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Professional Certificate

Metal Accounting

Intake commences 3 March 2025

40
PD Hours
Professional Certificate

Metal Accounting

Intake commences 3 March 2025

40
PD Hours

Learn how to accurately track and estimate metal production from delivery into the process plant through to saleable product

 

Quick facts

Duration Delivery Course Type 2025 Intakes PD Hours Language
40 hours 
8 weeks
100% online
Professional
Certificate
3 March 2025

1 September 2025
Up to 40
English

 

Course overview

Gain an appreciation of the diversity, techniques and methodologies to accurately, reliably and efficiently track metal production from mine custody transfer point of ore delivery into the process plant through to saleable product; including recognising and quantifying metal accounting uncertainties and biases.

This course introduces the principles of the AMIRA P754 Code of Practice for Metal Accounting as a means for enabling reliable metal accounting.

Gain the foundation and framework to deliver more accurate metal accounting reports and data outputs to support sound corporate governance, improved workflow across the business, enhanced financial forecasting and improved efficiency in gaining more value from mineral deposits.

Techniques and methodologies are reinforced with real world examples, subject matter expert input and practical exercises that the learner can apply in their workplaces.

Gain skills to help you:

  • report results in a transparent and accurate manner
  • understand the impact of sound metal accounts on the broader business
    • positively impacting company reputation, corporate governance and market credibility
    • providing a reliable platform for improving operations and measuring the true impact of process changes and improved resource utilisation and sustainability.
  • understand plant design requirements for enabling operational capability to deliver best practice metal accounting performance
  • assist your business in understanding limitations, variability and risks in their metal accounting systems
  • approach metal accounting with a value focus.

Support improved new mineral processing plant design, mine production and resource and financial planning and forecasting with a solid understanding of metal accounting requirements and how these relate to the overall mine to product value chain.

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Course pricing

A discount of 10% is available for groups of 3 or more participants from the same organisation who enrol for the same course intake in a single booking. This discount will be automatically applied at checkout. A credit card is required for payment. Alternatively, if you wish to pay via direct deposit, please complete the enrolment form and then contact us for an invoice.
Member
A$2,775
Price inclusive of 10% GST
Associate membership and enrolment bundle
A$3,031
Price is inclusive of 10% GST
Non-member
A$3,625
Price inclusive of 10% GST
Group training
Save 10% on group bookings
Enquire now

Earn digital credentials

Showcase your studies, validate your knowledge

Verify your new skills and knowledge with a digital badge that you can add to your LinkedIn profile, email signature, intranet, or any other online account.

Your badge links to a detailed outline of the course, showcasing and validating your new skills in a format that employers and colleagues can easily access and trust. You can also choose to download a personalised certificate.

Who should attend?

Persons responsible for generating, utilising or supporting metal accounting reporting in the minerals industry including:
• Site Metallurgists
• Metallurgists accountable as the Competent Person
• Chemical or Process Engineers transitioning to Metallurgy roles
• Metallurgical Managers
• Plant Design Metallurgists/Process Engineers

Other persons who can benefit from attending this introductory course by broadening their understanding of how the metal accounting process should work in practice are:
• Production & Reserves Geologists
• Mine Planning Engineers
• Product marketing, finance, commercial and IT personnel

Learning objectives

  • Explain the principles of the AMIRA P754 Code of Practice for Metal Accounting and use it to critically appraise my site’s metal accounting practices
  • Apply practical statistical methods to analyse, quantify and monitor accuracy (bias) and precision of primary metal accounting input measurements and related risk
  • Identify current practices in metal accounting activities, and ways to improve practices in sampling, sample representativity, sample preparation, laboratory analysis, mass measurement, bias and error management, data management, reconciliation and reporting for metal accounting 
  • Recognise the potential risks of poor metal accounting practices and possible mitigation procedures
  • Identify requirements for sound data storage and management
  • Relate integrity of reported metal accounts with financial reporting and associated corporate governance principles
  • Explain how different disciplines interact across the minerals industry to facilitate accurate and transparent metal accounting reporting 
  • Plan improvements to metal accounting practices that will ensure standardised, best practice metal accounting practices at my process plant/laboratory

Course structure

The eight-week course consists of six modules over six weeks, with a final two weeks to complete the written assessment. Each module consists of:

  • Pre-recorded videos, featuring interviews with experienced industry experts
  • Interactive learning activities and discussion
  • ‘Take home’ analytical tools that can be used in the workplace
  • Multiple choice questions
  • Additional reading including case studies

The written assessment requires participants to complete short answer questions that address the content presented in each module.

