The model spreadsheets contains production, energy and cash cost data for 62 mines producing at least 75% of western world iron ore and virtually all internationally traded iron ore. Mine production numbers are based on year 2009 actual input costs and production data. ROM ore means run of mine ore sent for beneficiation and Saleable Product is lumps, fines, concentrate and pellets in dry metric tons of iron ore product. Cash costs are in US dollars per dry metric ton of product. Note that numbers in tons or per ton of saleable product are averaged over all saleable products from the mine. Onsite variables are for mining and ROM ore beneficiation at the minesite, plus any ore re-processing at the port. Offsite transport includes rail and other transport of ore from the minesite to the port or pellet plant. Offsite energy/CO2 includes transport and pelletizing.

The Emissions model contains sufficient code from all the minecost mine models to run independently and to allow users to change operating parameters. Minecost models are built around engineering equations originally developed by the US Bureau of Mines for its Cost Estimation System. The models estimate fuel and power consumption as a component of mine cash operating costs. The fuel and power usage estimates from the models are linked into the Emissions models. These numbers are verified where possible against published sustainability statements and other information. The data is used by the Emissions model to estimate carbon dioxide emissions using known energy and CO2 coefficients for various fuels (these may be changed by the user) to estimate direct CO2 emissions. Indirect emissions from electric power suppliers are estimated from data collected on the power generation mix for each mine and known power conversion efficiencies and CO2 emissions for generation fuels (also changeable by the user).

Complete models of each mining operation are available from http://www.minecost.com. The calculation sections of each model are incorporated into this spreadsheet so that all tables and charts are re-calculated when any of the variables in the Edit sheet are changed and/or any data is sorted. The data from each model and all calculations that control the data tables and charts are in the hidden "calcs" sheet. This can be unhidden for inspection.

The Edit sheet contains all the variables which may be changed by the user. These include all electric power sources and generation fuels for each mine, carbon emissions coefficients and energy for each fuel type, and the level of any carbon tax for each producer country. Variables which may be changed by the user are colored grey. Comments are in blue. Options for displaying the charts are also in the Edit sheet. Users may input a carbon tax for each producer country. This will automatically show up in the cost tables and charts.

The Data sheets contain the numbers used to generate the charts. These numbers are estimated by the model calculations in the hidden "calc" sheet and must not be changed. The data in the grey areas may be sorted by mine name, production, energy and CO2 variables, operating cash cost, operator and country. Sorting data in the tables will automatically change the corresponding charts.

• Energy Data lists each mine and producer company by saleable product, ROM ore, onsite diesel fuel usage in litres/ton ore, electricity in kWh/t ore, offsite (transport and pelletizing) diesel fuel equivalent in l/t ore, and offsite electricity in kWh/t ore, total energy use in kWh/t ore, electric power generation fuels - coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydro & renewables and diesel - and the supplier.

• Ore CO2 Data lists each mine and producer company showing CO2 emissions in kg/t ROM ore beneficiated from onsite diesel and electricity and offsite (transport and pelletizing) diesel equivalent and electricity, and total CO2 emissions per ton of ROM ore beneficiated.

• Product CO2 Data lists each mine and producer company showing CO2 emissions in kg/dry metric ton of product from onsite diesel and electricity and offsite (transport and pelletizing) diesel equivalent and electricity, and total CO2 emissions per dry metric ton of saleable product.

• Total CO2 Data lists each mine and producer company by saleable product showing total CO2 emissions in kt from onsite and offsite diesel fuel and electricity and total CO2 emitted to kt CO2.

• Energy Departments Data lists each mine and producer company showing energy consumption in kWh/dry metric ton product and in GJ/dmt of saleable product for onsite mining & beneficiation, offsite shipping, pelletizing and total energy.

• CO2 Departments Data lists each mine and producer company showing CO2 emissions in kg/dry metric ton product for onsite mining and beneficiation, offsite shipping, pelletizing and total CO2/dmt saleable product.

• Onsite Costs Data lists each mine and producer company showing cash operating costs in $/dmt product for mining and beneficiation,and also for labor, energy and other onsite costs, any carbon tax on onsite emissions and total onsite cash costs.

• Total Costs Data lists each mine and producer company showing cash operating costs in $/dmt product for mining, beneficiation, transport, port loading,royalty and pelletizing, and also for labor, energy, reagents (pelletising supplies such as binders etc), other onsite costs, any carbon tax on total CO2 emissions, and total costs.

