S11D (Northern System) iron ore mine

S11D (also known as Serra Sul) is a large surface mine owned and operated by Vale in the Carajás region, Pará state, Brazil. The project is approximately 60 kilometres southwest of Vale's largest operating mine, Serra Norte. S11D hosts one of the largest, undeveloped resources of high-grade, direct shipping iron ore known in the world. In August 2020, Vale announced S11D’s mine and plant capacity expansions which are set to increase the company's flagship project output rate by over 30% by 2024. The development will include the opening of new mining areas, the duplication of the long-distance conveyor belt, the implementation of new processing lines at the plant and the expansion of storage areas. S11D's costs place it at the bottom of the industry cost curve. Low operating costs are due to the project's low-strip, high-grade reserves and a truckless mining system.