Project Spotlight
Empire Iron Mining Partnership
Life of Mine Plans
Michigan, United States
Challenge: Empire Mining was not achieving ore blend and budgeted cost targets at its Michigan open-pit iron ore mine. This client needed to develop an approach to optimize the mining of the remaining reserves at the operation.
Solution: Marston developed a new mine model and using Whittle optimization techniques produced a series of pit alternatives and productivity scenarios. This provided Empire Mining with a new mining sequence plan resulting in significant productivity and mining economic improvements.
Confidential Steel Client
Identification of Iron Ore Deposits
North America
Challenge: A major steel manufacturing company required identification and prioritization of North American iron ore deposits and prospects that were in close proximity to coal deposits or existing coal mining operations.
Solution: Marston first identified all iron ore deposits and prospects near to coal deposits in Canada, the United States, and Mexico; secondly, conducting detailed analysis of ownership, environmental, and resource evaluations of opportunities located in the western U.S. Marston’s analysis lead to prioritization of the opportunities and to conceptual level studies.