Independent Mining Consultants
Independent Mining Consultants is a privately held Tucson-based mining engineering consultancy founded in 1983, serving mining majors, juniors, financial institutions, and public sector clients with multi-disciplinary mine planning, feasibility studies, resource/reserve estimation, due diligence, and technical advisory across base metals, precious metals, and industrial minerals globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersTucson, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Independent Mining Consultants does
Independent Mining Consultants, Inc. (IMC) is a privately held, Tucson, Arizona-based mining engineering consultancy incorporated in 1983 by John M. Marek, Michael G. Hester, and Herbert E. Welhener—the same three individuals who continue to own and operate the firm more than four decades later. The firm provides multidisciplinary mine consulting services including mine planning, mine evaluation, feasibility studies at all levels (conceptual, scoping, PEA, pre-feasibility, bankable), resource and reserve estimation under NI 43-101 / JORC / SEC S-K disclosure regimes, exploration development, due diligence and technical advisory, contract mine engineering and management, and AutoCAD drafting. Its methodology integrates geologic, geostatistical, metallurgical, mining, and economic disciplines into a single resource/reserve modeling workflow, which the firm identifies as its primary differentiator.
IMC's core technology stack combines this multi-disciplinary engineering methodology with the Hexagon MineSight / HxGN Mine Plan ecosystem, including the MineSight Schedule Optimizer (MSSO) and MPSO for open-pit engineering and production-schedule optimization. The firm has historically advanced industry-best practices in discounted pit optimization, optimum phase sequencing, and cut-off grade and product scheduling optimization. Deliverables are technical documents—not software products—rendered via AutoCAD and supporting tools, and the firm has no public API, software platform, or developer-facing integrations.
IMC operates a project-based professional services revenue model with quote-based, per-engagement pricing and no publicly disclosed rate cards. Its go-to-market is sales-led and direct: clients engage via telephone, email, or through relationships built at mining industry conferences (SME, PDAC, MINEXPO, Current Trends in Mining Finance, Arizona Conference). The customer base spans major and mid-tier commodity producers (e.g., Freeport McMoRan, Hudbay, Resolution Copper), junior exploration firms (e.g., Orla Mining, Midas Gold, Bacanora Minerals), financial institutions requiring independent technical assessments, and public sector entities. Across 40+ years, IMC has served 250+ mining companies on 500+ projects spanning base metals, precious metals, industrial minerals, and increasingly lithium, across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe.
Independent Mining Consultants firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Independent Mining Consultants
- Legal name
- Independent Mining Consultants, Inc.
- Website
- https://imctucson.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Independent Mining Consultants is a privately held Tucson-based mining engineering consultancy founded in 1983, serving mining majors, juniors, financial institutions, and public sector clients with multi-disciplinary mine planning, feasibility studies, resource/reserve estimation, due diligence, and technical advisory across base metals, precious metals, and industrial minerals globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Independent Mining Consultants industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mining Engineering Consulting
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Mining (2131)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mine Surveying & Geospatial Services (Survey, Drone/LiDAR, GIS, Grade Control) (IMAKAKAK)
Keywords
Where Independent Mining Consultants is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tucson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Independent Mining Consultants business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Mining Consulting Services: IMC generates revenue through providing mine consulting services including mine planning, mine evaluation, feasibility studies, resource modeling, due diligence, and technical advisory. Services are provided on a project basis to mining companies across all stages from discovery to production development.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Independent Mining Consultants product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Independent Mining Consultants (IMC) is a mining engineering consulting firm that delivers mine planning, mine evaluation, resource/reserve estimation, exploration development, due diligence, contract mine engineering, AutoCAD drafting, and feasibility study services to mining companies, junior explorers, financial institutions, and public sector entities. The firm applies a multi-disciplinary methodology integrating geology, geostatistics, metallurgy, mining engineering, and economics across the full mine life cycle from discovery through production. Services are delivered on a project basis by a 15-person professional team using industry-standard tools such as Hexagon MineSight and HxGN Mine Plan.
Product overview
Independent Mining Consultants is a mining consulting firm offering professional engineering and technical advisory services. The company does not offer a software product but provides a portfolio of specialized consulting service offerings including: Mine Planning, Mine Evaluation, Contract Mine Engineering and Management, AutoCAD Drafting Services, Exploration Development, Resource/Reserve Model Estimation, Due Diligence & Technical Advisory, and Mining Feasibility Studies. The firm has been in continuous operation since 1983, working across base metals, precious metals, and industrial minerals sectors with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to junior exploration firms and public sector entities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mine Planning Expert mine development guidance from exploration project to production operations, including geotechnical, metallurgical, and permitting requirements. Services include open pit and underground mine design, production scheduling, waste storage facility design, and equipment evaluation and fleet requirement estimation. Targeted at mining companies developing or operating mines.
- Mine Evaluation Independent, senior-level mine evaluations of mineral properties offering recommendations based on 35+ years of industry experience across 500+ projects. Services include risk analysis, exploration potential assessment, independent technical reviews, and resource/reserve verification. Targeted at mining companies, investors, and financial institutions evaluating mineral properties.
- Contract Mine Engineering and Management Flexible contract engineering solutions for establishing new mining operations or providing temporary onsite technical staff. Services include mine engineering department setup, staff development, and mine planning systems configuration using Hexagon/MineSight Schedule Optimizer. Targeted at mining companies needing temporary or supplemental engineering capacity.
- AutoCAD Drafting Services Contract drafting services with over 40 years of mining industry experience. Capabilities include general arrangement drawings, geological cross-sections, mine property survey plans, exploration drill plan representations, and mine operation closure plans. Targeted at mining companies needing technical drafting support.
