A potash client journey

CLIENT JOURNEY

From mandate to mandate

Some relationships run the whole arc of a development. This one runs from a definitive study mandate, through scoping work on the wider complex, to the environmental assessment of the exploitation phase now being negotiated.

The study mandate

Engaged under a multi-million-euro mandate to deliver the Definitive Feasibility Study for a potash (carnallite) solution-mining development in Central Africa: contracted to AACE Class 1 accuracy on capital cost, with operating- and energy-cost estimates held to the same contractual accuracy requirement; well-field and cavern design; long-term creep, triaxial and shear geomechanics with a full rock-mechanics model; complete plant engineering including HAZOP, P&IDs and single-line diagrams; and investment-grade economic evaluation.

The wider complex

Prepared the scoping-level techno-economic study (AACE Class 5) for a US$2.2-billion potash-magnesium complex concept on the Central African coast: 2 Mtpa of muriate of potash with salt, magnesia and magnesium-metal co-products, integrated mine-to-port infrastructure (rail, roads, high-voltage transmission, cogeneration and dedicated port facilities), over an exploration target defined from six drill holes and extensive 2D/3D seismic surveys. (The target is conceptual in nature: there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource, and it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in one.)

Toward exploitation

Scoped to deliver the complete Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for a potash solution-mining development advancing toward its exploitation phase in Central Africa, spanning physical, biological and socio-economic baselines, impact assessment, the environmental and social management plan and the stakeholder-engagement plan, to national EIA law, the IFC Performance Standards 1 to 8, Equator Principles (EP4) and ICMM mining principles.