Case Study - Greenfield Base Metals Feasibility – Modern Mine Technology Scope & Strategy

CLIENT OVERVIEW 

A global mining company was developing a modern underground base metals operation in North America. As part of its feasibility phase, the company sought to define the complete scope of digital and operational technology needed to support a scalable, fully integrated remote-operated mine.

THE CHALLENGE

The client had a strong ambition to design a digitally enabled, future-focused mining operation but required support in shaping and validating the strategy. With a wide array of technology domains to evaluate—spanning mining, processing, infrastructure, business systems, automation, control, and analytics—they sought expert input to define and assess feasible options. A unified approach was needed to guide scope definition and capital planning.

APPROACH

Using Cravern’s deep mining expertise and structured methodology, we engaged stakeholders, reviewed technical intent, and developed a consolidated strategy. This included definition of technology options, operational infrastructure design (surface and subsurface), business system requirements, and a single integrated control and analytics platform. We facilitated market engagement, captured vendor scope, and developed an AACE Class 2 estimate, benchmarked against comparable greenfield projects.

SOLUTION 

The outcome was a clearly defined and scoped technology foundation for a modern mining operation. The plan included options studies for all technology streams, consolidated into a future-ready design for a remote operations centre. The integrated strategy covered automation platforms, ERP alignment, analytics and AI use cases, and data infrastructure. Work packages and budgets were created with vendor-ready clarity and built-in scalability.

IMPACT

The feasibility study delivered a scalable design and cost model, improving investment confidence and ensuring technology alignment with future execution. It gave the client control over capital deployment, enabled technology-driven design decisions, and laid the foundation for a digitally enabled mine built for long-term performance.

Headline Metric or Attention-Grabbing Note
Scope clarity and benchmarking reduced feasibility timeline by 30% and improved capital certainty across all technology domains.