Mineral Exploration and Planning

Silkstone offers a full consultancy service to the minerals extraction industry. Staffed by fully qualified personnel with extensive industrial experience. We are able to provide a high quality service, tailored to the individual requirements of the client, spanning a wide range of operations including opencast coal, clay and stone quarrying and aggregate extraction. Below is a description of the servcies we offer.

Initial Desk Studies

• Collation of all available data from Statutory Authorities including published Ordnance and Geological Survey maps, relevant mine working plans and reports, drilling records, previous studies and location of services
• Location and interpretation of old underground and surface mineral workings
• Mine workings impact assessments.
• Initial reserve assessments.

Site Investigation

• Planning and supervision of exploratory drilling and trial pits. Procedures include rotary open hole and coring, wire-line and shell and auger drilling supported by down hole geophysical logging techniques.
• Provision of a geological/geotechnical core logging service to BS 5930 standard.
• All necessary sampling, testing and analysis required for establishing material characteristics and mineral quality.
• Investigation, evaluation and impact assessment of site hydrology and hydrogeology, including installation, operation and monitoring of any required instrumentation.
• Feasibility study and reserve assessment.

Quarry and Opencast Design

• Mine and quarry design using the latest digital terrain modelling (DTM) software. Slope profile analysis, volumetric calculations, 3-D flyover simulations, animated working method simulations. quantification of volumes, tonnages or ratios of overburden and/or mineral usage
• Preparation of all required plans, documents and reports.
• Provision of topographical and working quarry surveys.

Planning and Statutory Requirements

• Advice/recommendations on site design and working method statements including any necessary geotechnical engineering works.
• Preparation and submission of Planning Applications and Environmental Impact Assessments including noise and dust monitoring, traffic surveys, landscape and visual impact assessments etc. with subsequent environmental auditing,monitoring and management.
• Liaison with Environment Agency, Mineral Planning Authorities, Local Authorities, English Nature, DEFRA, other stutory and non-statutory consultees.
• Design and supervision of site restoration and any necessary site remediation works.
• Health and Safety advice and inspections.
• Quarry Regulation geotechnical hazard assessments.

See details of our Minerals Projects.