This well-known group of professionals is identified as the Natural Resources Group (NRG) of I2M Consulting, most of whom have worked together at some stage from the late 1960s in consulting or in managing and executing mineral exploration programs in the U.S. and overseas to the present within national consulting companies and the DuPont Environmental Group (DERS). The NRG also provides a range of evaluations involving mining economics, reserve evaluations, market analyses, and associated environmental investigations (see I2M Projects, I2M Mining and other evaluations). The NRG personnel who may be assigned to your projects are listed below.
Over the past 40 years, the development of a variety of natural resources required geologists with training in several subfields. In the 1960s and 1970s, many geologists were trained for serving the specialized needs of the oil & gas industry, the mining industry, and the groundwater supply industry. In addition, many served in roles involving technical regulatory or supporting research functions in state and federal agencies. Some of the I2M Consulting personnel were among the relatively few who were also trained as hydrogeologists not only to serve these industries and agencies but also to serve the growing environmental field. Beginning in the 1970s, groundwater was, and remains today, the central focus of state and federal environmental regulations. Appropriately-trained hydrogeologists served in a range of industrial and state and federal regulatory and supporting research functions.
In the future, the multi-use fields of hydrogeology, environmental geology, and economic geology will play even more important roles in mineral exploration and mining, water supply, and in most environmental assessments. The seasoned professionals at I2M offer clients a sound interdisciplinary perspective to support projects ranging from the development of natural resources (such as uranium (see references for projects), gold (see Brilliant Brumby project advancing in Queensland (here), and other natural resources), reserve analysis and assessment (especially for uranium, gold and industrial minerals) to reviewing the associated environmental issues surrounding most all industrial projects today. The I2M support group is heavily loaded with senior personnel, which provides the client with only experienced individuals to work on their projects at competitive rates.
Below are a few case histories of the major projects undertaken over the years by I2M personnel:
GOLD MINING REMEDIATION PROJECTS:
Tasmania, Australia, Large Tailings Lake Remediation with Significant Gold and Silver: Provided independent assessment of mine tailing from a large base- and precious metal mine to remediate some 11 million tonnes of waste after zinc and lead to be removed by multi-stage processing. The tailings consists of 70% sulfide minerals of pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite galena, chalcopyrite, and tetrahedrite, all of which would oxidize to form acidic mine drainage if allowed to sit in piles open to the atmosphere and oxidizing rainfall. To minimize oxidation, the tailings are currently being stored wiyhin a large engineered lake. Subsequent analysis by I2M personnel of sampling laboratory results showed that significant concentrations of gold and silver are available within the sulfide minerals’ crystalline structures (of arsenopyrite and pyrite) and free gold contained in the submerged tailings. I2M made recommendations based economic modeling for removal and transportation with offsite recovery of the precious metal. After the tailings have been removed from the lake, remediation would likely consist of constructing multiple down-gradient dams to contain the original tailings dam materials. The new lake-water chemistry would be adjusted as before. By physically removing the tailings by dredging while covered by the lake water, this eliminates oxidation of the sulfide minerals. Dredging and treatment of the tailings to create metal concentrates are likely to begin in late 2017 or early 2018.
Đồi Bù District, Hòa Bình Region SW of Hanoi – Independent Evaluation of Gold and Silver Mines, Processing Plant and Environmental Conditions: Conducted onsite independent investigations of operational gold and silver mines consisting of sampling ore working face via adits extending up to 2,500 feet for the purpose of determining if the ore deposits being produced in the two mines visited could support expanded production. And, if the sulfide processing plant located some 25 miles into the valley consisting of primary crusher, floatation system, and cyanide recovery, with filtration polishing, is operational and well maintained. Determined that the tailing pond that received waste from the final filtration circuit had been breached emptying into an adjacent stream (dry season), both locations of which were sampled and the sediments were found to contain very high arsenic, lead, and cadmium concentrations. I2M personnel recommended that a comprehensive follow-up investigation be conducted by taking samples of the stream water (when not dry), associated sediments downstream, adjacent shallow rural water wells and in the area where the subject stream enters the rice paddies in the valley below.
Eureka County, Nevada – Open-Pit Mining and Gold-Silver with Cyanide Heap Leach Recovery System: I2M co-founders (King and Campbell via C,F & B, purchased a mining property from Amselco Mines, Inc. on behalf of a consortium of Norwegian-Italian-Swiss investor groups and served as mine management consultants to the mine owners, conducted extensive fill-in drilling and coring, designed mine plan, designed and constructed 9-mile haul road from the Lookout Mine to pads designed with leaky-pipe cyanide leach system in series with an electrolytic recovery system and smelting to recover precious metal doré. I2M personnel managed day-to-day mining, heap-leaching operations, provided oversight of doré production and transported doré to refinery in Salt Lake City, Utah. Conducted environmental monitoring of groundwater in plant area, and prepared and implemented comprehensive safety program. Also provided liaison with state and federal regulatory agencies. Uncovered, prosecuted and jailed a mine employee for stealing gold from the mine’s gold recovery system, which led to the arrest and prosecution of a large ring of drug dealers in eastern Nevada. Investigations remained open on other mine employees who were potentially involved until the mine closed operations in the late 1980s.
