Pitinga River

The Pitinga River (Portuguese: Rio Pitinga) is a river of Amazonas state in north-western Brazil. It empties into the Balbina Dam on the Uatumã River.

Location
CountryBrazil
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationAmazonas state
Mouth 
 • location
Balbina Dam
 • coordinates
1.109841°S 59.605659°W / -1.109841; -59.605659
Basin features
River systemUatumã River

Mining operation

In the 1970s the Amazon Radar Project detected deposits of cassiterite (tin ore) on the Waimiri Atroari Indigenous Reservation.[1] Prospectors of Mineração Taboca, a subsidiary of the Paranapanema heavy civil construction company, found traces of cassiterite in 1979 in tributaries of the Pitinga River.[2] The Pitinga mine began operations in 1982.[2] The company built a community in the Amazon forest 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Manaus with housing, schools, health facilities, power and telecommunications.[2] In 1985 Paranapanema invested US$15 million in infrastructure upgrades, including a 10,000 kilowatt hydroelectric power plant on the Pitinga River, expected to reduce energy costs by US$4 million annually.[3]

See also

References
  1. Waimiri Atroari: Contact Situation – ISA.
  2. The Company - History: Mineração Taboca.
  3. Smale-Adams 1986, p. 260.

Sources
  • Smale-Adams, K. B. (1986), Mining Latin America / Minería Latinoamericana, Springer Science & Business Media, ISBN 978-94-017-2286-5, retrieved 2016-07-30
  • The Company - History, Mineração Taboca, retrieved 2016-07-29
  • Waimiri Atroari: Contact Situation, ISA: Instituto Socioambiental, retrieved 2016-07-29
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