Open Pit Mine Design, Planning and Engineering

Maximizing profits by digging deeper for value.
Our engineers have strong operational and technical backgrounds and have gained substantial experience in mines employing a multitude of mining methods, exploiting all commodities on all continents. In addition, we are able to draw on the broader skills across our company’s global workforce. These benefits ensure that our solutions and advice are not only practical and workable, but take account of appropriate geotechnical, hydrogeological, economic and environmental considerations.

Our services cover scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies as well as economic evaluations, detailed mine design and layouts, production scheduling and equipment selection, operating cost estimation and capital expenditure estimation. We also have key people pro-actively reviewing improved mining methods outside traditional approaches.

We have in-house skills with all major software design, optimisation and scheduling packages. We have expert users for a range of software packages including Whittle, Gemcom, Vulcan, MineSight, Datamine, Surpac, Talpac, Xpac and Minemax.

We have developed an innovative and rigorous mine planning methodology that results in a comprehensive technical report inclusive of the life-of-mine plan and techno-economic model for any given mineral resource. The methodology focuses on pit optimisation to determine the cut-off strategy, economic mining depth, size and scale of operation. We are dedicated to identify the best option for project development and produce client-focused solutions to technical challenges. With the growing need to bring projects into production more quickly and on budget, we can accelerate the process for mining companies by supplying quality consultants to supplement the client’s own technical resources to achieve the desired outcomes within the project timeframe. Our personnel will ensure appropriate decisions to guide project development are made at the earliest opportunity and are committed to reviewing what aspects of project advancement can be done in parallel to minimise the risk of any rework.

Services:

• The full range of studies from scoping to detailed feasibility.
• Mine planning reviews and technical audits.
• Development and implementation of optimal mining strategies.
• Operational assistance, reviews and improvements.
• Financial evaluations
• Risk analysis.
• Project reviews.
• Due diligence.
• Competent person reports.
• Independent expert reports.
• Stock market listing reports.

Underground Mine Design,Planning and Engineering

Maximize your ore reserve value by using our operating expertise to customize your mining plan.
We have years of first-hand underground mine engineering and operating experience in most countries and across multiple commodities using all common mining methods. As a global netwroking group, we have specialist underground mining expertise to provide solutions for the unique features of each project.
Based on this extensive experience, we utilize an innovative and rigorous mining method selection and planning methodology that maximises the economic benefit of the project. The methodology focuses on understanding the complete mining context or characteristics of the deposit. This understanding is fundamental to selecting the appropriate mining method and establishing a robust mine plan.
Brainstorming sessions with our clients at the project scoping stage foster innovation in bringing out project development alternatives for analysis and ranking. Preferred solutions are identified through detailed mine engineering and trade-off studies. 3D underground design, optimized production scheduling and mine cost modeling are used to assess project economics, beginning at an early stage in the planning process. All mine design and schedule opportunities are left open until an optimised plan is defined and accepted.
We recognise the constant need to match changing commodity prices and capital costs with appropriate responses from mining operations: reduction in operating and/or capital costs when prices fall, and increasing capacity when prices rise. We are focused on producing practical mine designs and achievable schedules that make the most effective use of mine capital, in both short and longer term time frames.Whether optimising an existing operation or deciding how to extract a new deposit, ""EMCS"" can help to ensure that appropriate solutions are understood and implemented.

Services:

• Engineering studies (from scoping to feasibility).
• Mining context definition and mining methods selection.
• Economic cut-off grade.
• Estimation of mineable tonnage and production rate assessment.
• Development and production scheduling.
• Geotechnical characterization and ground support system design.
• Drill and blast design, fragmentation analysis.
• Ventilation system modeling and design.
• Backfill method analysis and system design.
• Equipment and manpower requirements.
• Operating cost benchmarking and cost modeling.
• Open pit to underground transition analysis.
• Draw control for caving operations
• Risk analysis and management.
• Operational review and assistance.
• Life-of-Mine plan optimization.

Mining Economics and Finance

Creating value for clients through tightly integrated technical and economic optimization of mining projects.
Commodity price and macro-economic assumptions are frequently required as input to our technical authoring and reviewing mandates which include:

• Technical studies requiring input for cut-off grade determination and optimisation analysis for Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve reporting.
• Benchmarking for comparative cost of production analysis.
• Financial Models (link to service statements) for comparative assessments of economic performance.
• Mineral Asset Valuations (link to service statements) for reporting in regulatory documentation prepared for the equity capital markets.

