The spend on mining and logistics infrastructure can represent a large percentage of overall project capital expenditure, particularly for bulk commodity or remote projects. For metals and concentrate producing operations, the percentage may be smaller and be more focused on specific elements such as power but will still be crucial to project success.
Some of the key issues in this regard relate to transport corridors, shared mining infrastructure, and consideration of logistics and utility supply strategies. Mining projects requiring extensive transport corridors and access to deep water have associated investments ranging into the billions of dollars. Where production rates and geography allow, less capital-intensive options are proposed but sometimes at the expense of increased operating costs...
