The mine life cycle

Part one: The mine life cycle

 The mine lifecycle
Prospecting/Exploration - Searching, sampling
and analysis to identify ore reserve

Development
Permits, logistics and building
infrastructure to extract resources

Extraction
Extracting the ore/producing
concentrate/sometimes processing concentrate
Closure
Remediation and/or redevelopment of the
land to a more natural state
 1. Prospecting and Exploration
Prospecting – searching the region for mineral deposits:
• examination of historical maps and literature,
• analysis of soil, water and rock samples (surface
materials),
• airborne/ground survey (to understand the subsurface
geological setting).
Exploration – determining the possible size and value of the
mineral deposit (type and grade)
• drilling for taking samples, that are analyzed to determine
the richness and extent of the mineral,
• geological modeling of the ore body (3D) to statistically
estimate the distribution of minerals (where the minerals
lie),
• technical and economic evaluation of resources.
1. Prospecting and Exploration (con-d)
Success rate 0,01 - 0,05% (1% is optimistic)

Time horizon 7 years - decades

Cost 100k-50 million USD

Soviet time Kyrgyzstan

15 thousand people 1,5 billion USD

Equipment for deep drilling
Drilled sample
Geological model of the Taldybulak
levoberejny mine
Results of exploration phase

Scoping study
 2. Mine development
Pre-feasibility
(technical and economic assessment of different options)

Feasibility study
(selection of the most optimal operational plan
considering modifying factors)

Bankable feasibility study

(FS + commercial terms + obtained permits)
Resources and reserves
 Contents of a typical BFS

• Geology and • Recovery methods

mineralization • Infrastructure
• Status of exploration, • Tailing storage facility
development and • Water management
operations
• Environmental studies
• Resources and reserve and permits
estimates
• Capital and operating
• Mineral processing and costs
metallurgical testing
• Economic analysis
• Mining methods
 2. Design (con-d)
Detailed engineering design

Building of the mine and its facilities

Underground mine Open pit mine

 Commodities
Primary commodities Secondary commodities

• Processed from
primary
• Extracted from
commodities
mines
• There may be minor
• Are non-standard
variations in quality
– their quality and
depending on how
characteristics
a secondary
vary widely
commodity is
produced
Secondary commodity –
copper cathodes

Primary commodity –
copper concentrate
 3. Extraction (con-d)

Gold production data and projections from the Kumtor Gold Company, 1997–2029
 3. Extraction (con-d)

Gold projections from the Fruta del Norte gold mine, 2014–2030
 4. Closure
• Mine shutdown. Production is halted, equipment is
taken offline and the workforce is scaled back.
• Decommissioning. The operation and equipment is
taken apart, waste is disposed of, buildings are
demolished or repurposed and the site is cleaned.
• Remediation/reclamation/rehabilitation. Returning
the land, trees, topsoil, water and wider ecosystem to a
satisfactory state while removing contaminants or
hazardous materials.
• Post-closure. Monitoring programmes initiated to
ensure shut down is effective and highlight any further
work that needs to be completed.
Reclamation
Reclamation