JAHKAI — Mine Planning & Consulting

Underground mine planning is where decisions are made that determine the economic outcome of the entire operation. The design of access development, the sequencing of stopes, the sizing of ventilation infrastructure, the selection of mining methods — these choices are made early and are expensive to change. They require deep operational experience, not just software proficiency.

Jahkai provides independent mine planning and technical consulting built on decades of hands-on underground experience across multiple commodities and mining methods. Our team has planned, developed, and operated underground mines — we understand the gap between what looks efficient on a screen and what actually works at the face. That operational grounding is what makes our consulting different.

"A mine plan that cannot be executed by the crew at the face is not a mine plan. It is a drawing."

What We Deliver

Technical Consulting Services

From conceptual design through to operational optimisation — independent technical advice across the full mine lifecycle.

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Underground Mine Design

Access design (decline, shaft, ramp), level layout, infrastructure placement, ore handling systems, and secondary egress planning. Mining method selection based on orebody geometry, geotechnical conditions, and economic analysis. Design that works on paper and underground.

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Stope Design & Optimisation

Open stope design, cut-and-fill planning, sub-level stoping, longhole stoping, and room-and-pillar layouts. Stope geometry optimisation for maximum recovery with acceptable dilution. Pillar sizing, crown stability assessment, and backfill sequencing. Practical designs that account for real ground conditions.

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Development Sequencing

Logical sequencing of development headings to maintain production access, ventilation circuits, and emergency egress throughout the mine life. Critical path identification, development rate forecasting, and scheduling that accounts for the reality of underground construction — including the delays that inevitably occur.

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Production Scheduling

Short-range scheduling — weekly and monthly production plans aligned with development availability, equipment capacity, and workforce rostering. Long-range scheduling — life-of-mine production profiles, capital development sequencing, and economic modelling for investment decision support.

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Ventilation Design

Primary and auxiliary ventilation circuit design, fan selection and placement, duct sizing, airflow modelling, and contaminant management. Heat stress management — particularly critical for operations in high-ambient-temperature environments. Ventilation-on-demand systems for energy optimisation in large underground networks.

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Geotechnical Assessment

Rock mass characterisation, structural domain mapping, in-situ stress estimation, and support design recommendations. Empirical and numerical geotechnical analysis to support mine design decisions. Ground behaviour prediction for new mining areas based on geological and structural data.

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Feasibility Studies

Pre-feasibility and feasibility-level technical studies for new underground operations. Mining method assessment, capital and operating cost estimation, development scheduling, equipment fleet sizing, and risk identification. Studies designed to support investment decisions with credible, operationally grounded analysis.

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Operational Reviews

Independent assessment of existing underground operations — productivity analysis, cost benchmarking, bottleneck identification, and improvement recommendations. Review of mining methods, fleet utilisation, development rates, ground support practices, and safety systems. Actionable findings, not consultant padding.

Advisory

Contractor Scope Definition & Tender Evaluation

For mine owners engaging mining contractors, the quality of the scope definition determines the quality of the tenders received — and the success of the contract. Jahkai provides independent advisory services that protect the owner's interests.

Scope Definition

Technical scope packages — clear definition of mining scope, performance expectations, equipment requirements, and reporting obligations

Schedule alignment — scope milestones tied to realistic development and production schedules

Risk allocation — appropriate allocation of geological, operational, and commercial risk between owner and contractor

KPI frameworks — measurable performance indicators that drive the right behaviours and outcomes

Tender Evaluation

Technical assessment — evaluation of contractor capability, methodology, equipment fleet, and personnel against scope requirements

Commercial analysis — rate comparison, cost build-up review, margin assessment, and lifecycle cost modelling

Risk assessment — identification of delivery risks in each tender, including equipment age, personnel availability, and subcontractor dependencies

Recommendation reports — clear, defensible recommendations supported by technical and commercial evidence

Knowledge Transfer

Local employment and training

Mine planning is a discipline that combines technical knowledge with operational judgement — it cannot be learned from software training alone. Our knowledge transfer approach for planning capability follows the same philosophy as our operational training.

Embedded mentoring — Jahkai planners work alongside national counterparts, progressively transferring decision-making responsibility as competency develops
Software and methodology training — technical training in industry-standard mine planning software, scheduling tools, and ventilation modelling platforms
Operational exposure — planning staff spend time underground to develop the practical understanding that makes mine plans realistic and executable
Review and calibration — regular comparison of planned versus actual performance, building the feedback loop that develops planning judgement over time
Independent capability — the goal is a local planning team that can design, schedule, and optimise underground operations without external support