MINING & BENEFICIATION

Creating value and opportunities for the mining industry

The mining industry is faced with a number of challenges including identifying and quantifying suitable reserves, access to energy, access to capital, unique regional socio-political factors and the need to minimise environmental impact.  Future commodity prices are not guaranteed, and any capital investment therefore needs to be resilient to market fluctuations; and risk needs to be carefully managed.

The mining process itself is often in remote areas, is hazardous in nature and there is a strong emphasis on the health, safety and social well-being of the workforce and adjacent communities.  

How we help mining clients

OTC’s multidisciplinary consultants are trusted by our minerals and beneficiation clients for their depth of knowledge and experience.   We work with established mining organisations, as well as entrepreneurs looking to develop new mining opportunities or wanting to improve their existing operations.  As trusted advisors we are able to help these organisations evaluate and optimise their business holistically, solve problems and take advantage of new opportunities.

How we work

Our approach has evolved over many years and our methodology is adaptable to meet our clients’ unique requirements.  We will always ensure that business objectives are translated into project outcomes.  We have developed a comprehensive knowledge base of proven best practices which we use in assignments.

We provide focused advice and solutions to clients from exploration through feasibility, mine/process planning, and production to mine closure. Our consultants have concept-to-completion expertise in the minerals and beneficiation industry. We provide subject matter expertise, process facilitation, project and business advisory support to our clients.

We often take on the role of owner representative and/or as members of a project team together with developers, financiers, contractors and operators to optimise and deliver on shared business objectives.    We also have an extensive network of strategic partners and alliances which can be quickly drawn on to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Mining services

Resource Management strategies, plans and oversight:
  • Exploration programmes.
  • Geological studies.
  • Reserve estimation.
Project Evaluation and Development Studies:
  • Marketing.
  • Opportunity assessment.
  • Desktop-, Conceptual-, Pre Feasibility- and Feasibility Studies.
  • Independent project-,  operational-,  and peer reviews
Mine planning and mine development support:
  • Mine design
  • Optimisation  studies
  • Mine scheduling
  • Performance parameters design
Mineral Processing studies and support
  • Early to final process and flowsheet design 
  • Process optimisation
Logistics and Infrastructure strategies and plans
  • Water management and hydrogeology.
  • Waste management, recycling and processing.
  • Utility and power management.
  • Outbound and inbound logistics.
Human resource management
  • Corporate social responsibility (CSR) / Social Labour Plan (SLP)
  • Communication strategies and associated tools
  • Team wellness and link with safety risk management
SHERQ strategies and plans
  • Mine safety and occupational health.
  • Environmental management.
  • Stakeholder management.
  • Risk management.

OTC and our consultants have extensive experience in:

  • Managing projects (small to mega) on behalf of owner organisations in  mining and beneficiation.
  • Various fields such as Gold, PGMs, Base Metals, Coal, Cement, Lime, Ready-mix and Fly Ash, Mineral Sands mining and related processing facilities.
  • Underground-, conventional-, mechanised and, open pit mining, shaft systems, shaft sinking and related processing facilities.
  • Green- and brownfields mining projects, covering all aspects from resource reviews, mine designs and business plans.
  • Mining resource reviews, feasibility studies and due diligence reviews.
  • Extensive experience in the managing and operation of mines.
  • Coal to Liquids prefeasibility, feasibility studies and projects in South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, India and China.
  • Various Audits on mining businesses and projects, including safety and environmental aspects.
  • Coal-based methane gas field development and gas to power facilities.
  • SHERQ strategies and plans: Audits, reviews, risk assessments, EIA’s, EMP’s and safety.

It is an absolute pleasure to work with OTC. Hugely competent, very experienced and great people too.

Johan Posthumus

CEO, PRANA Energy

MINING INSIGHTS