Engineering Services

Mineral Resource and Reserve Estimates

Mineral Resource and Reserve Estimates provide an estimate of the grade and tonnage of a mineral deposit. Exploration data, especially diamond drill hole data, is used to create a three dimensional model of a mineral deposit, which is then analyzed using statistical tools to produce the estimate. MineTech engineer Doug Roy has a strong background in geostatistics and resource estimation, and has produced resource estimates for many years.

Resource Estimates are generally used for exploration-stage deposits. After Resource Estimates go through a positive preliminary economic assessment or scoping study, a Reserve Estimate can be written.

Resource and Reserve estimates are frequently written to 43-101 standards (with an accompanying 43-101 F1 technical report).

Resource and reserve estimates typically cost between $US40,000 and $US100,000 and take 1-3 months to complete.

Mine Design

Given a digital model of an orebody and a set of expected market conditions, MineTech staff can create optimal pit shells for orebodies. Using a process similar to that used for resource and reserve estimates, a digital model of the orebody is created and then analyzed in software to produce the pit shell. This provides information about the grade and tonnage that can be expected from a deposit should it go into production. Pit shells are often used as part of larger feasibility studies

In 2010, as part of a larger feasibility study, MineTech staff designed an open pit mine for a greenstone gold property in northern Ontario, Canada (see the video in the sidebar).

Mineral Processing / Metallurgical Test Work and Design

Metallurgists working through MineTech can develop mineral process test regimes to establish real-world recovery levels of unknown ores and optimize recovery in existing mills. Testing is done in a laboratory setting with sample sizes of 100-200kg used for detailed process design. Results from tests can be used in the feasibility and operations phases of mine life.

In 2009-2010, as part of a larger scoping study, MineTech provided a proposal for mineral processing research for an exploration-stage property. The proposal described three different mineral processing research options, and included preliminary mill flowsheets.