Mining is Strength. Water is Life
The COVID-19 Pandemic exposed major weaknesses in global supply chains and distribution infrastructure. Most importantly it showed quite pointedly that international markets have allowed many of the raw materials, processing capacity and extraction capacity to be monopolized by a few nations who are now using this monopoly as leverage. These Critical Minerals and Strategic Metals are essential to modern manufacturing, defense industries and the coming massive energy demands of Ai and quantum computing.
Globally, mining must come to grips with the reality that its future will be much drier than its past. Potable water is the foundation of every economy’s ability to sustain itself and, depending on how well it is managed, it determines an economy’s ability to grow and thrive. These needs will drive legislative and regulatory requirements in each country to tighten in an ever-increasing way. Water stress will continue to force governments to tighten uses and incentivize efficiency into the foreseeable future.
When these two sectors, mining and water, collide, there is an increased push for innovation and leveraging of technology. Increasingly lower ore grades are resulting in the need to process larger-than-ever amounts of run-of-mine tonnage to get the same amount of output of minerals, This need for processing greater volumes of tonnage is now having a head-on collision with humanity’s increased need for water efficiency - which means the current ore processing models are unsustainable. There is a great deal of research and development in technologies and processes that use either no water or very little water to extract certain minerals. In the end, the future of mining, and specifically ore processing, is a dry one.
​Into this crucial intersection of global market forces, RDG brings real solutions that are aligned with our clients goals and the realities of mining in the era of sustainability and water scarcity.
About Us
Resource development consulting by miners . . . for miners.
As mine owners:
Our owners and senior management have carried out exploration projects, bought and leased mines, permitted mines, developed mines and designed, built and commissioned processing plants. We have been owners and operators, and we know the challenges that the American miner faces every day to run a safe, profitable mining operation in this highly regulated industry.
As mining consultants:
We want to bring our experience in mine operations, regulatory and compliance issues, mineral processing, mine planning, financial modeling and sales and marketing to your operation. We are mining consultants that are helping miners every day.
As resource developers:
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Mineral Resources:
We are actively advocating for the development of increased processing capacity and plant locations throughout the Western U.S. to ensure that the ore our mining partners produce has a market ready to buy it. We do this in a way that maximizes our partner's revenue while being good stewards of the land for future generations.
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Management Services
Mineral Resources
De-risking
One of the initial steps in our de-risking process is to verify what exploration, testing and analysis has been accomplished to date. If needed, we can arrange for a 43-101 report to be carried out by a qualified company at whatever level of report the client wishes.
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Highlights:
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Ore grade Testing and Analysis history
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Ownership history and confirmation
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Regulatory and Compliance history
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Mine Plan Review
Mining structures, whether they be Heap Leaches, Tailings Impoundments, Coal Fly Ash ponds or Earthen Dams, can represent revenue opportunities but also significant liabilities to the mine owner.
Our satellite-based leach pad/ impoundments monitoring service is a valuable tool that can give operators data that they need to fully understand how their impoundment is affected by time, weather, ongoing operations, etc.
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Highlights:
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Proprietary processing and analysis
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Ongoing reporting reporting
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Customizable report formats
Heap Leach & Tailings Impoundments
Monitoring
RDG can provide management of on-the-ground, full-chain-of-custody sampling, and management of 3rd Party geochemical and metallurgical analysis and other ground-truthing services - all to support mines, and other projects nationwide.
We can also provide these services to carbon sequestration projects who require ongoing 3rd Party analysis to validate the amounts and rates of initial baseline carbon levels as well as carbon sequestration rates in the future.
Our team specifically can assist in the following tasks:
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Manage sampling strategies and sample management protocols that specifically support your ground-truthing requirements
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Manage the sample acquisition, labeling and transportation process to maintain absolute care, custody and control of your project's sample stream
Key strengths of our team:
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Strong technical knowledge and experience
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Understanding of sampling protocols and chain of custody procedures
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Excellent communication and presentation skills
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Ability to work independently and as part of a team
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Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
Ground Truthing
Mineral Processing
More and more pressure is being put on the mining industry to be more productive, and to be better stewards of water resources. We assist our clients in balancing both of these crucial roles, while doing so cost-effectively.
