Vale, as an update to the press release "Vale informs about the impact
of rainfall in Minas Gerais", released on January 10th, 2022, informs
that it has partially and gradually resumed its operations in Minas
Gerais after the re-establishment of adequate safety conditions
following the period of heavy rains that affected the region.
In the Southeastern System, the trains transit on the Estrada de Ferro
Vitória a Minas railway has been resumed on the Rio Piracicaba - João
Monlevade stretch, thus allowing the gradual expedition of Brucutu and
Mariana complex's production. Therefore, there is no longer production
sites halted in the System due to the rains. The BH branch line, which
is responsible for general cargo transportation, is halted, and logistic
alternatives are being evaluated for the definitive resumption of the
branch line and for the expedition of general cargo while the branch
line remains halted.
In the Southern System, some road accesses were cleared, and other
alternative accesses were implemented, allowing the circulation of
employees/third parties to the System’s mines, thus enabling the
adequacy works of the mining fronts infrastructure. Several stretches of
the MRS Logística had their train transit cleared and other stretches
are expected to be cleared throughout the week. Accordingly, the
Abóboras, Vargem Grande, Fábrica and Viga plants, representing abouthalf
of the current capacity of the Southern System, were gradually resumed
over the last days. The other plants should be resumed in the coming
days, after additional works to re-establish the appropriate operating
conditions and normalization of train transit has been done.
Due to the stoppages in Minas Gerais, we estimate an impact of
approximately 1.5 Mt on iron ore production and third-party purchase.
Vale considers the seasonal impact of the rainy season in all
operations, and therefore reiterates its iron ore production guidance of
320-335 Mt for 2022.
Dams safety
Vale remains with the continuous management and monitoring of its dams
and geotechnical structures, carried out by the Geotechnical Monitoring
Centers, by Vale's specialized teams and by the Engineers of Record.
Based on a proactive posture, the Company reports changes in the safety
conditions of two structures, associated with the heavy rains that hit
Minas Gerais.
-
Area IX dam: elevation of the emergency protocol to level 2 from level
1, after piezometric alterations on the right abutment of the
structure. The structure is currently inactive and is included in the
Decharacterization Plan of Vale’s upstream structures.
-
Elefante dike: Initiation of emergency protocol at level 1, after
erosion on the right abutment of the structure, without compromising
its overall stability. The sediment containment dike is in the process
of being decharacterized.
The Company has already initiated studies and corrective actions in both
cases. There is no permanent occupation of people in the corresponding
Self-Rescue Zones and no additional evacuation is required.
Vale emphasizes that continuously updated information about its dams is
available on its ESG Portal.