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Project Management | Mine Design, Planning and Engineering, and Operating

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The MERCC service offering comprise project management, mine design, planning and engineering and operating of mining activities of any shape or form.

1. Project Management

MERCC specialises in green field implementation projects and has the flexibility to integrate with the client team during project implementation, as well as to conduct site-based management. Contracts may be carried out as turnkey or as Construction Management projects.

MERCC project management capability extends to the following services:

• Scope planning, definition and control
• Schedule development
• Resource planning, cost estimating / budgeting
• Procurement planning, execution and control
• Cost control and analysis
• Risk management planning and control
• Safety management planning and control
• Quality planning and control
• Communications planning and execution (performance reporting)
• Human resources planning and control
• Project integration management

MERCC provides project control services able to deliver projects on track, on time and in budget. We integrate planning, scheduling, cost control and status reporting functions to simplify project management and administration.

2. Mine Design, Planning and Engineering, and Operating

Approach to open pit mining and surface mining aspects

MERCC personnel have strong operational and technical background and have gained substantial experience in mines employing a multitude of mining methods, exploiting all commodities on more than one continent. As a result, MERCC's solutions and advice are not only practical and workable, but take account of appropriate geotechnical, hydrogeological, economic and environmental considerations.

Our services cover scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies as well as economic evaluations, detailed mine design and layouts, production scheduling and equipment selection, operating cost estimates and capital expenditure estimates.

MERCC employs an innovative and rigorous mine planning methodology that results in a comprehensive technical report inclusive of the life-of-mine plan and techno-economic model for any given mineral resource. The methodology focuses on pit optimisation to determine the cut-off strategy, economic mining depth, size and scale of operation. We are dedicated to identify the best option for project development and produce client-focused solutions to technical challenges.

With the growing need to bring projects into production more quickly and on budget, we can accelerate the process for mining companies by supplying quality consultants associated with MERCC to supplement the client's own technical resources to achieve the desired outcomes within the project timeframe. Our personnel will ensure appropriate decisions to guide project development and are committed to reviewing aspects of project advancement which can be done in parallel to minimise the risk of any rework.



Specific Services offered in respect of open pit mining and surface mining aspects/operations:

• The full range of studies from scoping to detailed feasibility
• Mine planning reviews and technical audits
• Development and implementation of optimal mining strategies
• Operational assistance, reviews and improvements
• Financial evaluations
• Risk analyses
• Project reviews
• Due Diligence Investigations
• Reclamation of surface sand, slime and rock dumps.
• Demolishing and rehabilitation of processing plants.
• Opencast operations - drilling, blasting, loading and hauling.
• Rehabilitation of slime and sand dumps
• Loading and transport
• All labour hire for above as required by mine
• Actual physical mining
• Carrying out all of the above as mine contractors to deliver the desired product on time and at the agreed price

Approach to underground mining

The MERCC methodology focuses on understanding the complete mining context or characteristics of the deposit. This understanding is fundamental to select the appropriate mining method and establish a robust mine plan. The design of stoping blocks using the appropriate cut-off grades and minimum mining widths is followed by optimised production and development scheduling. All mine design and schedule opportunities are left open until an optimised plan is defined.

We recognise the constant need to match changing commodity prices and capital costs with appropriate responses from mining operations: reduction in operating and/or capital costs when prices fall, and increasing capacity when prices rise. We also understand the socio-economic implications of mining operations and address these in our strategic planning.

We are focused on producing mine designs and schedules that make the most effective use of mine capital, in both short and longer term time frames. We can assist companies to optimise the transition from open pit to underground mining by offering a thorough analysis of the appropriate cross-over depth as well as presenting highly mechanised and often automated solutions.

Whether optimising an existing operation or deciding how to extract a new deposit, MERCC can help to ensure that appropriate solutions are understood and implemented.



Specific Services offered in respect of Underground Mining:

• Mining methods selection
• Complete mine design
• Development and production scheduling including sequence optimisation
• Geotechnical characterisation
• Ground support system design
• Equipment selection
• Engineering studies (from scoping to feasibility)
• Drill and blast design
• Strategic planning: cut-off grade and production rate analysis
• Fragmentation analysis and draw control for caving operations
• Backfill system design
• Risk analysis and management
• Due Diligence Investigations
• Ventilation system design
• Operational review and assistance
• Incline shafts and incline service way
• Incline shaft sinking and equipping.
• Rehabilitation of service inclines and equipping of inclines.
• Vertical shaft support and equipping.
• Shaft restoration and equipping.
• All labour hire for above as required by mine.
• Stoping operations
  • Ledging operations
  • All stoping operations
  • Stope cleaning conventional and water jetting
  • Longhole stoping
• All labour hire for above as required by mine
• Actual physical mining
• Carrying out all of the above as mine contractors to deliver the desired product on time and at the agreed price

General Mining aspects

• Development operations
  • All development operations
  • All development cleaning operations
  • All development support and cleaning operations include flat and incline development
  • Labor hire for mining and mining engineering.
• Support
  • Meshing and lacing.
  • Shotcreting /Guniting.
  • Installation of long anchors - grouted and pre-stressed.
  • Installation of timber and steel support in all areas.
  • Installation of grouted support in stope panels.
• Rehabilitation
  • Opening-up and rehabilitation of all areas.
  • Ore pass rehabilitation.
  • Sweepings and vamping
  • Stope face sweepings.
  • Stope vamping of gullies and ore passes.
  • Vamping of incline and flat ends.
  • Vacuum cleaning / vamping.
  • Labour hire for all sweepings and vamping operations.
• Reclamation
  • Reclamation of all equipment and stores from all areas.
  • Labor hire for all reclamation operations.
• Equipping
  • All stope and stope panel equipping
  • All development equipping.
  • All service ways equipping.
  • Installation and re-grading of tracks and drains.
  • Installation of A to C class rails and drains.
  • Installation and removal of all types of box fronts.
  • Installation of winches.
  • Installation and reclamation of ventalation fans and pipes.
  • Installation and rehabilitation of switches.
  • Installation and reclamation of all electrical cables.
  • Installation of tips and grizzlies.
  • Establishment and construction of battery bays and installation of equipment.
  • Equipping of refuge bays.
  • Equipping of station areas and safety devices.
  • Haulage maintenance and rehabilitation.
  • Labour hire for all equipping operations.
• Labour hire
  • Labour hire for all mining and engineering operations.
• Engineering
  • All mining engineering and services and installations.
  • Construction of chrome plants.
  • Construction of crushing and screening plants.
  • Full turn key construction capability
• All labour hire for above as required by mine
• Actual physical mining
• Carrying out all of the above as mine contractors to deliver the desired product on time and at the agreed price