Summary

This review describes contract mining with a focus on the companies and procedures that are employed and active in providing services to mine and ore body owners ranging from ore extraction through milling to waste disposal. The review examines current practice in Australia, South Africa, USA, and Canada.

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INTRODUCTION

This quote from the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s Ninth Underground Operators Conferences justifies this review:

The Australian underground contract mining industry has grown from almost nothing 25 years ago to the point today where half the country’s underground mines are using contractors to produce their ore and do their development. This growth was driven by the need to change poor industrial relations and work practices in sectors of the industry, along with the needs of many small gold mine owners to preserve their capital by using contractors to do their mining.

To this end, the Institute for International Research is sponsoring the Contract Mining 2006 conference in Brisbane (See the Infomine Events calendar). Attendees will discover how to combat these issues associated with contact mining:

• skills, shortages, and staffing
• relationship management
• performance and management systems
• best practice cost efficiencies
• equipment supply shortages
• risk profiling
• surviving beyond the boom
• overcoming barriers to innovation

Contract Mining appears to be thriving in Australia, but how is it faring elsewhere? Let us review. We do this by surveying what is available free and freely on the internet. Sadly the upcoming conference in Australia will cost you thousands to attend; even the printed proceedings will cost you $550. So we will just have to wait for the memes from the conference to seep into the industry and general conscience before we can benefit from them.