All good, those numbers sound about right for per unit rates. Other than RC being 25-40% cheaper - I'd normally expect the "headline" cost for RC to be about $40-60/m and diamond about $120 for a surface rig, so 50-65% cheaper. Underground diamond drilling is cheaper because the operation pays for power and supervision and pumping and service support, etc... Maybe $100/m. The actual cost of diamond drilling on a Care & Maintenance project is closer to $1000/m when you take all the extra costs into account though.
You have to add all the little things, like daily charges for survey instruments (maybe $100, maybe $500) and light vehicle costs (at least $2.00/km believe me) and meals and accommodation for crew not living locally (none of them will be and they cant drive 2 hours then do a 12 hour shift for safety reasons), and standby rates (probably $400/hr for surveys or while waiting for a geo to make a decision). Digging sumps, lining them, rehabilitating them - probably $5,000/sump, maybe less if you dig a few at a time and they dont have to be lined. Grouting completed holes as rehabilitation. Water for drilling - $1000-2000/day unless it can be taken from a local farmer's dam. Extra drilling muds and consumables if unexpected conditions occur, at cost plus 10%. And then the cost of supervision, mobilisation, demobilisation, logging, cutting core, prepping assays, sending off to the lab then doing the actual assays ($75-100 sample, not every metre will be sampled but they will for Diamond). Consultants to do the graphics when the assays come back. It all adds up. I'm pretty sure my numbers are about right - I do this a lot.
CHN Price at posting:
$1.17 Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
(20min delay)