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Highlights:
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Mineral Processing Flowsheet Development
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3rd Party Testing and Analysis history
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Ownership history and confirmation
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Regulatory and compliance history
Mine Acquisitions and Sales
Investors and operators alike are constantly in search of economically feasible mineral deposits for their portfolios. We offer our clients solid experience in real estate and mine sales and acquisitions.
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Highlights:
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Full De-risking Review
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Ownership history and confirmation
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Regulatory and compliance history
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Economic and Overall Analysis of 43-101 Report
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Water resource studies
Mineral Sales and Marketing
The dynamic marketplace that exists today demands that supply chains be as "bulletproof" as possible. Whether you need to source minerals or sell them, we bring our network and experience to the table to ensure a smooth transaction
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Highlights:
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Full Market Analysis
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Commodity-specific Sales and Marketing Plan
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Suppler and Source Matchmaking
Environmental Compliance
Business Sales & Acquisitions
Our approach focuses on assisting our clients on compliance with environmental regulations, assessing and mitigating environmental risks, and developing sustainable practices. In many cases, we serve as a liaison between environmental consultants and our clients to serve as a buffer or filter to ensure productive dialog is always present.
In other cases, we fill the gaps between our clients and regulators to increase the efficiency of these interactions and to shorten permitting timeframes.
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Our team specifically can assist in the following tasks:
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Conduct environmental assessments to identify and define environmental and business risks.
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Develop environmental management strategies.
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Manage environmental staff or consultants.
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Implement environmental remediation projects.
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Key strengths of our team:
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Strong technical knowledge of environmental science
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Understanding of environmental regulations and policies
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Excellent communication and presentation skills
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Ability to work independently and as part of a team
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Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
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Commitment to environmental protection
The rise of mining-related manufacturing and services businesses is directly tied to the growth of the mining industry at large. From industrial manufacturing to laboratories to field services, these businesses are seeing record growth in revenues and valuation.
As is the case with all industry sectors, there are always companies and funds who are growing through acquisitions and there are established, valuable companies whose ownership is ready to sell.
Our team specifically can assist in the following tasks:
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Meet with company ownership and clearly define their goals - whether they are a seller or a buyer
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Define the acquisition criteria of a buyer, and "de-risk" potential acquisitions
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Advise and define the market positioning message and value of company that is for sale
Key strengths of our team:
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Strong industry experience
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Understanding of market positioning
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Excellent communication and presentation skills
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Ability to work independently and as part of a team
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Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
About Us
1
Mike McCandless
Partner
Government Relations, Regulatory and Compliance
Mike directs all Government Relations, permitting and due diligence activities for every RDG project. He has many years of experience as a lobbyist and a regulatory and compliance consultant at the local, state and federal governmental levels. As a key player in the initial identification and due diligence process, he sees his primary role as one of “de-risking” each project from a regulatory and compliance standpoint to the fullest extent possible.
2
Troy Johnson
Partner
Mineral Processing, Sales and Marketing, Real Estate
Troy Leads RDG’s minerals and metals processing and marketing team. He combines his B.S. in Geology with over fifteen years of experience in mining, mineral processing, assaying and market development. His focus will be to ensure that each project produces the highest quality end-product and that each project has established off-take agreements to provide ongoing cash-flow and funding for future growth.
3
Steve Fellows
Manager
Geological Analysis, Economic Modeling, 43-101 Management
As our in-house exploration and economic geologist, Steve manages RDG’s exploration team and drives our de-risking and financial modeling practice. He also drives the economic and technical analysis portions of RDG’s Due Diligence process. His 16 years of data-driven cross-sector experience in resource geology, environmental geology, business development, project management, and education allows him to expertly oversee the entire exploration and analysis process.