With its unique advantages, Surgical Mining™ presents a significantly more appealing mining method than conventional underground mining for many deposits. 

• Time to Ore- Development & Permitting 
• Project Economics 
• Environmental Impact & Safety 

Permitting 

The average permitting timeline for a new mine, according to the International Energy Agency, is about 16 years. Lengthy permitting timelines can often be contributed to environmental and social impacts of large-scale mining operations, this includes evaluating potential impacts on air, water, soil, and biodiversity as well as tailings management and storage. 

Unlike conventional underground mining, Surgical Mining™ has a tiny footprint, along with minimal water discharge, no blasting and significantly less waste.  This impacts a variety of environmental and community concerns that often lead to long permitting periods. In addition, many small mining provisions exist around the world that allow miners to reduce the number of studies and technical reports that would otherwise be needed for larger scale projects.  

Minimal Development/Low CAPEX 

Underground mines require significant planning and infrastructure before they are brought into production. In addition to the large CAPEX requirements, this process can take years before a mining company is able to generate cashflow from a project. In contrast, Surgical Mining™ leverages conventional drilling equipment, allowing mining companies to start producing ore almost immediately. Capital is also movable, allowing miners to bring the equipment to other projects.  

Project Economics 

The difference is mainly due to the development and capital required to install an underground mine, which impacts NPV and IRR. This also provides an opportunity to mine deposits that would be too small to justify the infrastructure of conventional underground mining. 

Overview Cost Comparison  

Illustrative representations of UG long hole stoping versus Surgical Mining. Underground economics and modeling provided by Mayhew Performance, a 3rd party mining engineering consultant.(All amounts in $CAD) 

Surgical Vs. Underground (NPV by Tonnes) 

Projects from 250k tonnes to 800k tonnes were assessed to see the differences in NPV based on deposit size. Smaller deposits generally do not justify the infrastructure and development costs, making them uneconomic to mine using conventional underground m

ethods and resulting in negative NPV. Novamera’s Surgical Mining, in contrast, requires minimal initial capital and provides high economic returns for deposits of all sizes.  

Surgical vs Underground (NPV to CAPEX Ratio) 

The NPV/CAPEX Ratio compares the additional value created over the project’s life to the costs that will need to be incurred.​ 

* Illustrative representation of UG long hole stoping versus surgical mining. 

Surgical vs Underground (IRR) 

Mining companies use IRR to assess the attractiveness of various projects.​Novamera’s Surgical Mining provides a positive IRR for smaller projects that would otherwise be uneconomic, particularly for narrow vein deposits.​ 

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An industry hurdle rate of 15% is generally used to determine whether projects are economical, allowing Surgical Mining to open thousands of deposits that would otherwise produce IRRs below the acceptable threshold.      

Environmental and Safety  

• No Blasting – Surgical Mining™ by drilling requires no blasting. Therefore, all environmental and social issues related to blasting, such as dust, vibration and toxic fumes, at mine sites are eliminated.  This radically reduces the impacts on local eco systems and migration patterns of local wildlife. 

• Lower Noise – Noise levels of the drills are lower than trucks and shovels using in conventional mining. Some of the loudest noise levels in the conventional mining industry, at approximately 116 decibels, has been recorded near the operator’s compartment of large pneumatic or hydraulic drills.  The Surgical Mining™ process doesn’t use impact to break rock but rolling cutters to induce cracks and spalling, and air released under a water column to lift and transport broken rock.    

• Zero-Entry Mining– The process keeps miners safe by eliminating the need for them to be in hazardous conditions underground, significantly reducing the chances of accidents and injuries while still allowing them to access valuable resources from the safety of the surface.   

• Tailings Storage Reduction – The open holes from where ore is extracted are used as landform tailings facilities. More than 60% of the material removed from the hole can be returned to the hole.  

• Faster Land Revitalization and Reuse – The Surgical Mining™ process backfills the holes, allowing for continuous reclamation, allowing communities to repurpose the land faster.  

• Minimal Water Discharge– The surgical mining process uses a closed loop system, so it recycles water requiring only 75,000 litres of water to run the system. This reduces the need for water treatment throughout the life of the project.   

Interested in seeing the returns for your project? Get in touch with a member of our team.