Abstract
There are a number of interested parties active in the minerals industry that
doesn’t fully understand the requirements to explore and develop projects.
These parties are important to the industry, as they will often provide financial
support to mineral projects with the intent of securing the off-take of the metal
concentrate. However, these same individuals are unable to support the
technical aspects of mining to support artisanal and small-scale miners.
This paper provides a methodology to assist potential investors in the area of
exploration and project development. By investigating a number of inputs into
project development, a ranking methodology is proposed to prioritise artisanal
and small-scale mining projects.
The following areas are discussed as a means to rank projects:
• Historical mining method
• Strike and depth of mineralisation
• Thickness and continuity of mineralisation
• Infrastructure
Based on the above criteria potential investors should be better informed as to
which of their projects offers the best opportunity towards development of a
mining operation.