Mining Project Development and Capital Project Management Course

Course Introduction

The Mining Project Development and Capital Project Management Course provides a comprehensive framework for developing, evaluating, financing, planning and delivering mining investments from early exploration and concept selection through construction, commissioning and operational handover. It examines the technical, financial, environmental, regulatory and organizational dimensions of mining projects, including open-pit and underground mines, mineral processing plants, tailings storage facilities, water management systems, power infrastructure, access roads and supporting facilities. Participants develop the knowledge and practical skills required to translate mineral resource opportunities into investment-ready projects with clearly defined scope, realistic capital requirements and sustainable operating objectives.

Mining projects operate in environments characterized by geological uncertainty, commodity price volatility, long development timelines, substantial upfront investment and complex stakeholder expectations. Project outcomes depend on the reliability of resource estimates, mining methods, metallurgical performance, infrastructure availability, permitting approvals and access to capital. This course explores how organizations assess these variables when screening opportunities, comparing development options and determining whether a project is technically feasible, commercially attractive and operationally achievable. Participants examine the relationships between geological confidence, mine design, production assumptions, capital intensity, operating costs and investment risk, with emphasis on making disciplined decisions before committing significant resources.

A major component of the programme focuses on project studies, engineering development and investment readiness. Participants examine scoping studies, pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, front-end engineering, design maturity and the preparation of robust business cases. The course addresses resource and reserve assumptions, production scheduling, equipment selection, processing plant design, infrastructure requirements, capital cost estimation and project economics. It also considers sensitivity analysis, scenario planning, commodity price exposure, foreign exchange movements, escalation, contingency and financing assumptions. These methods help project teams assess the strength of investment cases, understand uncertainty and communicate the basis for approval decisions to executives, investors, lenders and other stakeholders.

Successful mining capital projects require integrated management of engineering, procurement, construction, contracts, logistics, commissioning and operational readiness. Participants learn how to establish project governance, define scope, structure work packages, develop integrated schedules and control cost, resources, quality and performance. Particular attention is given to remote-site logistics, contractor interfaces, long-lead mining equipment, workforce accommodation, power and water infrastructure, construction productivity and commissioning of complex process systems. The programme also examines risk management, change control, project controls, earned value principles and forecast development to help teams identify deviations early and implement corrective measures before delivery problems materially affect investment outcomes.

Responsible mining development increasingly requires environmental stewardship, community engagement, social performance and strong governance throughout the project lifecycle. The course integrates land access, permitting, biodiversity, water stewardship, tailings management, mine waste, closure planning, climate resilience and community relations into development and execution decisions. It considers the importance of Indigenous Peoples' rights and meaningful stakeholder engagement where applicable, transparent grievance mechanisms, responsible sourcing and alignment with relevant regulatory and financing requirements. Emerging technologies—including digital mine models, remote sensing, drones, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence—are explored alongside cybersecurity, data quality and responsible technology governance to improve project visibility and decision-making without compromising safety or accountability.

By the end of the programme, participants will be better equipped to evaluate mining development opportunities, structure investment-ready projects and manage capital delivery from concept through operational handover. They will understand how to connect technical studies with project economics, governance, procurement, execution planning, risk controls and sustainability requirements. The course supports mining companies, project owners, investors, engineering contractors and public-sector stakeholders seeking stronger capital discipline, more reliable project forecasts, improved execution performance and durable economic and social value from mineral development. It emphasizes that successful project delivery must extend beyond construction completion to include safe commissioning, operational reliability, environmental compliance and long-term benefits realization.

Duration

10 days

Who Should Attend

• Mining project directors and project managers responsible for developing and delivering major capital investments.

• Exploration managers and geology professionals contributing to resource definition and development decisions.

• Mine planning engineers responsible for mine design, production sequencing and development schedules.

• Mining engineers involved in open-pit, underground and associated infrastructure development.

• Metallurgists and mineral processing engineers evaluating plant design and processing performance.

• Capital project development managers coordinating studies, engineering, approvals and investment readiness.

• Project controls managers responsible for cost, schedule, risk and performance monitoring.

• Cost engineers and estimators preparing capital expenditure estimates and financial forecasts.

• Construction managers and site managers coordinating contractors, work packages and site execution.

