Course materials will initially focus on the basic evaluation techniques required to assign value to mineral projects and then introduce a variety of current real-world case studies that consider both individual project assessments and broader industry trends.  Topics covered include both revenue-side factors and cost components that are integral to cash flow and discounted cash flow models.  Specific topics will include metal price trends, exchange rates variability, net smelter values, commodity cost curves, financing, cost of capital, metal streams, feasibility-stage evaluations, and exploration stage assessments. 

The course emphasizes practical application and participant engagement utilizing local and international case studies for a hands-on approach to mineral project evaluation.  An integral part of the course is small group work whereby participants in the course are divided into teams to discuss and complete assignments and industry case studies based on each segment of the course material.  

The course will be delivered over a 3-day period by Dr. Michael Doggett.  Dr. Doggett is a mineral economics consultant based in Vancouver.  He has 35 years of experience advising mining companies, governments, First Nations, and law firms on a range of issues related to project evaluation and acquisition, mineral taxation and royalties, impact benefit agreements, and industry exploration trends.  He has provided training in mineral project assessment to more than 3000 professionals in a dozen countries as well as to undergraduate and graduate students at Queen’s University where he served as Director of the Mineral Exploration Master’s Program from 1997 to 2007.   

 He has authored or co-authored more than 20 publications and provided training to more than 3000 industry professionals in a dozen countries. He has served on the board of numerous public companies as well as PDAC, MDRU, and the Committee on Earth Resources at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.   

 The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum presented him with their Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award in 2002 and named him Distinguished Lecturer in 2010.  The Society of Economic Geologists named him as their International Exchange Lecturer for the year 2005 and the Society of Mining Metallurgy and Exploration presented him with their Mineral Economics award in 2019.