Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. Foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering, but instead is in planes perpendicular to the direction of metamorphic compression.
BHP, formerly known as BHP Billiton, is the trading entity of BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc, an Anglo-Australian multinational mining, metals and petroleum dual-listed public company headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s, has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United Kingdom and South Africa, a coal mine and its structures are a colliery, a coal mine - a pit, and the above-ground structures - a pit head. In Australia, "colliery" generally refers to an underground coal mine. In the United States, "colliery" has been used to describe a coal mine operation but nowadays the word is not commonly used.
Vale S.A. is a Brazilian multinational corporation engaged in metals and mining and one of the largest logistics operators in Brazil.
Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) is the second major steel-maker company in Brazil. Its main plant is located in the cities of Volta Redonda and Barra Mansa, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Its current CEO is Benjamin Steinbruch.
Minaçu is a municipality in the north of the state of Goiás, Brazil. There is a large asbestos mine in the municipality.
Aluminium recycling is the process by which scrap aluminium can be reused in products after its initial production. The process involves simply re-melting the metal, which is far less expensive and energy-intensive than creating new aluminium through the electrolysis of aluminium oxide (Al2O3), which must first be mined from bauxite ore and then refined using the Bayer process. Recycling scrap aluminium requires only 5% of the energy used to make new aluminium from the raw ore. For this reason, approximately 36% of all aluminium produced in the United States comes from old recycled scrap. Used beverage containers are the largest component of processed aluminum scrap, and most of it is manufactured back into aluminium cans.
Brazil is the 10th largest energy consumer in the world and the largest in South America. It is an important oil and gas producer in the region and the world's second largest ethanol fuel producer. The government agencies responsible for energy policy are the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE), the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) and the National Agency of Electricity (ANEEL). State-owned companies Petrobras and Eletrobrás are the major players in Brazil's energy sector, as well as Latin America's.
The Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency is an autarchy of the government of Brazil linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. Its stated goal is to "provide favorable conditions for the electricity market to develop in a balanced environment amongst agents, for the benefit of society."
The Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels is the federal government agency linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy responsible for the regulation of the oil sector.
An energy minister is a position in many governments responsible for energy production and regulation, developing governmental energy policy, scientific research, and natural resources conservation. In some countries, environmental responsibilities are given to a separate environment minister.
The electricity sector in Brazil is the largest in South America. Its currently installed capacity by the end of 2016 was 150,338 MW, a 9.500 MW increase on 2015. The installed capacity grew from 11,000 MW in 1970 with an average yearly growth of 5.8% per year. Brazil has the largest capacity for water storage in the world, being highly dependent on hydroelectricity generation capacity, which meets over 70% of its electricity demand. The national grid is composed 80% from renewable sources. This dependence on hydropower makes Brazil vulnerable to power supply shortages in drought years, as was demonstrated by the 2001-2002 energy crisis.
Carlos Eduardo de Sousa Braga is a Brazilian politician, businessman, current Minister of Mines and Energy and former senator representing the state of Amazonas. Better known as Eduardo Braga, he was a councilman in Manaus (1981–1985), state deputy (1987–1991), representative (1991–1993), vice-mayor (1993–1994) and mayor (1994–1997). He campaigned for the government of Amazonas in 1998 and for the city hall of Manaus in 2000 without success. He was elected governor of Amazonas in October 2002, in the first turn, with 52.4% of the votes, and assumed office on 1 January 2003. In 2006, Braga was re-elected, in the first turn. He renounced in 2010 to run for the Senate on the elections of that year.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) is a Brazilian government ministry established in 1960. It fosters investments in mining and energy-related activities, funds research and sets out government policies. Previously, mines and energy were the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture. The current Minister of Mines and Energy is Bento Costa Lima Leite.
Eneva is a power generation company based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A subsidiary of Uniper, it is listed at the São Paulo exchange. In addition to its Brazil assets, Eneva has power generation assets in Chile and coal mining assets in Colombia.
A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity. The person in charge of such a department is usually known as a Minister of Energy or Minister for Energy.
Luz para Todos is a program of the Federal Government of Brazil, launched in November 2003, with a goal of bringing electricity to more than 10 million rural people by the year 2008. It was initiated by Dilma Rousseff, then Minister of Mines and Energy of Brazil, operated by the large power utility company Eletrobras, and executed by electricity concessionaires and cooperatives.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy is a top-level government entity in several countries, responsible for the oversight of mining and energy production and consumption. The following articles cover individual Ministries of Mines and Energy:
South32 is a mining and metals company headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. It was spun out of BHP Billiton on 25 May 2015. The company is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange with secondary listings on the Johannesburg bourse and the London market.