• Procurement, contracts and supply chain professionals managing equipment, materials and construction packages.

• Finance professionals, investment analysts and corporate planning teams assessing project economics and funding.

• Risk, assurance and internal audit specialists supporting project governance and investment controls.

• Environmental, social and governance professionals overseeing permitting and sustainability commitments.

• Community relations and stakeholder engagement specialists working with local communities and public authorities.

• Tailings, water management, infrastructure and geotechnical specialists contributing to project design and risk control.

• Commissioning, operations and maintenance managers preparing new mining assets for reliable operation.

• Mining consultants and engineering, procurement and construction management contractors.

• Government officials and development finance professionals involved in mining investment assessment and oversight.

• Senior executives and board members responsible for capital allocation and project investment decisions.

• Digital transformation and data analytics professionals supporting technology-enabled mining project delivery.

Course Objectives

• Understand the complete mining project development lifecycle, including exploration inputs, concept selection, feasibility studies, financing, construction, commissioning and operational handover.

• Evaluate mining opportunities by integrating geological confidence, resource and reserve assumptions, mine design, processing performance, infrastructure requirements and market conditions.

• Apply structured screening, scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility study methodologies to assess technical viability, commercial attractiveness and project readiness.

• Develop robust mining project business cases incorporating capital expenditure, operating costs, production assumptions, commodity price scenarios and long-term economic value.

• Establish effective project governance, investment approval processes, decision rights, stage gates and assurance mechanisms suited to mining project complexity.

• Develop integrated project scopes, work breakdown structures, resource plans and execution strategies that align engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning activities.

• Improve capital cost estimation, budget development, contingency planning, schedule forecasting and financial control across mining project delivery phases.

• Apply quantitative and qualitative risk management techniques to address geological uncertainty, construction delays, market volatility, infrastructure constraints and contractor performance.

• Strengthen procurement, logistics, contract administration and supplier management for specialized mining equipment and remote-site construction requirements.

• Integrate environmental permitting, tailings and water management, community engagement, closure planning and responsible mining principles into project decisions.

• Use digital engineering, data analytics, predictive monitoring and responsibly governed AI applications to improve planning accuracy, project visibility and management decisions.

• Improve commissioning, operational readiness, asset handover, lessons learned and benefits realization to ensure that completed mining investments achieve sustainable performance objectives.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Mining Industry Investment and Project Development Fundamentals

• Mining value chains, commodity markets and the strategic drivers of mineral development investments.

• Mining project lifecycle stages from exploration and resource definition to production and closure.

• Differences between greenfield developments, brownfield expansions, sustaining capital and mine replacement projects.

• Project success criteria, capital allocation priorities and alignment between development plans and corporate strategy.

Module 2: Geological Assessment, Mineral Resources and Development Options

• Geological models, exploration results and the role of resource confidence in development decisions.

• Mineral resource and reserve classification principles and their influence on project assumptions.

• Mining method selection, preliminary mine design and comparison of open-pit and underground alternatives.

• Technical uncertainty, data gaps, further investigation requirements and development option screening.

Module 3: Scoping, Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility Studies

• Study objectives, scope requirements and the progression of engineering maturity across development stages.

• Integration of mine planning, metallurgical testing, infrastructure design and environmental baseline studies.

• Feasibility study assumptions, deliverables, independent review and investment-readiness criteria.

• Study risk registers, technical validation, sensitivity analysis and identification of unresolved development risks.

Module 4: Mine Planning, Production Strategy and Technical Design

• Mine design parameters, pit optimization, underground access development and production sequencing.

• Life-of-mine planning, ore and waste movement, equipment requirements and production ramp-up assumptions.

• Geotechnical, hydrogeological and ground-control considerations in mining development planning.

• Integration of mine schedules with processing capacity, maintenance requirements and product delivery commitments.

Module 5: Mineral Processing, Metallurgy and Plant Development

• Metallurgical testwork, ore characterization and selection of appropriate processing technologies.

• Process flowsheets, plant capacity, equipment selection and performance design criteria.

• Tailings systems, water circuits, energy demand and integration of processing infrastructure.

• Metallurgical recovery assumptions, commissioning performance targets and process design uncertainty.

