Applied Mineralogy: A Critical Review and 5-Year Plan for Its Strategic Use within Teck

A strategic business case analysis and five-year plan are presented here for the Teck Applied Mineralogy group in Trail, British Columbia. Applied mineralogy is a key technical competency for Teck Resources that adds value in the fields of process mineralogy supporting optimization at the mining operations, and in ore characterization supporting evaluation of greenfield and brownfield properties. This 2016-2020 business plan for the applied mineralogy group is cognisant of the current mining industry downturn and recommends only incremental increases in staffing and project budgets during the period. Importantly, the plan recommends improved positioning of the group within Teck to maximize its contributions and a focus on customer relationships and timely delivery of value to projects. It also recommends the development of strategic outsourcing partnerships with commercial providers of applied mineralogy, including development of QA/QC protocols, so that this service is well managed within the company as a whole. There are some key capital expenditures necessary for the group in the next five years, including the replacement of mineralogical instrumentation, but their timing can be managed to coincide with improving corporate economics.