Mining & Mineral Exploration
Mine Planning, Design and Feasibility Studies
A programme in the stages of mining feasibility studies, mine planning principles, geotechnical risk evaluation and geotechnical design, open-pit and underground mine design, and economic evaluation, with case studies from gold, coal and metal mines such as lead and zinc, iron and copper.
Overview
About the programme
Duration
4 days
Delivery
Training venue · At the organisation's premises
Language
Arabic or English
Objectives
Training outcomes
- Understand the stages of feasibility studies (scoping, pre-feasibility and definitive) and their role in the investment decision.
- Apply mine planning principles and convert the resource model into reserves through the modifying factors.
- Evaluate geotechnical risk through rock mass classification and rock testing, and apply stability principles.
- Understand open-pit design and slope design and optimisation.
- Understand underground mining methods and the design and monitoring of support.
- Carry out economic evaluation: net present value, internal rate of return, capital and operating costs, and sensitivity and break-even analysis.
Content
What the programme covers
Day 1: feasibility and planning
- Feasibility study stages and the level of accuracy expected at each.
- Investment decision-making.
- Mine planning fundamentals: production rate, extraction sequence, stripping ratio and cut-off grade.
- Resource and reserve modelling and modifying factors.
Day 2: geotechnical risk and design
- Rock mass classification (RMR, Q and GSI) and rock testing.
- Stability principles in open-pit and underground mines.
- Ground control systems.
- Instrumentation: microseismic monitoring, extensometers and radar.
Day 3: open-pit mine design
- Pit design, optimal pit limits, phases and haul roads.
- Geotechnical modelling and slope design and optimisation.
- Using design results in the feasibility study.
- Case studies: gold, coal and oil shale mines.
Day 4: underground design and mining economics
- Underground mining methods: sublevel stoping, room and pillar, and cut and fill.
- Support design and monitoring.
- Economic evaluation: net present value, internal rate of return, and capital and operating costs.
- Sensitivity and break-even analysis, followed by the assessment.
Who it is for
Target audience
Mining engineers, mine planners, geologists, geotechnical engineers, project managers, and others in the mining sector who need an integrated understanding of planning, design and feasibility.
Method
Delivery method
Presentations and real case studies in every module, with calculation exercises in geotechnical design and economic evaluation. Delivered in Arabic or English.
Questions
FAQ
Does the programme train on mine planning software?
The programme shows the outputs of design and geotechnical modelling software in the case studies, but does not train on operating a specific package.
How does it differ from Mineral Exploration and Mining Essentials?
The essentials programme is an overview of the mining project life cycle for non-specialists. This programme is for engineers and geologists and goes into feasibility studies, geotechnical design, mine design and economic evaluation.
A programme tailored to your organisation
The duration and topics of the programme are adjusted to the organisation's needs, and it is delivered at its site, in a training hall arranged by the Center, or virtually.