URANIUM MINING, PROCESSING, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
Brooks County, Texas – In-Situ Uranium Solution Mining and Processing: I2M personnel were engaged to conduct a comprehensive independent evaluation of the uranium production system in operation for the purpose of preparing a NI 43-101 report for the client and the Vancouver Stock Exchange and other exchanges. This investigation included a review of the uranium resource drilling and logging data used by mining company to characterize the uranium roll-front orebodies in the primary and secondary zones, and of the processing plant chemical consumption rates, wastewater injection well condition and history, combined with a review of state and federal permits and associated fillings and reports. Conducted comprehensive economic modeling of ore grade, market price, and multi-case sensitivity to potential changes in project conditions.
COAL MINING AND OPERATIONS EVALUATIONS:
Monroe County, Louisiana – Investigations to Address Lignite Beds Disruption During Mining Resulting from Excess Pore Pressure: I2M personnel were engaged to conduct a comprehensive groundwater flow-net analysis of the future mining blocks to determine areas of excess pore pressure causing lignite bed elevation movement as overburden was removed in advance of bucket-wheel mining of lignite. This activity was conducted for the purpose of minimizing mining of underclay that would decrease lignite quality by increasing “ash” levels to the coal stream sent by conveyor to the mine-mouth power plant nearby. 250 groundwater monitoring wells were drilled and installed with designed screen lengths, and logged (both to record lithology and by geophysical logging of gamma, SP and resistivity). Top of well casings were surveyed for elevations and “slab” section flow-net maps and surface elevation maps of anomalous areas were constructed and keyed to master mining maps for future reference by the operator. Results identified mining areas of high-, medium-, and low-pore pressure that were directly related to permeability differences present within the underclay and its thickness. Small-diameter pore-pressure relief wells were installed throughout the areas mapped as exhibiting high-pore pressure. Within 6 months, the local monitoring of pore-pressure (water levels) in wells indicated a marked decrease in pore pressure. Three years later, mine management indicated to I2M that the lignite bed movement after removal of overburden had be reduced to near horizontal, as planned, and that they were moving high-quality lignite to the plant by conveyor now after passing the anomalous areas of the mine.
Wayne County, Utah – Coal Mine and Loading Facility (Green River, Utah): I2M personnel conducted independent assessment in due diligence for funding agencies of the sub-bituminous coal resources present in the shallow subsurface amenable for open-pit mining involving drilling, coring, geophysical logging, mapping of faulted coal beds. Completed calculations of pit-recoverable reserves available for transportation by road 70 miles to a new 25,000 ton stockpile for transferring at a railroad facility with automatic loading for transportation to coal-fired power plants in Las Vegas. I2M personnel determined that coal reserves were approximately 25% of that estimated by project consultant and associated banks who funded fast-tracked project. Investigations concluded that previous evaluations of coal resources were significantly overstated by insufficient drilling in an area of extensive faulting of coal seams.
MAGNETITE MINE PERMITTING:
Queensland, Australia – Magnetite Mine Development License Application Preparation: I2M personnel were selected by an Australian mining company to prepare an MDL application to be submitted to the Queensland government in preparation for mining. I2M personnel (M. David Campbell, P.G.) were relocated to Townsville, Qld. to coordinate and assemble the permit application. The process required 8 months in-country meetings with governmental regulatory agencies, researching requirements, and assembling geological, environmental, and mining data for assessment and description in application documents.
We have Spanish-speaking Associates, Arabic-speaking Associates, French-speaking Associates, Chinese-speaking Associates, Russian-speaking Associates, and even Turkish and Vietnamese-speaking Associates, all available for supporting our projects in countries throughout the world.
For information regarding the I2M Biased Media Against Uranium Mining and Nuclear Power program, see (more).
For additional information on Brownfields, Redevelopment, and Mining Projects see the I2M SOQ that was prepared a few years ago for an overseas project (more). I2M Associates, LLC subsequently separated in two group: I2M Associates, LLC based in Texas (Richard C. Bost, P.E., and I2M Consulting, LLC based in Washington (Michael D. Campbell, P.G., P.H.) (more).
The personnel who may be assigned to your project are listed below:
Direct: 713.248.1708
Fax: 713.807.0985
M. David Campbell, P.G. |
Jeffery D. King, P.G. |
I2M Associates |
Roger W. Lee, Ph.D., P.G. |
Ray Schaefer, P.G. |
James L. Conca, Ph.D. |
David Rowlands, Ph.D., P.G. |
Ruffin I. Rackle, B.S., M.S. |
Victor J. Absolon, Ph.D. |
James A. Saunders, Ph.D., P.G. |
Thomas C. Sutton, Ph.D., P.G. |
Susan Evans, P.G. |
Bruce Rubin, B.S. |
Mustafa Saribudak, Ph.D., P.G. |
Scott Cameron, B. Sc., and B. Env. Sc.(Honors) |
Translators |
Samuel Chong, B.A., M.A. |
Mohammed Njari, A.A. |
Tran Diep, B.A. |
Other I2M Associates are available according to project requirements.
Feel free to contact us to discuss your project needs or to arrange a speaking engagement by one of our Associates for a professional training session, a technical conference, society meeting, or for a graduation ceremony or other function where the knowledge and experience of our Associates may be of interest to your group.
