MINING BUDGET CALCULATOR
Most small mines fail because they budget revenue but not the full cost stack. This calculator covers every operating line — equipment, fuel, labour, transport, processing, compliance, maintenance and working capital — so you know cost per tonne before you start.
Categories included
Production assumptions; equipment (excavators, loaders, trucks, drill rigs, crushers, screens, pumps); fuel & lubricants per machine; labour with overtime rules; processing; transport & logistics; compliance & royalties; maintenance & spares; working capital.
Outputs
Total monthly operating cost, cost per tonne mined / processed / sold, revenue per tonne, gross & net margin, monthly P&L, working capital required, break-even tons per month, break-even grade, and cashflow warnings from debtor days.
Worked example
Open-pit copper, 10,000 t/m ore at 1.5 % Cu, 85 % recovery, 96 % payable, $9,200/t: revenue $1.13 m, opex $720 k → margin $410 k, cost/t sold $471, break-even grade 0.95 % Cu.
Key assumptions
- Diesel $1.40/L Southern Africa baseline
- Operator overtime: 1.5× weekday OT & Saturday, 2× Sunday/Holiday
Frequently asked questions
Is the calculator free?
The preview shows the structure and a worked example. Building, saving and exporting your own budget is a Full Access feature.
What templates are available?
Small open-pit copper, gold heap-leach, alluvial gold, manganese DSO, chrome, lithium and generic small-scale templates.