The territorialization of the niobium global extractive network in Goiás, Brazil

Abstract

This research aims at interpreting the territorialization of the Niobium Global Extractive Network in Goiás state, Brazil. The methodology is based on secondary data and qualitative and quantitative information. The first part of the article describes the niobium extraction in Brazil, characterizing the metal’s properties, its main applications in different economic sectors, location of the major reserves, and operating mines. It also highlights the leading extractive corporations, their market strategies, and the evolution of iron-niobium production, market, and prices. In the second part, the text describes the participation of niobium mining corporations in the integration of Goiás state in the global extractive network. The final section summarizes the main results and underlines possible contributions for future critical research on the Brazilian mining model.