Mining investors are often faced with lots of technical jargon around Mineral Resource statements. The thoughts in this article, written by Snowden’s Jeremy Peters, are not exhaustive, but are a simple list of things to look for when interpreting these statements. The average investor is often not in a position to critique that Mineral Resource estimate […]
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The most useful optimisation software feature you have probably never heard of
Struggling with which pit shell to select? In this post Snowden Global Manager, Tarrant Elkington, describes a software feature you can use to help you make the decision quickly and consistently. The selection of an ultimate pit shell has always been a key part of the mine planning process. I have seen engineers pore over the […]
Read moreGraphite exploration – not all graphite is created equal
This article was written by Executive Consultant, Andrew Scogings. Flake graphite projects are essentially no different from other mineral exploration projects, which require targets to be ranked before committing to costly drilling, assaying and metallurgical tests. Graphite exploration follows a similar path to other minerals, often from discovery of an outcrop or geophysical anomaly, followed up by methods such […]
Read moreMineral Notes: Barite
This article was written by Executive Consultant, Andrew Scogings. Barite is naturally-occurring barium sulphate that is utilised primarily for its high density, in addition to chemical inertness and relative softness. Its primary use is as a weighting agent for drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration (approximately 70% of global barite consumption) while approximately 15% was used in […]
Read moreMineral Notes: Graphite
This article was written by Executive Consultant, Andrew Scogings. Graphite is an allotrope of carbon and is grey to black, opaque, very soft, has a low density and a metallic lustre. It is flexible and exhibits both non-metallic and metallic properties, making it suitable for diverse industrial applications. Physical properties include specific gravity of 2.2, and Mohs […]
Read moreMineral Notes: Bentonite
This article was written by Executive Consultant, Andrew Scogings. Bentonite is sometimes called the ‘mineral of a thousand uses’ and is characterised by properties such as its ability to swell in water, to act as a ‘natural glue’ or ‘bond’, special rheological properties when added to water (e.g. thixotropy), high surface area and exchangeable cations. These […]
Read moreEOM Reconciliation Bugbears Part 2
This article was written by Snowden’s Mining Consulting Manager, Geoff Booth. From some of the varied comments on my first set of bugbears, I might just have hit a nerve or two with friends and colleagues alike, and all to the good. I suspect it’s not too early to move to the next round of these EOM […]
Read moreCan you optimise a project for IRR?
NPV is a great tool. But used blindly it might not give the outcome you need for your project. This blog, written by Global Manager, Tarrant Elkington, talks about the power of incremental analysis. In project announcements Internal Rate of Return (IRR) tends to take equal, if not greater, importance than Net Present Value (NPV) (perhaps […]
Read moreSo, You Have Optimised NPV. But Is It The Best Solution?
NPV is a great tool. But used blindly it might not give the outcome you need for your project. This blog, written by Global Manager, Tarrant Elkington, talks about the power of incremental analysis. The focus on net present value (NPV) has increased in recent years and the software tools to achieve this are catching up. […]
Read moreWhat are Industrial Minerals?
This article was written by Snowden’s Executive Consultant, Andrew Scogings Industrial minerals – we can’t live without them – but what are they? Although industrial minerals are often viewed as “unglamorous, mundane or rubble” to quote Mike O’Driscoll of IMFORMED, we are surrounded by a huge number of everyday domestic and industrial products that would not exist […]
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