KPMG’s 9

th

 Annual Mining Executive Forum  39

Asset life cycle  

Level of activity 

Time 

Evaluate country 

risks and market

opportunities  

Search for

commercially

exploitable

resources    

Removal of overburden

and waste, and plant

commissioning    

Permit and license

applications  

Commercial 

exploitation begins 

Expansion of

mine and plant  

Commercial

exploitation ends  

Closure of

mine and plant  

Ongoing

rehabilitation  

Bankable feasibility

study (BFS)  

Prospecting rights

application 

Pre-feasibility study 

Competent

persons report  

Preliminary

Economic

Assessment (PEA)  

Construction of

infrastructure

and plant   

Note: (1) Estimated duration of stage in the mining asset life cycle 
          (2) Reflects key activities only at each stage of the mining asset life cycle 

  

Design and

implement

market 

strategy   

Expansion

1-2 years

1

Exploration

2-10 years

1

Evaluation

3-6 years

1

Development

1-3 years

1

Production

10-50 years

1

Closure

1-10 years

1

Source: KPMG International, 2012.

Asset life cycle  

Level of activity 

Time 

Evaluate country 

risks and market

opportunities  

Search for

commercially

exploitable

resources    

Removal of overburden

and waste, and plant

commissioning    

Permit and license

applications  

Commercial 

exploitation begins 

Expansion of

mine and plant  

Commercial

exploitation ends  

Closure of

mine and plant  

Ongoing

rehabilitation  

Bankable feasibility

study (BFS)  

Prospecting rights

application 

Pre-feasibility study 

Competent

persons report  

Preliminary

Economic

Assessment (PEA)  

Construction of

infrastructure

and plant   

Note: (1) Estimated duration of stage in the mining asset life cycle 
          (2) Reflects key activities only at each stage of the mining asset life cycle 

  

Design and

implement

market 

strategy   

Expansion

1-2 years

1

Exploration

2-10 years

1

Evaluation

3-6 years

1

Development

1-3 years

1

Production

10-50 years

1

Closure

1-10 years

1

Source: KPMG International, 2012.

Asset life cycle  

Level of activity 

Time 

Evaluate country 

risks and market

opportunities  

Search for

commercially

exploitable

resources    

Removal of overburden

and waste, and plant

commissioning    

Permit and license

applications  

Commercial 

exploitation begins 

Expansion of

mine and plant  

Commercial

exploitation ends  

Closure of

mine and plant  

Ongoing

rehabilitation  

Bankable feasibility

study (BFS)  

Prospecting rights

application 

Pre-feasibility study 

Competent

persons report  

Preliminary

Economic

Assessment (PEA)  

Construction of

infrastructure

and plant   

Note: (1) Estimated duration of stage in the mining asset life cycle 
          (2) Reflects key activities only at each stage of the mining asset life cycle 

  

Design and

implement

market 

strategy   

Expansion

1-2 years

1

Exploration

2-10 years

1

Evaluation

3-6 years

1

Development

1-3 years

1

Production

10-50 years

1

Closure

1-10 years

1

Source: KPMG International, 2012.

Asset life cycle  

Level of activity 

Time 

Evaluate country 

risks and market

opportunities  

Search for

commercially

exploitable

resources    

Removal of overburden

and waste, and plant

commissioning    

Permit and license

applications  

Commercial 

exploitation begins 

Expansion of

mine and plant  

Commercial

exploitation ends  

Closure of

mine and plant  

Ongoing

rehabilitation  

Bankable feasibility

study (BFS)  

Prospecting rights

application 

Pre-feasibility study 

Competent

persons report  

Preliminary

Economic

Assessment (PEA)  

Construction of

infrastructure

and plant   

Note: (1) Estimated duration of stage in the mining asset life cycle 
          (2) Reflects key activities only at each stage of the mining asset life cycle 

  

Design and

implement

market 

strategy   

Expansion

1-2 years

1

Exploration

2-10 years

1

Evaluation

3-6 years

1

Development

1-3 years

1

Production

10-50 years

1

Closure

1-10 years

1

Source: KPMG International, 2012.

Mining asset life cycle – your challenges

Sustainability

Business
resilience

Community
investment

Energy, water
and carbon

Material
stewardship

Mine
Rehabilitation

Reporting
and tax
transparency

Compliance

Risk and 
compliance

Statutory 
audit

Enterprise
risk management

Internal assurance

Forensic
investigations

Tax compliance

Performance

Operations
excellence

Operating model
development

Cost and
tax optimization

Supply chain
transformation

Business
intelligence

Business
transformation

Projects

Project
development

Feasibilities

Financing

Tax
structuring

Project
execution

Transactions

Market 
entry

Financing 
and M&A

Tax
structuring

Due
diligence

Integration

Growth

Strategy

Strategic and 
scenario planning

Portfolio
management

Scenario
planning

Strategy
development

People and 
change

Tax strategy
and policy

Your mining asset life cycle – How KPMG can help 

Asset life cycle  

Expansion

1-2 years

1

Exploration

2-10 years

1

Evaluation

3-6 years

1

Development

1-3 years

1

Production

10-50 years

1

Closure

1-10 years

1

Sustainability

Business
resilience

Community
investment

Energy, water
and carbon

Material
stewardship

Mine
Rehabilitation

Reporting
and tax
transparency

Compliance

Risk and 
compliance

Statutory 
audit

Enterprise
risk management

Internal assurance

Forensic
investigations

Tax compliance

Performance

Operations
excellence

Operating model
development

Cost and
tax optimization

Supply chain
transformation

Business
intelligence

Business
transformation

Projects

Project
development

Feasibilities

Financing

Tax
structuring

Project
execution

Transactions

Market 
entry

Financing 
and M&A

Tax
structuring

Due
diligence

Integration

Growth

Strategy

Strategic and 
scenario planning

Portfolio
management

Scenario
planning

Strategy
development

People and 
change

Tax strategy
and policy

Your mining asset life cycle – How KPMG can help 

Asset life cycle  

Expansion

1-2 years

1

Exploration

2-10 years

1

Evaluation

3-6 years

1

Development

1-3 years

1

Production

10-50 years

1

Closure

1-10 years

1

KPMG’s mining growth solutions: How KPMG can help you

Mining Thought 

Leadership