The impending closure of Bruno SA’s Montevive celestite mine in Granada, Spain, marks the end of era within the strontium mineral supply sector and for the Bruno family that has managed the operation since 1956.
“You just can’t keep going on,” lamented Hel Bruno, president of Bruno SA, “we will close by the end of the year”. Bruno confirmed to IM that the mine would be placed on a care and maintenance basis at the end of the 2009.
The Montevive plant produced two high purity grades of celestite concentrate; the hand sorted Concentrate No. 1, grading 95-96% SrSO4 and the crushed and graded Concentrate No. 2, grading 90-91% SrSO4. Some 2m. tonnes of reserves remain in the deposit, Bruno said.
Liquid crystal
The chief reason for the closure has been the transformation of the TV glass market in recent years, which...