This technical analysis examines the consolidated data of Mining Lease Applications filed at the Regional Managements of the National Mining Agency (ANM) during the first quarter of 2026 (January to March). The data was extracted from the Mining Registry System and reflects the volume of projects that have surpassed the mineral exploration phase and entered the economic viability stage.
Technical Analysis of the Applications
The Mining Lease Application is the administrative act through which the miner, after the approval of the Final Exploration Report, presents the Economic Exploitation Plan (PAE) to obtain the extraction right.
The first quarter of 2026 closed with a total of 223 mining lease applications filed across the national territory. This volume is an indicator for the sector, as it signals where new operational investments will be concentrated in the coming years.
The analysis of the numbers provided by ANM reveals a market dynamic that favors states with consolidated infrastructure and strong demand for industrial minerals.
1. The Leadership of Minas Gerais
With 55 applications (24.7% of the national share), the Regional Management of Minas Gerais maintains its position as the main hub for the maturation of mineral projects in the country.
- Technical Analysis: The expressive volume reflects not only the metallic sector but a strong movement in industrial minerals and ornamental rocks.
- Legal Context: The high flow in MG requires companies to have impeccable procedural instruction, since the volume of filings can impact the average analysis time of the Management.
2. South-Southeast: Civil Construction and Agribusiness
One of the most relevant data of this cycle is the consolidation of Parana (2nd place – 11.7%), closely followed by Sao Paulo (4th place – 9.4%) and Santa Catarina (5th place – 9.0%).
This triad represents more than 30% of the mining intentions in the country, a movement driven directly by the demand for aggregates for civil construction and agricultural inputs (such as limestone), evidencing the alignment of mining with urban infrastructure and regional agribusiness.
3. Regional Dynamics: Top 10 Managements (Jan-Mar 2026)
According to the revised official data from ANM, this is the filing scenario by state:
| Rank | Regional Office | Applications | Share (%) |
| 1st | Minas Gerais | 55 | 24.7% |
| 2nd | Paraná | 26 | 11.7% |
| 3rd | Goiás / DF | 22 | 9.9% |
| 4th | São Paulo | 21 | 9.4% |
| 5th | Santa Catarina | 20 | 9.0% |
| 6th | Rio Grande do Sul | 17 | 7.6% |
| 7th | Ceará | 12 | 5.4% |
| 8th | Espírito Santo | 11 | 4.9% |
| 9th | Rio Grande do Norte | 10 | 4.5% |
| 10th | Mato Grosso | 9 | 4.0% |
4. North Region
The technical analysis reveals a vacuum of new mining lease application filings in states with great geological potential, such as Amazonas, Amapa, Roraima, and Tocantins, which registered very low or no activity of new applications in the period.
This scenario points to persistent challenges in these frontiers, ranging from logistical complexity to the rigorous environmental licensing process, which ends up extending the time between the conclusion of mineral exploration and the effective filing of the mining lease application.
5. Northeast: Ornamental Rocks and Pegmatites
Ceara (7th place – 5.4%) and Rio Grande do Norte (9th place – 4.5%) demonstrate the strength of the Northeast in the production of ornamental rocks and specific industrial minerals, maintaining a constant flow of renewal of mining titles.
The Mining Lease Application is the “point of no return” for mineral investment. From this filing onward, the miner assumes temporal obligations before ANM and environmental agencies. The technical quality of the PAE submitted in these 223 processes is what will determine the speed of the grant. Geological precision and technical compliance are the entrepreneur’s greatest assets to guarantee the legal security of their asset.
Analysis based on official data from the National Mining Agency extracted from the Mining Registry System.
📷Generated by AI
