Mining Engineering

Mine Planning, Process Plant Design, Construction Management, and Operations Optimization

Our experts at EARTHRES specialize in mining engineering, beginning with exploration and lasting throughout the entire life of your operation. We provide our clients with technical and regulatory expertise to obtain and maintain federal, state, and local permits for a new or existing mine site. Our engineers are committed to designing your operation with the health and safety of your workers in mind.

Mining Engineering and Geologic Services

• Mine design and permitting for new mines and expansions
• Exploration and reserves estimation
• Mine planning and operations optimization
• Process plant design
• Hydrogeologic balance assessments and pump tests
• Slope stability and high wall investigations
• Groundwater modeling and zone of influence
• Reclamation and rehabilitation plans
• Beneficial re-use strategies
• Expert testimony and litigation
• Mine surveying using a variety of technologies such as reflectorless total station, 3D scanning, and drones
• Air permitting
• Wetlands delineation
• Mine reclamation fill (clean fill) permitting

Mineral Processing Engineering Services

New Plant Design:

• Evaluate deposit for proper equipment selection
• Design plant to maximize product mix and production

Existing Operation:

• Evaluate & audit plant
• Make recommendations to increase production

Our 3D scanning provides as-built drawings of your facility with precise measurements and pictures, allowing you to make quicker and better-informed decisions for future expansions or maintenance. Having these plans allows:

• Alternative analyses for improvements
• Understanding of how to create a new higher revenue operating system
• Development of plant upgrade scenarios by modeling different options in Autodesk^® AutoCAD^® 3D software
  

  3D Surpac Model

However, to be the most successful with the process control instrumentation, we need to make sure the plant evaluation includes:

• Complete mass balance development
• Field flow measurement: belt cuts, flow meters, density
• Unit analysis and performance evaluation: crushers, screens, cyclones, dryers, classifiers, mills, flotation, calciners, magnets, feeders, and conveyors
• Flowsheet development
• Prioritization of projects based on ROI
• Project management and implementation

Exploration and Feasibility

• Geologic assessment sampling/drilling
• Bench testing
• Analytical and application testing
• Market and economic assessment

Engineering and Construction

• Process flow sheet design and pilot studies
• Detailed engineering and construction oversight

Operations and marketing

• Plant optimization
• Plant design
• Operator training
• Quality assurance

Minerals Marketing Consulting Services

• Valuation of new mineral deposits and existing operations
• Market assessments and feasibility studies
• Mining, processing, and marketing expertise to lower costs
• Business planning, operations management, and strategic planning
• Mergers and acquisitions due diligence
• Technical feasibility studies (i.e., lab, pilot, and applications testing)
• Identifying new high-value mineral products
• Strategies to meet customer needs at the lowest possible cost