BGC's mining team offers a comprehensive range of services for the industry covering every phase of mining. We have worked on a wide variety of mineral, metal and coal mines located in diverse project settings and environments. Our technical expertise is broad ranging, and we have successfully completed many mining assignments in the following principal areas:

Environment and Permitting
Site Characterization
Geotechnical Designs
Mine Engineering
Overview and Detailed Geohazard and Risk Assessments
Integrated Cost Estimating
Construction Quality Control and Assurance
Review and Risk Assessment
Closure Planning

BGC's mining and geotechnical engineers are reputed for their common-sense science based approach and have delivered innovative, practical, and cost-effective solutions to our mining clients.

The following principal services are offered for your projects:

Environmental and Permitting

BGC provides geo-environmental and hydrotechnical services to complement our core geotechnical and mining engineering expertise. These services are aimed at new projects that require base-line environmental assessments, water quality, and ARD assessments for permitting. Our engineers and scientists are well-versed in the permitting needs of mining projects and have prepared permit application documents in a number of jurisdictions and on a number of projects.

In contrast to companies that solely provide environmental expertise, BGC's environmental services are stronger, more comprehensive as a result of our fundamental understanding of mining and our practical expertise from projects completed around the world.

Site Characterization

From detailed air photo interpretation to designing and implementing effective field programs, BGC can provide the foundation for well-defined site characterization. This important step in the assessment of project alternatives is frequently overlooked or taken too lightly during the pre-development phase -- often to the detriment of project economics. The selection of an optimal location, and subsequent design of key infrastructure, impacts on overall project risks and economics; our approach is to optimize the alternatives for the big-picture by thoroughly understanding the site.

Geotechnical Designs

Geotechnical designs for the mining industry have been the core of our mining services to date. BGC's engineers have a solid grounding in the design requirements for a variety of structures, foundations, slopes and excavations. We are known for providing practical geotechnical alternatives for development and operations.

State-of-the-practice designs are analyzed using computer models to calculate and demonstrate stability and estimated factors of safety. In conjunction with our depth of experience on a wide variety of projects and geotechnical conditions, we offer design services for the following:

Infrastructure and plant-site foundations
Access roads and water, fuel and concentrate pipelines
Tailings impoundments
Waste dumps
Open pit, and Underground openings
Surface and subsurface water management

From conceptual to final designs, we offer complete project services including reporting, specifying, and preparation of design drawings.

Mine Engineering

BGC offers mine design and engineering services that are integrated with our geotechnical and geo-environmental knowledge and expertise. We have dubbed this our common-sense approach to mine design, and it ensures that the overall project objectives are met. In contrast to mining projects that suffer from a lack of insight and diligence, we have often exceeded the design and operating objectives of our clients with big-picture thinking.

Our mining engineers and geologists can provide open pit and underground designs based on drill data, geologic interpretation and block models. We use state-of-the-art computer software for pit optimization and underground design. Scheduling of production and innovative ways of developing the mine are also key components to delivering effective mine plans.

Integrated Cost Estimating

With a depth of hands-on experience and understanding of the mining industry, BGC can provide accurate project costing for a variety of mining tasks. From underground and open pit mining to earthworks construction, we have provided reliable cost estimates for projects at various stages of engineering, development and operations.

Construction QA/QC

Providing construction quality control and assurance requires a thorough knowledge of the design and specifications, particularly for geotechnical constraints on a project when a practical, experienced-based approach is needed to ensure the project is completed on time and on budget.

BGC's engineers have "hands-on" experience with mining and heavy civil projects involving complex earthworks, geosynthetics, rock excavations, stabilization, pile foundations, and concrete structures.

Review and Risk Assessment

Over the past several years, BGC has developed a comprehensive risk assessment service for the mining industry. Merged with our geotechnical expertise based on a large number of projects, risk assessment can highlight problem areas for operators in advance of serious impacts and significant costs. Our work at a number of operations has demonstrated valuable improvements and minimized overall project and operating risk for companies.

Closure Planning

Closure planning is a mandatory component of any mine plan and is required for mine permit applications in most jurisdictions. BGC provides closure planning services for integration with mine planning. By integrating this service, we can minimize costs for operations and reduce the overall long-term impact of the project. A good closure plan is one that fits with the big picture; it recognizes the geotechnical, geo-environmental, and hydrotechnical character of the site and effectively schedules the development of facilities to be practically reclaimed.