ERC calculator mining – Module 11 transcript

Watch the video Mining ERC calculator training – Module 11 – Ports to see examples of the user input sheet for ports.

Welcome back to the training for the 2022 edition of the estimated rehabilitation cost calculator for mining.

This is Module 11. This module will work through the user input sheet for ports.

Ports is a new addition to the calculator for 2022. The sheet includes a table of default rates and a user build table. The default rate table operates similarly to other tables in that the user enters the map ID, facility, or item name, selects the item which includes jetties, wharves, and reclaimers, and then the quantities are multiplied by the default rate or alternate rate if the user can justify one. Please note the units associated with each item.

The user build table is similar to other tables throughout the calculator and is specific to ports with sections focused on particular aspects of the port or marine facility. The table begins as usual with the map ID and name of the facility, and then has the key entry, total land area in hectares. This quantity determines various things throughout the rest of the table. The export quantity is an optional entry and provides some information to the reviewer as to the nature and magnitude of the item being costed.

The first major section of the table is for the wharf, and this requires the total surface area of the wharf and then whatever type of surface covering is present. The surface cover options are concrete, bitumen or asphalt, and gravel. A wharf may comprise a mix of these, in which case the user enters the area for each specific type of surface cover in each section. As is typical throughout the calculator, the user can override thickness defaults. For the gravel section, the user must select the distance from which the gravel will be retrieved. For all three surface coverings, the quantity entered is multiplied by the default rate or an alternate rate entered above the table if one can be justified. If the wharf surface is earthen, the user does not enter quantities into the surface cover sections.

The next section of the table is for dolphins, and this has an allowance cost as the default rate recognizes costs associated with such items are varied. The user can enter an alternate rate with justification. The next section of the table is for major equipment, including jetty and land conveyors, ship and stockpile loaders, and reclaimers. The user simply enters the quantity. Alternate rates, as usual, can be entered above the table. The next section of the table is for rail infrastructure, and this operates similarly to the other tables and also allows alternate rates above the table.

The next section of the table is for buildings and structures and includes area-based rates for substations and switchyards and for various types of buildings and a number entry for portable demountable type items. These rates are the same as those in the infrastructure sheet. The building section of this table has a drop-down menu so the user can mix and match. As this table has several rows, the user could split up their port into sections, allowing selections of different buildings for example.

The camp section of the table is similar to the buildings whereby the user selects the camp from the drop-down menu and the appropriate rate is selected by the calculator. The user can again enter an alternate rate with justification. The pipe, tanks and dams and ponds section of the table operates similarly with dropdown menus allowing a range of options. The quantities, for example, length of pipe or number of tanks, are multiplied by the default rate or alternate rate if entered by the user.

The next major section is for land rehabilitation and this table operates the same as for other tables throughout the calculator. The default of land to rehabilitate, defaults to the total footprint entered at the beginning of the table, but the user can change this if justification is provided. The table starts with growth media and as in other tables throughout the calculator, the user can set their own area and thickness or accept the defaults and a growth medium volume is calculated based on whichever selections are made. The user must select whether the growth media is locally sourced, that is within 5 kilometres, or whether it will be transported via long haul. If local is selected, the long-haul rates are set to 0. For locally sourced growth media, the user selects the haulage distance for growth media and the fleet size. No fleet size selection is required for long haul. The user can enter their own growth media rate in dollars per cubic meter if it can be justified and if this is entered, the total growth media cost uses this rate. Whichever combination is entered, the total volume of growth media is multiplied by the rate to get a total cost for growth media.

The amendment section of the table works the same as the other sheets with three amendment areas available and several amendment materials in drop down menus. The user enters the area over which the amendment would be applied in each case and can enter on alternate dollars per hectare rate if it can be justified. In each case, the area of amendment is multiplied by the default rate or alternate rate if entered. The last section of the land rehabilitation part of the table is for seeding, and again this operates the same as the other tables, whereby the user enters the proportion of land in each land type. Alternate rates can again be entered with justification.

The last section of the table allows the user to enter items not included elsewhere in the table, and then all the costs for all the sections are added to provide the total for the row. As for other similar tables, the user can enter an alternate rate for the entire row and must provide justification. The cost in the default rate and user build tables are added together and reported to the summary sheet. Beneath the user build table is an optional quantities table where the user can show where quantities come from. The totals for this table are not reported automatically to the default or user build table. If the user enters quantity into this table, they must make sure the reviewer can see the connection between the quantities documented and the cost table, that is that the numbers match.

As always, for more information or specific instructions, please consult the user guide, which is also available on the business Queensland website below the download for the calculator. See you in the next module.

Watch the video: Module 11 – Ports.