Module 6: Mining Infrastructure and Site Development

• Site selection, geotechnical investigations, access roads and remote-site development requirements.

• Power generation, electrical distribution, fuel supply, telecommunications and supporting utilities.

• Water sourcing, storage, treatment, drainage and infrastructure resilience under variable climatic conditions.

• Camp facilities, logistics hubs, workshops, warehouses and supporting infrastructure readiness.

Module 7: Mining Project Economics and Investment Appraisal

• Capital expenditure, operating cost estimation and life-of-mine financial model development.

• Net present value, internal rate of return, payback period and interpretation of project economic indicators.

• Commodity price forecasts, exchange rates, inflation, royalties, taxation and financing assumptions.

• Scenario modelling, sensitivity analysis, break-even analysis and evaluation of investment downside exposure.

Module 8: Project Governance, Business Cases and Capital Approval

• Mining investment governance structures, project sponsorship and accountability for capital decisions.

• Business case development, investment memoranda and documentation of strategic project assumptions.

• Stage-gate approvals, independent technical reviews and conditions for releasing project funding.

• Capital portfolio prioritization, competing investment demands and alignment with corporate risk tolerance.

Module 9: Engineering, Procurement and Construction Planning

• Engineering execution strategies, design coordination and multidisciplinary interface management.

• Procurement packaging, tender evaluation and selection of engineering and construction delivery models.

• Integrated project scheduling, construction sequencing, resource planning and work package development.

• Remote-site mobilization, contractor logistics, long-lead equipment and construction readiness reviews.

Module 10: Capital Cost Control, Estimating and Budget Management

• Capital estimate development, estimate classification and preparation of documented estimating assumptions.

• Direct and indirect costs, owner costs, escalation, contingency and management reserve principles.

• Budget baselines, expenditure authorizations, purchase commitments and cash-flow forecasting.

• Cost variance analysis, estimate-at-completion forecasting and governance of budget changes.

Module 11: Scheduling, Project Controls and Performance Management

• Integrated schedules linking engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and production ramp-up.

• Critical path analysis, schedule risk assessment, resource loading and milestone performance tracking.

• Physical progress measurement, earned value principles and assessment of contractor performance.

• Management dashboards, forecast reliability, early-warning indicators and corrective action management.

Module 12: Mining Project Risk, Contracts and Supply Chain Management

• Risk identification and assessment for geology, ground conditions, construction, markets and infrastructure.

• Quantitative risk analysis, uncertainty modelling, contingency adequacy and mitigation ownership.

• Contract strategy selection, commercial administration, variations, claims and dispute avoidance.

• Supply chain resilience, equipment availability, supplier quality, freight risks and remote-site logistics planning.

Module 13: Environmental, Social and Responsible Mining Development

• Environmental and social impact assessments, permitting requirements and regulatory approval pathways.

• Tailings governance, mine waste management, water stewardship and biodiversity protection measures.

• Community engagement, local employment, grievance mechanisms and management of social performance commitments.

• Climate resilience, emissions management, responsible sourcing and integration of mine closure considerations.

Module 14: Construction Management, Quality and Operational Readiness

• Site construction supervision, contractor coordination, workforce safety and construction quality assurance.

• Inspection and test plans, nonconformance management and verification of engineering requirements.

• Equipment installation, systems completion, commissioning sequence and readiness verification.

• Operations and maintenance involvement, training, spares planning and transition to operating responsibility.

Module 15: Digital Mining Projects, Analytics and Emerging Technologies

• Digital engineering, three-dimensional models and integrated project information management systems.

• Remote sensing, drone surveys, digital twins and technology-enabled progress verification.

• Predictive analytics and responsible AI applications for cost forecasting, schedule risk and project reporting.

• Cybersecurity, data integrity, access controls and human validation of technology-supported decisions.

Module 16: Project Handover, Benefits Realization and Continuous Improvement

• Final commissioning, performance testing, operational acceptance and completion of outstanding deficiencies.

• Asset registers, maintenance documentation, equipment records and handover of technical information.

• Final accounts, contract closeout, lessons learned and review of project cost and schedule performance.

• Benefits realization, production ramp-up monitoring, closure obligations and improvement of future capital projects.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.