CPRM was set up in 1969 with a mix of state and private ownership. With the onset of challenging circunstances in the nation, especially as of the second half of the 1980s, CPRM underwent deep-rooted institutional changes that culminated in Law number 8,970, of December 27, 1994, which made it entirely state owned. This changed things on a practical level because all private service provision ceased and the company took on its current role as the Nation’s Geological Survey. The focus shifted to basic geology and hydrology, with the concomitant development of different applications, such as environmental geology, hydrogeology and geological hazards. All corporate activities were halted and institutional partnerships with other federal, state and local government agencies became the order of the day. Today, they are about 1,700 professionals, of whom some 500 are geologists, hydrogeologists, hydrology engineers and mine engineers. A third hold a masters or doctoral degree. This body of highly specialized professionals, whose knowledge on Brazilian geology and hydrology is unmatched, is unquestionably its greatest asset.
CPRM has operational offices throughout Brazil. There are eight regional offices in Manaus (Amazonas), Belém (Pará), Recife (Pernambuco), Goiânia (Goiás), Salvador (Bahia), Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais), São Paulo (São Paulo) and Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul). These are where projects are carried out and where most of the institution’s operations are centered. They also have three smaller operations facilities in Porto Velho (Rondônia), Teresina (Piauí) and Fortaleza (Ceará). There are three support centers, or small offices that provide representation and operational support, in Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), Cuiabá (Mato Grosso) and Criciúma (Santa Catarina). The company’s political headquarter is in Brasilia, while the main administrative office and technical departments are in Rio de Janeiro. CPRM’s three training centers are in Apiaí (São Paulo), Morro do Chapéu (Bahia) and Caçapava do Sul (Rio Grande do Sul).
