elongated in the E-W direction. It is about 100 m wide and 300 m long with a maximum depth of approximately 850 m reached by drilling.Keywords: 3D ore modeling, niobium ore, applied geophysics, alkaline rocks, nelsonite. RESUMO. O depósito de nióbio do Morro do Padre no complexo carbonatítico alcalino de Catalão 2 do Cretáceo Superior, região central do Brasil, consiste em stockworks de nelsonito e diques de carbonatito intrudidos em filitos pré-cambrianos, quartzitos e anfibolitos. A pesquisa petrofísica de gamaespectrometria e de susceptibilidade magnética foi realizada em testemunhos de 73 furos de sondagem em rocha fresca, produzindo um total de 1.295 amostras. Nelsonito, a rocha hospedeira da mineralização de nióbio no depósito Morro do Padre, tem uma assinatura geofisica característica, com maiores taxas de radiação gamaespectrométrica e maiores valores de susceptibilidade magnética em comparação com outros tipos de rochas. Os nelsonitos estudados podem ser divididos em N1 e N2. O nelsonito N2 é mais rico em K, U e Th do que o N1. Carbonatitos são divididos em magnéticos (C1) e não magnéticos (C2). Os carbonatitos não magnéticos podem ser subdivididos em C2a e C2b. O carbonatito C2a é mais rico em K, U e Th do que o C2b, o que é consistente com a presença de apatita e/ou monazita na composição minerológica. O modelamento 3D revela um corpo principal de nelsonito mineralizado, alongado segundo a direção E-W. Este é cerca de 100 m de largura e 300 m de comprimento, com uma profundidade máxima de 850 m.Palavras-chave: modelamento 3D de minério, minério de nióbio, geofísica aplicada, rochas alcalinas, nelsonito.