Brazil Strikes Gold, At Least 150 Tons

Brazil has announced the discovery of its richest gold strike ever - a mine in the eastern Amazon containing at least 150 tons of the precious metal.

The state mining company Vale do Rio Doce discovered the underground mine in Curionopolis, 1,860 miles northeast of Rio in the jungle state of Para, Mining and Energy Minister Raimundo Brito said Thursday.

He estimated the mine holds $1.6 billion in gold.

The reserve is expected to boost Brazil’s annual gold output by 25 percent when mining begins in three years, Brito said.