There are three live sessions held throughout the course and these are also recorded and available within 24 hours for participants who are unable to attend.

Recommended text

The recommended text for this course is An Introduction to Metal Balancing and Reconciliation, available for purchase from the University of Queensland. Participants are able to secure a 10% discount on the purchase of this publication (available in hard copy only). Participants are urged to order in plenty of time to allow for order processing and shipping. Please complete this form and email it to jkpublications@uq.edu.au.

Course schedule

Course dates Virtual classrooms Assessment

Course commences: 3 March 2025

Course closes: 27 April 2025

Module 2: Wednesday 12 March, 12.00–13.00 AEDT

Module 4: Wednesday 26 March, 12.00–13.00 AEDT

Module 5: Wednesday 2 April, 12.00–13.00 AEDT

Due date: 27 April 2025

 

Free template

Business case to attend

Getting approval to undertake a course can sometimes be a challenge. To assist you in putting together a compelling business case to your manager, we have prepared an email template. It’s easy to use – just copy, fill in the blanks and email to your manager.

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Module 1

Introduction to Metal Accounting and the P754 (Amira) Code of Practice

Module 2

Basic Statistical Concepts for Measurement and Sampling

Module 3

Mass Measurement and Sampling

Module 4

Sample Management, Sample Preparation and Laboratory Analysis

Module 5

Data Analysis

Module 6

Data Management and Reporting

Download the course brochure

Professional Certificate in Metal Accounting

Facilitators

Karen McCaffery

FAusIMM
Principal, Tastufo Consulting
(CPMet), MIEAust. CPEng, NER
Karen McCaffery has more than 35 years’ experience in the mining and minerals industry. Since graduating as a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, she has worked directly for several major mining houses in a range of operational leadership, technical support, project development, business & strategic planning and business excellence roles within the metallurgical function and more recently, by consulting to industry.

Areas of specific expertise include metal accounting, having developed and deployed a comprehensive metal accounting standard and guideline based on the AMIRA Metal Accounting Code of Practice for a mining major, developing and embedding sound applied geo-metallurgical practices into day-to-day operations and production business planning and, process operational performance improvement across the complete plant flowsheet.

With over 25 years expatriate experience, a large part of her work has also been to develop others including metallurgists, engineers, operators and technicians to build their skills and capability. This includes building and managing a successful new graduate training scheme for metallurgists, mechanical and electrical engineers.

John Jessop

Managing Director - Think Advisory Pty Ltd
BSc (Geophysics)
John has worked in the mining and mineral processing industry since completing his Bachelor of Science in 1993. His main area of expertise is in enterprise software to support the technical processes of the mining sector, from grass roots exploration through to delivery of products to market, with specific experience in metallurgical accounting and inventory management systems. In partnership with JKTech, John created the first commercially available enterprise grade metallurgical accounting software product that has been implemented for multiple commodities and in multiple jurisdictions.

He has led a number of consulting engagements focused on process and governance weaknesses in various aspects of metal accounting and their resulting impact elsewhere in the business, as well as business process design and requirements analysis in preparation for metallurgical accounting and inventory management system implementations.

Dr Gail Gnoinski

MAusIMM
Dr Gail Gnoinski is geologist and geochemist who has spent the past twenty years working in the mining and minerals processing industries, in a variety of roles ranging from governance and standards, metals tracking value-chain optimisation, mine geology operations, laboratory management and petrological-geochemical services, for multi-national corporates in Australia, South America, South Africa and Namibia.

She has a track record in the development and implementation of metal accounting best practices and improving efficiencies from the geo-metallurgical interface to the process plant and refinery/smelter and the final product, to capture value leakage and mitigate risk to ensure that organisations are better informed about the performance of their operations, and that financial reports are based on accurate and traceable data.

Gail is passionate about education in the minerals industry, and has actively led through mentorship of graduates, and facilitating workshops in sampling theory, geo-metallurgy, metal accounting reporting together with industry experts, aimed at the development and progression of operational knowledge and performance to competence and excellence.

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Frequently asked questions

The course will be run entirely online via a cloud-based platform which can be accessed via computer, tablet or phone. Participants will simply need to have a working Internet connection and a computer, tablet or phone with sound to access the course. They will not be required to download any software and will not require any hardware like a webcam or microphone.

The entire course will run over eight weeks (six modules over six weeks plus another two weeks to finish the final assignment). It is expected that participants will take about 40 hours to finish the entire course. This includes attendance at live virtual classrooms and completion of all learning activities.

Yes, it is a requirement for participants to complete all modules and pass all learning activities, including the final assessment. A digital credential will be awarded upon successful completion.

No, the course is currently delivered in English only.

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