- Exploration Development Services to further develop and manage drill programs, evaluate exploration targets for public technical reporting, and serve as an independent data keeper. Includes QA/QC design for drill holes, mineral resource modeling, and preliminary economic feasibility studies. Targeted at junior exploration firms developing mining projects.
- Resource / Reserve Model Estimation Multi-disciplinary approach to creating accurate Resource/Reserve models incorporating geologic, geostatistical, metallurgical, mining, and economic issues. Services include 3D geologic modeling, resource and reserve statements, and independent qualified persons technical reporting. Targeted at mining companies requiring NI 43-101, JORC, or S-K 1300 compliant resource and reserve estimates.
- Due Diligence & Technical Advisory Unbiased multidisciplinary technical reviews and advisory services including identification of critical flaws and opportunities, mergers and acquisitions due diligence, mineral valuations, financial evaluations for project funding, and metallurgical processing plant evaluations. Targeted at financial institutions, investors, and mining companies evaluating projects or transactions.
- Mining Feasibility Studies and Technical Documents Authors mine feasibility studies at all levels including conceptual, scoping, preliminary economic assessments (PEA), pre-feasibility, and bankable feasibility studies. Supports NI 43-101, JORC, and Regulation S-K/SEC 10K public disclosure requirements. Targeted at mining companies and junior exploration firms requiring feasibility studies for project advancement and financing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ mining projects completed for 250+ mining companies globally
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Independent Mining Consultants
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Independent Mining Consultants technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Independent Mining Consultants partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- StantecminorStantec, a consulting engineering firm, was engaged alongside IMC to support the Kingking Copper-Gold Project Definitive Feasibility Study. St. Augustine Gold and Copper Limited engaged both Stantec and IMC as consulting partners for this project in the Philippines.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Independent Mining Consultants competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RPMGlobal: Mining software and consulting firm offering resource estimation, mine planning software, and advisory services. Comparable to IMC in consulting offerings, while extending into proprietary mining software that IMC lacks.
- AMC Consultants: Independent mining consultancy providing mine planning, geotechnical, and feasibility services globally. Closely comparable mid-sized peer offering similar multidisciplinary consulting for metal mining projects.
- Cube Consulting: Australian mining consultancy offering resource estimation, mine planning, and corporate advisory. Comparable mid-sized peer with similar service portfolio and ore-body consulting focus.
- Snowden Optiro: Mining consulting firm specializing in resource estimation, geostatistics, mine planning, and geometallurgy. Comparable to IMC in multidisciplinary technical consulting for mining companies across project stages.
- SRK Consulting: Global mining consulting firm offering resource estimation, mine planning, feasibility studies, and due diligence. Closest direct peer to IMC in service scope, mining engineering expertise, and independent technical advisory positioning.
- Micon International: Independent mining consultancy providing feasibility studies, resource/reserve estimates, and due diligence. Closely comparable mid-sized firm competing for the same bankable feasibility and NI 43-101 mandates as IMC.
Broad incumbents
- Stantec Mining: Global engineering consultancy with a large mining practice offering mine planning, feasibility, and EPC services. IMC already partners with Stantec on the Kingking project, illustrating direct comparability despite Stantec's broader scale.
- Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with mining and minerals practice offering feasibility, environmental, and mine engineering services. Competes for some of the same mine planning and consulting engagements though at much broader scale.
- Hatch: Global engineering consultancy with deep mining practice covering mine planning, metallurgy, and EPC delivery. Comparable to IMC for feasibility-stage consulting though Hatch typically executes at much larger scale.
- WSP Global: Global professional services firm with mining engineering and consulting capabilities (via acquired Golder Associates). Competes for the same large feasibility and due diligence mandates as IMC, though with much broader infrastructure exposure.
Market position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Independent Mining Consultants social profiles
Digital presenceIndependent Mining Consultants financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Independent Mining Consultants leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Independent Mining Consultants funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Independent Mining Consultants M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Independent Mining Consultants
What does Independent Mining Consultants do?
Independent Mining Consultants (IMC) is a mining engineering consulting firm that delivers mine planning, mine evaluation, resource/reserve estimation, exploration development, due diligence, contract mine engineering, AutoCAD drafting, and feasibility study services to mining companies, junior explorers, financial institutions, and public sector entities. The firm applies a multi-disciplinary methodology integrating geology, geostatistics, metallurgy, mining engineering, and economics across the full mine life cycle from discovery through production. Services are delivered on a project basis by a 15-person professional team using industry-standard tools such as Hexagon MineSight and HxGN Mine Plan.
Is Independent Mining Consultants a public or private company?
Independent Mining Consultants is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Independent Mining Consultants founded?
Independent Mining Consultants was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Independent Mining Consultants based?
Independent Mining Consultants is headquartered in Tucson, United States, in the North America region.
How does Independent Mining Consultants make money?
One revenue line is on record: mining Consulting Services.
Who are Independent Mining Consultants's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RPMGlobal, AMC Consultants, Cube Consulting, Snowden Optiro, SRK Consulting and Micon International. Broad incumbents are Stantec Mining, Tetra Tech, Hatch and WSP Global.
Does Independent Mining Consultants have an API?
No public API is recorded for Independent Mining Consultants.
What industry is Independent Mining Consultants in?
Independent Mining Consultants's product category is Mining Engineering Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAKAK, Mine Surveying & Geospatial Services (Survey, Drone/LiDAR, GIS, Grade Control). Its NAICS code is 2131 and its SIC code is 8700.