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Quality Assurance and Quality Control Systems (QA/QC)

At the core of an efficient monitoring system is solid Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) practice. The function of this is to define what data is needed, how it will be collected and how it will be used. It’s important because once this is clear, all stakeholders will understand how to utilize the data and the results. Whilst it’s impossible to gather all the data available on a project site, whether it’s mining or exploration, it is possible to improve the way you collect and analyze it, and a well-organized QA/QC system is often the first step to achieve this.

The principle of sound QA/QC practices are based on:

• International accepted standards(ISO) that can be followed to ensure consistent results.
• Sufficient staff training on how to implement and assess the standards, as well as to minimize negative effects during staff changes.
• Monitoring every step of the process.

FGA compiled various standard procedures over time that comply to the international requirements to ensure all useable data collected is applicable to the purpose it collected for. These standards and procedures form an integral part of FGA’s operations.

Mine Planning

The planning process is dependent upon input from the geology/resources. On completion of the Mineral Resource Statement, the planning process commences and comprises:

• Targets, objectives and guidelines that are derived from the Corporate Head Office Business Plans;
• A detailed short-term (one- to three-year) operating plan including detailed mining face positions for surface mine layouts and associated development layouts for underground operations;
• An extension to this short-term plan resulting in a five-year or ten-year plan from which a capital expenditure program is developed;
• Extension into a full LoM (Life of Mine) Plan including mining layouts and extraction schedules, which deplete the Mineral Reserve in accordance with the pre-defined strategies.

In conjunction with the above, a detailed (one-year) operating cost budget is subsequently projected.  The one-year budget is generally prepared on a monthly basis, extending into quarterly periods and annually thereafter.

FGA ensures that the LoM Planning process and resulting LoM Plans are diligently prepared by competent professionals. FGA further ensures that the planning process and resulting LoM Plans generally reflect international practices and are appropriate for the purposes of reserve declarations.

Mine Scheduling

Mine scheduling is the process of calculating or predicting what will happen in a mine over time.

As the mine changes, and as the market changes, it is inevitable that schedules need to be redone to produce new mine plans. Seldom is scheduling a simple one step procedure – it is usually an iterative process which involves various chronological steps once the geological model has been established (i.e. no additional information has been added, or accounted for).

FGA, in order to create acceptable schedules, make compromises with regards to changeable factors to produce acceptable results that satisfy most of the objectives most of the time.

FGA applies a high degree of skill and often a great deal of diplomacy to produce schedules that satisfy the, often competing, objectives of customers: marketing, commercial, corporate, management, processing plant, waste removal, ore mining, maintenance and logistics.

Product handling and processing

Based on the commodity, FGA makes use of experienced Process and Design Engineers during the plant design process to ensure effective and affordable plants to handle the production output required. Plant layouts are normally ‘open-ended’ to allow for extensions and/or expansion when required in order to fulfill market requirements.

Quality assurance and quality control of the product play an all-important roll and becomes an internal component of the design parameters.

Reconciliations

Mine reconciliation is a critical part to any exploration project or mining venture, but unfortunately, a lot of exploration and mining companies tend to underestimate its role. The truth is reconciliation can help measure a daunting truth: how efficient – or inefficient – your current processes are.

In the mining environment reconciliation is a complex process that requires more than geological knowledge; it is a cross-functional practice involving various disciplines.

Monitoring every step in the mining process - from drilling to sampling to generating block models - is critical to any project reconciliation. If this is not done properly, geologists will not have enough data – or worst, unreliable data - to analyze and use either to improve the resource/reserve base or in the case of mining to improve the production process.

In all of its projects, whether it be mining or exploration, FGA always use pre-defined QAQC procedures to ensure all data collected for processing are consistent to ensure repeatable results. This ensures that consistent procedures are used and every step is monitored.

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