Paper for the AusIMM/CMI International Mine Management Conference, Melbourne, October 2006
Even though the industry spends one third of its exploration dollars on minesite / brownfield activities, very little has been written on the topic of how to best manage this activity.
The paper discusses the strategic decisions associated with brownfield exploration – in terms of the business cycle and lifecycle of the mine itself. It provides a methodology for companies to prioritise their project portfolio, set timelines, measure performance and determine when ongoing exploration should end (due to depleting resources). It also includes a case study on the Kambalda nickel camp.