Mining and Petroleum Engineering
Under the mining and petroleum engineering subsector, we offer a comprehensive suite of services, including, but not limited to;
- Mineral exploration and resource estimation,
- Mine design,
- Mining geotechnics,
- Mine water management,
- Mine waste management,
- Mine closure and remediation,
- Mining equipment,
- Mineral processing plants,
- Air quality monitoring,
- Occupational health and safety,
- Metal detectors and treasure hunters.
It should be understood that each mining project is unique. The industry is constantly evolving and adapting in response to society’s needs, stringent legislation, and advances in technology. Operational efficiency, safety, and cost optimization are key to the success of any surface or underground mining project. Our team of mining engineers, petroleum engineers, geologists, and environmental scientists provides a comprehensive range of services through all stages of mine development in a variety of climatic and seismic conditions, from evaluation and permitting to design, construction, and closure. We offer independent, technically detailed perspectives on mining projects’ feasibility at all stages of mine development and operation.
Mineral Exploration and Resource Estimation
Our geologists have expert knowledge of the mechanisms of orebody formation and distribution within a wide range of geological and tectonic settings. The exploration services we provide include target generation, field mapping and analysis, remote sensing and geophysics, geochemistry, mineral system modelling, exploration project management, audits and valuations, exploration strategy and governmental advice, health and safety guidance, and project implementation.
Accurate resource estimates depend on the collection of reliable samples during exploration. Sampling strategies must therefore be carefully designed to minimise the chances of gathering biased, unrepresentative, or contaminated material. Whether for grab samples, trenches, or diamond cores, sampling programmes must be tailored to the target mineralisation, ground conditions, and interpretation requirements and consider implementation practicalities.
Our geologists and geophysicists complete geological fieldwork, and advance projects through all phases of exploration. This is achieved through conducting exploration sampling, analysis, and QA/QC for geological interpretations and resource estimates. Successful exploration relies on efficiently interpreting geological, geochemical, and geophysical data then applying the results to the generation and testing of exploration targets.
Our services and solutions include capturing, validating, analysing, and managing technical data, then communicating the results with precision and clarity. By using appropriate sampling and quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures and protocols, we assure client confidence in our exploration data and mineral resource and reserve estimates.
Mine Design
Our mine design studies encompass feasibility study, preliminary design, and construction plans for both surface and underground mines. The detailed feasibility and design reports cover aspects such as plant general layout, electrical power, communication, civil engineering, environmental protection, water supply and drainage, tailings, safety and fire protection, investment estimates, and economic benefit.
Our surface designs involve an optimizing approach to maximize the potential return on your mineral deposit. We undertake technical analysis to evaluate multiple pit sizes and select the ultimate pit not only on overall value but also on its marginal return per tonne. In generating our proposals, we take into account amount of potentially acid generating material, total material movement, mine site foot print, and sensitivity analyses to provide you with a robust low risk project that can withstand changes in commodity prices and as well as environmental pressures and community impacts.
Our underground designs begin with an evaluation of applicable mining methods given the deposit geometry, rock mass characteristics, ore body size, and layout. We then decide on the best methods focusing on the trade-off between higher cost selective mining methods and lower cost bulk mining methods. Our underground mine plans then detail the development sequence and mine discrete stopes or mining blocks to provide an accurate picture of required development capital and cash flow timing. We also incorporate variations in production rate and cutoff grade in a multi-scenario analysis to determine the most economic route for development and operations.
The production and cost estimation for our mine plans are developed from first principles using the drilling, blasting, loading, and hauling mining unit operations. This type of estimation method provides a detailed accounting of productivity, consumables, equipment operating hours, and required labor hours and can easily be carried from a scoping level study to feasibility. Our mine plans typically include detailed schedules for manpower, equipment, consumables, sustaining capital, development, and backfill. We have experience designing backfill systems, ventilation systems, development entries, dewatering systems, pump stations, and haulage systems.
