1. Feasibility & Trade-Off Studies
Making owner mining practical, not just possible
Owner mining can look attractive on paper, especially during early studies when models focus on long-term cost and resource control. But those benefits quickly become fragile if delivery isn’t considered from the outset. That’s where our work begins. Through years of involvement in capital recommendations, contractor-versus-owner mining evaluations, and equipment and maintenance performance benchmarking studies, we’ve developed a practical lens on feasibility.
Our contributions during this phase go well beyond financial modelling. They integrate the real-world cost of mobilisation, the practicalities of operating support infrastructure, and the risk implications of owning versus contracting. What’s engineered must also be deployable, supportable, and sustainable on the ground—and our feasibility inputs help ensure it is. These trade-offs are not theoretical. They’re grounded in lessons learned from projects that didn’t go to plan—and those that did.
This phase sets the foundation for what follows. BlueForge brings tested logic to feasibility—converting assumptions into executable strategies. The result: owner mining becomes not just viable, but deliverable.
2. FEED & Procurement Structuring
Turning plans into actionable scope and readiness
Once a Definitive Feasibility Study is completed and project financing is secured, the focus shifts to Front-End Engineering Design and procurement—phases where a lot is committed but little is yet delivered. These are make-or-break stages for execution. FEED goes beyond engineering drawings—it incorporates production schedules, infrastructure layouts, and support facilities such as workshops and maintenance bays. These become the backbone of how projects are designed to be built.
From this foundation, procurement takes shape. The work packages prepared during FEED are taken to market—covering infrastructure construction and major equipment acquisition. Tender enquiries are issued to OEMs not only on the basis of price and technical specification, but also with consideration for aftersales support, financing models, and long-term ownership structures. At this stage, decisions such as owner maintenance versus Maintenance and Repair Contracts (MARC) come into focus. We help clarify these decisions, ensuring they reflect delivery requirements and total lifecycle performance, not just isolated capital inputs.
At this stage, BlueForge aligns production targets with infrastructure and resource planning, shaping scopes of work that are logically sequenced and execution-ready. Every component is developed with delivery in mind, ensuring a direct line from planning to performance.
3. Execution & Operational Support
Getting projects moving, keeping them on track
Execution is where many mining projects stumble—not for lack of planning, but for lack of structure. When the first crews arrive on site, infrastructure, coordination, and systems must already be in motion. BlueForge ensures that mobilisation isn’t an afterthought, but a managed discipline. Layouts, facilities, access routes—everything is sequenced to support rapid, safe, and sustainable starts.
Once operational, BlueForge supports the maintenance environment through oversight—not by executing tasks, but by coordinating the people and systems who do. We manage contractors, service schedules, diagnostics, and spare parts readiness. Our goal is to reduce downtime and ensure availability, all while enforcing discipline around standards, sequencing, and reporting.
From diagnostic routines and condition monitoring to parts staging and performance tracking, every layer of operational support is built into the delivery model. We’ve seen what happens when these elements are missing—and we’ve designed BlueForge to ensure they never are. This includes clear maintenance accountability, pre-planned resource allocation, and integration of technical feedback into daily operations. It’s a system that enables site teams to act early, respond accurately, and maintain the rhythm of delivery even under pressure.
From Concept to Performance: A Model That Delivers
BlueForge is not a service layer—it’s a delivery backbone. Born from decades of execution in mining and infrastructure, and formalised under TacminMadini’s IPD model, it enables mine owners to move from concept to operational control with confidence.
What sets it apart is structure, discipline, and proven applicability. Feasibility becomes executable strategy. FEED becomes an integrated plan. Procurement delivers the right tools, to the right people, at the right time. And operations are supported through a coordinated, transparent, and data-informed oversight model.
Whether the entry point is a feasibility study, a pending mobilisation, or a maintenance recovery, BlueForge delivers the missing link—execution certainty.
To explore how we deliver projects that perform to plan, visit BlueForge | TacminMadini, or contact Kean Blaauw to arrange a demonstration of the BlueForge model in action.
Kean Blaauw, Business Development Associate
kblaauw@tacminmadini.com.au +61 452 582 048 Kean Blaauw
