Monte Carlo simulation
Introduction
Mining companies require significant funding to begin a project, and to obtain this financing, they must often turn to debt markets. Due to the substantial investment, it is essential that mining projects be evaluated in terms of economic viability. Mine management involves improving existing mine processes to reduce overall costs and maximize the Net Present Value (NPV) of a project. The purpose of any mine management team is to create value from a project to increase wealth for shareholders who have taken risk in investing their money into a project. In order to substantiate the economic evaluation of a project, they must determine the outcomes of risks taken in their mine planning[1].
Risk
There are numerous risks that mining company’s encounter that could have an effect on a project’s long-term economic viability. Such risks faced by the mining and metals industry are outlined in a report by Ernst and Young. These risks include productivity improvement, capital dilemmas, social license to operate, resource nationalism, capital projects, price and currency volatility, infrastructure access, sharing the benefits, balancing talent needs, and access to water and energy[2]. Due to the uncertainty and variability of these risks, it is important for project planners to extensively utilize risk analysis techniques. Risk analysis allows planners to determine all the possible outcomes of a decision regarding finance, costs, forecasting models, and project management as well as the risks associated with each. This allows for better decision making[3].
References
- ↑ Lemelin, B. (2009). Mine Project Evaluation: A real Options Approach with Least-Squares Monte Carlo Simulations. Quebec City: University of Laval.
- ↑ Ernst and Young. (2015). Business Risks Facing Mining and Metals. Toronto: Ernst and Young.
- ↑ RiskAmp. (2014). What is Monte Carlo Simulation. RiskAmp.
