Your deposit has answers. We ask the right questions.
From first core log to final extraction plan — Seam interprets the geology, models the economics, and engineers the compliance. Three continents. Eighteen years of field-proven methodology.
"How do I know if my deposit is economically viable?"
Economic viability isn't a single number — it's the intersection of five compounding variables. Before any study is commissioned, Seam runs a rapid desktop scoping to identify which variables are the swing factors for your specific deposit and jurisdiction.
Resource Classification
Each study unlocks the next capital decision
"What's the difference between a PEA and a DFS?"
Both are feasibility studies — but they answer different questions for different audiences. A PEA tells your board whether the project could work. A DFS tells your bank that it will work, backed by drilling density, metallurgical test work, and engineered cost estimates.
The most common mistake junior companies make: commissioning a DFS before the geology is understood well enough to defend it. Seam prevents that by staging the work — each phase only proceeds when the preceding uncertainty has been resolved.
"What actually causes slope stability failures — and how do we prevent the next one?"
Slope failures are rarely sudden — they're the accumulated result of deferred monitoring, under-designed drainage, and geotechnical assumptions that weren't revisited as the pit deepened. Seam's forensic slope review identifies the primary mechanism within 48 hours of mobilisation.
For new operations, our geotechnical program integrates directly with the mine plan — slope angles are not constants, they're engineered variables that change with depth, lithology, and groundwater regime.
Primary failure mechanisms by frequency
Pore pressure buildup in pit walls is the leading cause of unplanned slope movement in tropical climates
Saprolite and highly weathered zones require flatter inter-ramp angles and monitoring prisms
Adversely dipping joint sets parallel to pit walls create wedge or planar failure modes
Dynamic loading reduces effective friction angle — critical in Andean and Pacific Rim operations
Undrained loading of valley-fill dumps is a common compliance failure post-heavy rainfall events
Request a Technical Review
We respond within one business day with a scoped proposal — no retainer required for initial assessment. Every engagement begins with a no-obligation technical call.
Download Our Feasibility Study Checklist
46 items covering geology, metallurgy, infrastructure, environmental baseline, and regulatory requirements — distilled from 18 years of DFS delivery. Used internally on every Seam engagement.
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