MINING BUDGETING
Build a realistic mining budget before you start production. Most small mines fail because they calculate revenue but never properly budget all operating costs — equipment, fuel, labour, transport, explosives, maintenance, security, administration, royalties and working capital. MetalPulse fixes that.
Why budgeting kills small mines
Revenue is easy: tonnes × grade × price. Cost is hard, because it has 100+ line items spread across 9 categories, and the small ones (tyres, GET, insurance, accounting) quietly eat the margin. A 'profitable' mine on a one-page model often loses cash from month one.
What MetalPulse budgets cover
Nine categories, every line item:
- Production assumptions (tpd, strip ratio, grade, recovery, payable, price)
- Equipment (excavators, loaders, dozers, ADTs, drills, crushers, screens, conveyors, pumps, service trucks, light vehicles)
- Fuel & lubricants per machine (diesel, petrol, oils, grease, hydraulic oil, filters)
- Labour with SA/Namibia overtime rules (1.5× weekday OT & Saturday, 2× Sunday/holiday)
- Processing (crushing, milling, DMS, flotation, reagents, water, power, assays, wear parts)
- Transport & logistics (mine-to-plant, plant-to-port, cross-border, port, clearing, permits, escort)
- Compliance & admin (licence, environmental, royalty, levies, insurance, accounting, legal, office)
- Maintenance & spares (tyres, GET, crusher liners, screens, belts, bearings, welding, PM, breakdown)
- Financing & working capital (supplier credit, debtor days, interest, cash buffer, pre-production capex)
What you get out
Total monthly opex, cost per tonne mined / processed / sold, revenue per tonne, gross & net margin, monthly P&L, working capital required, break-even tonnes per month, break-even grade, and a cashflow warning if your debtor days create funding pressure.
Frequently asked questions
Who is this for?
Small mine owners, mining contractors, investors evaluating ASM deals, off-take buyers doing supplier due diligence, and mining consultants building feasibility numbers.
Is it free?
Page content and the worked example are free. Building, saving and exporting your own budget is a Full Access feature.
Which mines does it cover?
Open-pit copper, gold heap-leach, alluvial gold, manganese DSO, chrome, lithium and generic small-scale templates.