Mining Geotechnics
Mining geotechnics is an important step for the design of stable underground mine workings, pit slopes, tunnels, road cuttings, and tailings dams. Our geotechnical professionals have extensive knowledge of design and operation of stable underground mine workings, pit slopes, tunnels, road cuttings, and tailings dams. By providing clear, comprehensive design options and assessing their associated time- and mining-related risks, we enable clients make informed decisions based on their specific needs and risk profiles.
Our teams of experts comprising of geotechnical, civil, soil, rock mechanics engineers, and engineering geologists, work closely with our structural geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, tailings, geoenvironmental, mine engineering, and mine closure groups. This integrated approach enables us to develop effective and innovative solutions to our clients’ specific problems.
Mine Water Management
Water management is often a mine’s single greatest technical, permitting, and social challenge. Recognizing this fundamental need, our experts have taken pains to master all aspects of mine water management. We assist projects both in the cost-effective exploitation of water resources, as well as in the protection of those resources from the impacts of mining.
For mining and mineral processing activities, water management must be addressed at each project stage from feasibility to closure and must adhere to stringent environmental and social responsibility policies. Our combined surface and groundwater evaluation expertise gives you tools for assessing and satisfying the water needs of your project while also meeting broader development objectives. This integrated water management approach draws on our specialists in hydrology, hydraulics, and hydrogeology as well as mining, geotechnical engineering, and environmental management. By fully appraising your issues, we deliver solutions that are appropriate, practical, and cost-effective.
Mine Waste Management
We develop stable waste management facilities that are designed for practical operation and cost-effective closure and meet not only local permitting requirements, but also global best practices. Our extensive experience with tailings facilities, heap leach pads, waste rock storage facilities, and municipal and industrial waste facilities helps clients minimize risk and keep projects on track and within budget. We help ensure the effectiveness and long-term stability of waste and tailings facilities by evaluating options to meet clients’ specific needs and risk profiles.
We manage mine waste with an interdisciplinary approach involving: mining engineering, civil engineering, water management, environmental engineering, and geotechnical engineering. We design not only routine waste rock facilities, but also can carry out complicated tailings compaction and consolidation studies, and dynamic (earthquake) stability analyses. We design and construct tailings dams, design mine waste rock structures, evaluate the feasibility of complicated co-disposed waste facilities, and applied state-of-the-art designs for the encapsulation of acid-generating mine wastes to reduce the risk of acid rock drainage (ARD).
Mine Closure and Remediation
The process of understanding and planning for mine closure is challenging and often given insufficient attention in the early stages of mine development. With increasingly stringent legislation and standards for mine closure and reclamation, it is important to engage with the subject early in the project lifecycle and set expectations of what will happen when the mine closes. Without due consideration of mine closure planning, mines can face crippling liabilities upon reaching the end of their economic life.
Working closely with our clients, we integrate mine closure planning as an ongoing and adaptable component of the mine life cycle. This ensures that upon closure, liabilities are minimized and the project area is prepared for reclamation activities that will meet land use objectives. We help clients achieve significant economic savings for their projects, while improving sustainability by maximizing beneficial post-closure land uses for adjacent communities.
Mining Equipment and Machinery
We supply a number of mining equipment such as;
- Roadheaders,
- Excavators,
- Backhoe loaders,
- Dump trucks,
- Bulldozers,
- Drilling rigs,
- Pile drivers,
- Robotic shotcrete machines,
- Hydraulic rock bolting rigs,
- Hydraulic tunnelling drilling rigs,
- Tunnel boring machines (TBM),
- Raise boring machines (RBM) and raise boring rigs (RBR),
- Mixer trucks,
- Underground mining utility vehicles,
- Heavy duty hydraulic slurry pumps,
- Surface drill rigs,
- Underground drill rigs,
- Bolters.
