F .J. Cochicho & Filho LDA: A collaboration between stone producers
An open-area pit marble quarry in Vila Vicosa, Portugal, is run by a consortium of three companies who actively work the site
F.J. Cochicho & Filho LDA is part of a three-company consortium that operates an open-area pit quarry, which at the time of Stone World’s visit was 150 meters deep. The site — located in Vila Vicosa, Portugal — is 32 years old.
When the quarry was first opened in the mid-1980s, explosives were used in the extraction process. Now the companies working the quarry use diamond wire, which takes two days to cut the marble blocks. The life of the diamond wire lasts 600 to 700 square meters.
Each company in the consortium has its own quarry manager. Sometimes they work together if there is a request for a large project.
The quarry produces 5,000 tons of marble annually, with 10% being for commercial use. According to quarry workers, the site can be quarried another 200 to 300 meters in depth.
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