Free screening calculator — published models
Open pit mine capital cost estimator
Enter the total material movement (ore + waste) and get an order-of-magnitude initial capital for the mining operation — fleet, pre-production development and mine infrastructure share — from the published screening model form of Camm (USBM IC 9298) and the USGS simplified economic filters.
How this estimate is computed
Published power-law screening model, evaluated at your capacity:
Capital = 60,000,000 $ × (A / 20,000)0.6
with A = total material movement in t/d (ore + waste), valid 5000–200000
- Model form & exponent: Camm, T.W. (1991), Simplified Cost Models for Prefeasibility Mineral Evaluations, USBM IC 9298 (public domain), and USGS simplified economic filters (Long & Singer).
- Anchor value: Costonomics assumption pending recalibration on publicly filed
studies (NI 43-101 / JORC) — flagged, never silent.
- Scope: full initial capital of the facility. Basis: 2026 USD, generic developed-market conditions, direct facility capital — owner's costs, EPCM and location factors excluded (project-level adjustments).
- Accuracy: AACE Class 5 screening (−35 % / +65 %), contingency
40% per AACE RP 18R-97 guidance.
- Cost basis: open cost book
mining-open-screening v1.0.0
(2026 USD).
Screening is level 1. Negotiation needs level 2.
This free tool runs on published, citable models — order-of-magnitude by design (AACE Class 5).
The Costonomics engine adds market-calibrated cost books, OPEX & TCO, and full AACE traceability.
Explore the costing engine