Approach
To facilitate the above, EMCS has established a historical database with daily and monthly granularity covering the majority of international benchmark indicators including: commodity prices for bulk commodities, base metals, precious metals, gemstones, energy products and industrial minerals; and macro-economic parameters for country specific consumer price indices and exchange rates. In addition EMCS collates on a quarterly basis various financial analysts’ quarterly, annual and long-term commodity price assumptions. These are subsequently collated in real terms to establish a median for each reporting period defined as the Consensus Market Forecasts (“CMF”). Specifically the CMF comprises annual forecasts leading to the long-term price (“LTP”) assumptions as appropriate for Ore Reserve declarations.

Our approach in this regard is to provide a simplified independent benchmark which enables objective comparisons with those associated with the specific mandate at hand. This approach does not seek to replace the detailed supply-demand-price analysis as normally completed by recognised market specialists and accordingly where named reliance is required (e.g. public domain documentation) EMCS recommends that these market specialists be appointed separately. Our historical databases also facilitate authoring of country profile reports and comparative country production contributions to global production and ‘reserve’ status.

Mining Geology

Understanding geological controls of ore body leading to optimized mine planning and profitability.
In any mining operation, understanding the geology of the orebody and waste rocks is fundamental for successful resource estimation, geotechnical engineering, mine planning and mineral processing.Better geological interpretations at the mine scale improve grade control, mine planning and profitability. Our consultants are leaders in understanding ore-forming processes. With a unique combination of structural geology and practical mining experience, we can assist you to improve your mine development, operations and near mine exploration. Our integrated mine models give you better near mine exploration targets, optimise mapping and grade control, reduce the risk of misdirecting ore and unintentional dilution, and improve the reconciliation of your mine.Production pressures can make it difficult to maintain geological input. We can help you by providing regular geological mapping campaigns, as well as hands-on training of your staff at your minesite to capture geological data more effectively. We can audit your current geological, sampling, assaying and reconciliation processes and ensure that they meet best practice standards. Our approach to geology in the mine environment is based on addressing the material issues that affect the entire mining cycle from resource estimation to mine closure. Your operation benefits by ensuring that sound geological models underpin the entire mining process.

Services:

• Near mine geophysics.
• Structural analysis.
• Advanced 3D modeling.
• Resource estimation.
• Pit and underground mapping.
• Near mine exploration targeting.
• Site-based structural geology training.
• Grade control system design.
• Sampling and reconciliation audits.
• Geotechnical mapping and modeling.
• Geometallurgical assessment and modeling.

Grade Control & Reconciliation

Definitive grade control models necessary for optimal mine planning and profitability.
Understanding grade distribution and optimising mining selectivity through grade control is essential to achieving the mine plan. SRK has the expertise to implement, monitor, analyse and react to grade control data. This expertise allows the results to be reconciled against planned production and actual plant data. Minimizing the difference between planned verses actual production will improve business performance.

Approach
When analysing grade control methodology, EMCS considers detailed geological controls on grade distribution, optimal sample spacing, sample collection, sample preparation and analysis, quality control, and optimising costs and benefits. When undertaking reconciliation studies, EMCS considers resource models used for short and long-term mine planning, mining selectivity, dilution, losses and ore allocation records, stockpile records, plant feed records and production results.

Experience
EMCS employs a number of geologists with significant operational experience. In their previous roles as mine geologists at various international operations, their duties included grade control, optimising the selective extraction of ore and routine reporting of the multiple components of reconciliation.

Our geologists possess a sound understanding of the full spectrum of mining operations, coupled with geological modeling, sample theory and their practical application.
EMCS has a large skill base in the use of advanced mining software packages, such as Datamine, GEMS, Vulcan and Surpac, Leapfrog and Minex, and has a good understanding of the estimation methods suited to grade control in many different styles of deposit and different commodities.

Services:

• On-site design, implementation and review of systems, protocols and processes.
• Differentiation of ore types for mining and processing.
• Reconciliation studies between resource models, grade control models and plant feed records.
• Optimization of stockpiling and blending strategy.
• Identification of problems and troubleshooting.
• On-site training related to data capture, analysis and reporting for regular production reviews.
• Feature Project.