Site - Minas de Argozelo, Argozelo

The Mines of Argozelo were always known as tin and wolfram mines and, apparently, they had the first mining concession in 1898 and began their mining activity before 1913.   At the beginning the ore was explored at the surface, and at the time all the work and ore treatment were handmade.  In 1941 the mines acquired a small electromagnetic separator to separate the cassitrite from the wolfram.  In 1952 the ore treatment started, at that time this work was already made with machines fed by electricity.  From the 60’s to 70´s the mine received a high investment in equipment. New machines for the workshops and laundry and therefore they needed to increase also the modernization of the central power station.  In the year of 1964 were started the work to make a new gallery. This gal-lery had about one 1400 meters length and one 140 meters depth, and had the finality to drain the waters and do the ventilation of the mine.  The depth of the mine increases during the ore extraction and to help the work in 1974 they installed a new equipment, to help the depth extrac-tion, with much more speed, which allowed a daily rising of the productiv-ity. From this year the ore treatment was been modernized. The tin, for example, was sold already in ingots about approximately 20 kg.  In the 80´s the mine was sold, and since then it had never been improved until they closed on 30st June 1986. At that time, work was developed on the 7º floor at 170 meters depth. From that date, the mine only stayed for maintenance with a small workers team.  On 31st December 1992 the Ministry of Industry had decreed the mine definitely close and in June of the following year they declared its bank-ruptcy.  Currently, EDM, SA (Mining Development Company) holds the rights to prospect and research for tin, wolfram, gold, silver, copper and associated sulphide minerals in Bragança and Vimioso.