Welcome to Clean Mines
Project development specialists: exploration to operation
- rapid development of projects from exploration to operating mine
- constructing and operating processing plants in the range of 100 ktpa to 2.5 mtpa
- development of projects with a mine life between two years and 20 years duration
- base metal, gold, magnetite and industrial mineral projects
- recovery of metals from difficult and refractory ores
- obtaining Government approvals for projects
- offtake agreements, debt, trade and equity financing
- joint ventures in advanced exploration projects
We have dealt with the regulators for legacy projects, base metal mines, quarries, alluvial projects, cyanide gold operations, battery minerals and magnetite in Australia and the Pacific. All our projects meet high levels of environmental management.
Our team is focused on getting the approvals in place and has been involved in the EIA/EIS, Development Application and DA modification, and Mining Lease application process on numerous projects.
We enjoy working with other professionals in our space to achieve outcomes that we all want. For most explorers and for ourselves, that is an operating mine generating cash or an opportunity to exit at a high valuation.
Our team has dealt with regulators ranging from the lowest rungs through to Prime Ministers, Cabinets and other Ministers to achieve approvals for projects.
Small mines can be very successful in their own right, but they can also be very helpful in providing cashflow and proof of concept for a much larger mineralized system. To succeed with small mines requires highly skilled professionals with expertise in this type of operation to be successful. Key elements of professionally developed small mines include:
- mining has a smaller footprint and smaller equipment
- capex is lower
- environmental impact is minimal
- return on investment is often high
- timeframes for return on investment are short
Large scale low-grade projects remain unaffected by the removal of small sections of high grade mineralization – leaving upside intact.
A small mine:
- changes an explorer to a producer and raises market cap
- provides cashflow early on and minimises dilution to existing investors
- changes the capital requirements for developing new discoveries nearby
- changes greenfield to brownfield
- increases the value of nearby discoveries by removing the capex of a new plant from development
- allows for expansion of mine rather than an entirely new operation
- retains upside
- allows explorers to keep focused on what they do best – finding ore
There is a significant difference between paying for a mining operation out of equity rather than out of debt or equipment financing. Equity dilutes returns significantly, whereas debt or equipment finance multiplies returns. Clean Mines has extensive experience in equity and debt financing for projects.
Another option for financing – especially for base metal projects – is forward sales combined with offtake agreements. Clean Mines has established contacts and relationships in this area.
Perhaps you already have these skills in your team and finance in place, in which case Clean Mines can provide a turnkey solution for your processing plant only.
Clean Mines has an experienced team to undertake feasibility studies all the way to BFS. Typically, in a joint venture arrangement Clean Mines will undertake this work in conjunction with planning and funding aspects of the plant and the project.
After the approvals and financing are in place, it is time to get on with building of your mine.
The team has fabricated entire processing plants from CIL and CIP through to flotation and acid leaching. We have also constructed grinding mills, Isamill Style ultrafine mills, flotation cells and high speed centrifuges (Knelson and Falcon style) from scratch. This gives us substantial insight into fabrication and quality assurance. Clean Mines can design, engineer and procure the appropriate matched equipment for the project. Where appropriate, equipment can be constructed on site or fabricated nearby while other equipment will be manufactured overseas and imported. If second hand equipment is required to reduce the build cost, Clean Mines can supervise and undertake refurbishment of the equipment prior to installation.
Likewise, if it has been decided to owner operate the mine, Clean Mines can specify and secure second hand and/or new equipment. We have successfully purchased and used equipment manufactured in China and inspected the manufacturing facilities. Purchasing out of China is often hit and miss with regards to quality. Clean Mines’ team have built relationships with suppliers who build cost effective machinery at a fraction of the price of the key brands in the market.
In the course of a normal project, site infrastructure and initial tailings storage facilities would be constructed during the period between ordering and receiving the plant and equipment. Fabrication of tanks, power lines and access roads to site would also take place during this time. In the event that pre-stripping of the orebody is required, this would also take place and a stockpile of ore would be established.
Once the plant and equipment is on site, it would typically be slotted into place over a month or so, wired up, pipelines run and then commissioned.
It is a rare exploration company that does not need to go back to the market and raise capital to keep going. With a keyhole mine in place, an exploration company becomes a producer and reduces the need to go back to the market. There is a whole lot more you can do with your own money than when you have to repeatedly go back to the market. Especially when your main target is big.
It is often worthwhile to monetize a part of the orebody while you keep your focus on the main game. This can be done in a manner where you retain ownership of the majority of the tenement package without complication while putting much needed cash in your account and building market cap.
The Clean Mines team has extensive experience in dealing with mine rehabilitation and legacy projects. The ideal outcome from a project is to leave it with a better environment than was there previously. Our projects aim to leave sites fully rehabilitated – reducing liabilities and clean up costs for society. This design philosophy goes through the process from beginning to end.
Taking a project from an exploration site to an operating mine is one of the main hurdles for a project. Clean Mines’ team have undertaken or been involved in this process on a number of operations in the Pacific and Australia.
Clean Mines has developed several processes for the treatment of complex and refractory ores. We have also developed dry processes for magnetite recovery. These processes can be used in our processing plants if desirable and appropriate. The team has also done extensive work with gold cyanidation, flotation and acid leaching. Our expertise extends to:
- recovery of gold in the presence of zinc and copper including chalcocite ores
- flotation of zinc, copper and lead ores
- separation of polymetallic ores into clean concentrates and dore bullion
- complex base metal and gold metallurgy
- fine and ultrafine grinding
- CIP and CIL gold recovery
- electrowinning
- solvent extraction and resin recovery
- clay minimisation and separation
- flocculation, settling and paste thickening
- AMD generating tailings management
- crushing circuits and integration with the mining fleet
One thing people sometimes forget about is getting their product from mine to market. Clean Mines has expertise in specifying logistics and getting concentrates and other products from the mine to the market. This includes factors such as drying, loading and weighing concentrates, road transport to port, ship loading etc. Of course, we are also familiar with secure freight of precious metals from minesite to refinery.
Freight and logistics is an expensive and often overlooked aspect of developing a project. The cost of freight can often exceed the cost of the item being transported. Likewise, transporting heavy equipment from one place to another can quickly rack up the costs. A delay here or there and costs climb rapidly. Air freight is also another potential minefield. Often quoted costs for airfreight can vary by 400% to 1200%.
One of the other elements of freight and logistics is timing. A consignment from China to the Pacific can take six weeks or it can take six months. The six month route is often more expensive than the six week route.
Clean Mines has extensive experience, expertise and knowledge in this area and have transported heavy equipment around the world – often to extremely remote locations.
Our projects are all focused on a sustainable and environmentally friendly outcome. Many projects are located in degraded environments and have legacies of acid mine drainage, devegetation and other environmental impacts. Our skilled team have years of designing projects that incorporate environmental management and rehabilitation into the design of the project from the beginning. Oftentimes, this results in a better environment than the one existing prior to the project starting.
With small mines designed properly, there should be very little risk to the environment, flora or fauna. Not least because the spatial extent of the project is small.
Safety is an important aspect of all businesses today. Our team has worked successfully within this environment for decades. We strongly value the people who work with us and their lives and health. Our projects are designed, constructed and operated from the beginning with an ethos of safety built in.
Representatives in:
Canberra
- Bendigo
Due to the large amount of spam and marketing phone calls, we do not provide our phone contact details on this website.
In the first instance, please email us and we will respond quickly by phone or email.