~*~Mining and Metals Du Jour~*~

[Stinky_pinky]

Thanks Peter, I did some rough calcs based on the 15 320 ton haul trucks B2B said were operating at the mine;
http://www.cat.com/en_US/products/new/equipment/off-highway-trucks/mining-trucks.html
based on this paper:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261214668_Haul_truck_fuel_consumption_and_CO2_emission_under_various_engine_load_conditions
Assuming a 40% load factor, that's about 56 gal./hr per truck or 20,275 gal. of diesel in every 24 hours of operation. So it can be said that fuel costs certainly factor in operating costs of most mines, and therefore the profitability of the mining company.
S~P