SRK Consulting is pleased to announce the addition of Francisco Raña, Mining Engineer, as Principal Mining Engineer in SRK Chile’s Mining, Resources and Reserves Services group. With more than 20 years of experience in the country, this group has played a key role in delivering technical advisory services to support strategic decision-making in the mining industry.
With over 25 years of experience, Francisco brings an integrated perspective that links mine planning, geomechanics and economic analysis, strengthening the evaluation of resources and reserves, particularly in underground mining projects.
Throughout his career at organizations such as CODELCO and BHP, he has been involved in large-scale projects, with a focus on underground mine design and caving methods, the development of geomechanical models, stochastic analyses and planning optimization.
Regarding his appointment, Francisco commented:
A project can become a robust and sustainable business if informed and traceable decisions are made from the outset. At SRK Chile, we aim to contribute an approach that integrates technical, risk and economic considerations to support consistent decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.”
In this context, he highlighted the importance of reducing uncertainty through predictive models, as well as strengthening planning and sequencing in underground mining—especially in caving operations—and incorporating automation and extraction control to improve operational stability.
Esteban Hormazábal, Managing Director of SRK Chile, stated:
Caving projects are developed over decades and rely on well-planned studies, aligned with established best practices (caving guidelines and mining industry best practices), as well as proper execution from the earliest stages of exploration. Decisions made during initial studies, design and start-up largely determine the performance and success of a caving operation throughout its lifecycle. By incorporating strategic mine planning together with geotechnical risk assessment, it is possible to address the emerging challenges of deep caving operations under adverse in situ stress conditions, which require the proper integration of these disciplines, as provided by SRK Chile."
SRK Chile’s Mining, Resources and Reserves Services group brings together expertise in strategic planning, project development and the preparation of technical reports, supporting clients from early stages in evaluating and defining the pathway to convert resources into reserves.