Mineral Processing Plants
We supply and install a number of mineral processing plants such as;
- Jaw crushers,
- Cone crushers,
- Grinding equipment,
- Sand making machines,
- Vibratory feeders,
- Magnetic separators,
- Gold refining machines,
- Aggregate crushing plants,
- Building waste crushing plants,
- Stone crushers,
- Ore crushing, grinding, and beneficiation plants,
- Conveyors and screening machines,
- Linear dewatering screens,
- Gold panning machines,
- Gold smelting equipment,
- Gold shaking tables,
- Rotary dryers,
- Copper processing plants,
- Iron ore processing plants,
- Fly ash silos,
- Sensor enabled ore sorting equipment.
Air Quality Monitoring
Ensuring safety from hazardous gas and materials has never been more important than within the harshness of mining environments, with potential hazards from carbon monoxide, methane, and oxygen deficiency. Mining applications are rife with danger. With this in mind, those working within them need to be suitably equipped to enter these spaces and work safely, and this is what makes gas monitoring in mines very essential. We supply the following portable and fixed gas detectors;
- Ambient air quality monitoring stations i.e. can detect over 20 gases,
- Mercury vapour detectors,
- Portable multi gas detectors,
- Ozone monitors,
- Carbon dioxide monitors,
- 4 in 1 gas detectors i.e. carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, and methane,
- Humidity sensors,
- Mercury safe air badges (for personal gas exposure monitoring),
- Portable breathing air quality analysers,
- Air pollution and VOC emissions monitoring stations,
- Personal air sampling pumps,
- Handheld VOC gas analyzers,
- Landfill gas analyzers,
- Portable compressed air purity analyzers,
- Laser particle counters for compressed air purity measurements,
- Gas leak detection online monitoring systems,
- Dust samplers and industrial dust analysers,
- Portable dust monitors,
- Asbestos detectors,
- Heavy metal detectors.
Occupational Health and Safety
We supply the following mine related occupational health and safety equipment and safety clothing items;
- Cooling vests,
- Escape hoods,
- Escape breathing apparatus,
- Chemical resistant gloves,
- Coveralls with respirator fit hoods,
- Gas masks,
- Escape respirators,
- Work suits,
- Safety vests,
- Helmets (with headlamps),
- Ear muffs,
- Ear plugs,
- Dust coats,
- Gas tight suits,
- Mercury badges,
- Powered respirator protective suits (PRPS),
- Respiratory and chemical protective suits,
- Pocket radiation detectors,
- Personal radiation indicator badges,
- Personal radiation monitors,
- Extended response suits (ERS),
- Chemical protection suits,
- Emergency escape breathing devices,
- Biological safety suits,
- Full facepiece respirators,
- Combination supplied air and air purifying respirators,
- Powered air purifying respirators (PAPR),
- Flammable and toxic gas detectors,
- First responder respirators (FRR),
- Full facepiece reusable respirators,
- Hood powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) systems.
Metal Detectors and Treasure Hunters
Every treasure has a story to tell. We offer a range of high-quality metal detectors, that can be used to explore the past and uncover the treasures that lie beneath the surface. Adventurers and prospectors use our metal detectors to explore archaeological and historical treasures, which lead them to caves, ancient rooms, corridors, and underground passages.
Our wide range of metal detectors and treasure hunters can be used by archaeologists to detect gold, buried treasures, and ancient antiquities, with a search radius of up to 3,000m, and depth of 120m, and offer up to 6 languages. These are used to detect a number of items, among them;
- Caves,
- Tunnels,
- Ancient relics,
- Archaeological tombs,
- Voids,
- Ancient artefacts,
- Ancient monuments and statues,
- Gold nuggets and underground gold veins,
- Subterranean diamonds and gemstones,
- Gold coins,
- Ornamental jewellery as bracelets, rings, earrings, etc,
- Gold flakes.
- Ideal for small businesses or startups
- Monthly/Quarterly strategy sessions
- Comprehensive consulting services
- Designed for established businesses
- Full range of consulting services
- Priority email and phone support