The Chart sheets contain the energy, CO2 and cost curves for each mine and for each producer company. Note that the chart titles, legends and stacked bars automatically change according to the user-selected options of displaying onsite mine numbers, mine plus offsite transport numbers and mine plus offsite transport plus pelletising numbers. These display options are selected in the Edit sheet. Note that for the cost curve charts the titles, legends and stacked bar divisions are independently selectable between activity (mining, beneficiation, transport, pelletizing, port loading and royalty), inputs (labor, onsite fuel and power, other onsite inputs, plus offsite costs) or just cost totals.

For all charts you may select which mine and company names are displayed by setting maximum and minimum production levels in the Edit sheet, or by simply using the names display switches in the yellow columns in any or all of the data sheets. This degree of control over which mine/company name labels are displayed in the charts is to permit users to display one, several or all names as required.

• Mines Energy Chart ranks each mine by kilowatt hours equivalent energy consumption per metric ton of ROM ore milled. Each bar represents each mine; the width corresponds to ROM ore milled and the height corresponds to total energy consumption. The bar divisions are for diesel energy and electricity.

• Companies Energy Chart ranks each company and producer grouping as above for the mines.

• Mines CO2 Ore Chart ranks each mine by kilograms CO2 emitted per metric ton of ROM ore milled. Each bar represents each mine; the width corresponds to ROM ore milled and the height corresponds to total CO2 emitted. The bar divisions are for CO2 from diesel and CO2 from electricity - roughly corresponding to direct and indirect CO2 emissions. Note that pellet plant emissions (when selected for display) are those corresponding to pellet production for each mine.

• Companies CO2 Ore Chart ranks each company and producer grouping as above for the mines.

• Mines CO2 Product Chart ranks each mine by kilograms CO2 emitted per metric ton of saleable product. Each bar represents each mine; the width corresponds to dry metric tons of saleable product and the height corresponds to total CO2 emitted. The bar divisions are for CO2 from diesel and CO2 from electricity - roughly corresponding to direct and indirect CO2 emissions. Note that pellet plant emissions (when selected for display) correspond to pellet production for each mine.

• Companies CO2 Product Chart ranks each company and producer grouping as above for the mines.

• Mines Total CO2 Chart ranks each mine by thousand metric tons of CO2 emitted at each mine. Each bar represents each mine; the width corresponds to dry metric tons of saleable product and the height corresponds to total CO2 emitted. The bar divisions are for CO2 from diesel and CO2 from electricity - roughly corresponding to direct and indirect CO2 emissions. Note that pellet plant emissions (when selected for display) correspond to pellet production for each mine.

• Companies CO2 Product Chart ranks each company and producer grouping as above for the mines.

• Mines Energy Department Chart ranks each mine by gigajoules of energy per dry metric ton of saleable product. Each bar represents each mine; the width corresponds to dry metric tons of saleable product and the height corresponds to GJ energy per ton of product. The bar divisions are for energy used for mining and milling onsite, offsite shipping and for pelletizing. In this chart pellet feed preparation is included in onsite energy, with pelletizing energy just for the pellet plant.

• Companies Energy Department Chart ranks each company and producer grouping as above for the mines.

• Mines CO2 Department Chart ranks each mine by kg CO2 emitted per dry metric ton of saleable product. Each bar represents each mine; the width corresponds to dry metric tons of saleable product and the height corresponds to kg CO2 per ton of product. The bar divisions are for CO2 emitted in mining and milling onsite, CO2 from offsite shipping and for CO2 from pelletizing. In this chart pellet feed preparation is included in onsite, with pelletizing CO2 just for the pellet plant.

• Companies CO2 Department Chart ranks each company and producer grouping as above for the mines.

• Mines Onsite Cost Chart ranks each mine by onsite cash operating costs in US dollars per dry metric ton of saleable product. Each bar represents each mine; the width corresponds to dry metric tons of saleable product and the height corresponds to $/dmt cash cost. The bar divisions are for $/dmt cost of mining and beneficiation (including pellet feed preparation where relevant) or labor, fuel & power, and other onsite costs, according to the display setting selected by the user. An additional bar showing the carbon tax effect on onsite costs is added when a carbon tax is input in the edit sheet.

• Companies Onsite Cost Chart ranks each company and producer grouping as above for the mines.

• Mines Total Cost Chart ranks each mine by onsite and offsite cash operating costs in US dollars per dry metric ton of saleable product. Each bar represents each mine; the width corresponds to dry metric tons of saleable product and the height corresponds to $/dmt total cash cost. The bar divisions are for $/dmt total cost of mining, beneficiation (including pellet feed preparation where relevant), shipping, port loading, royalties and pelletizing.
Alternatively the chart will display the bars for labor, fuel & power, reagents, other onsite costs and offsite (transport and pelletizing) according to the display setting selected by the user. An additional bar showing the carbon tax effect on total costs is added when a carbon tax is input in the edit sheet.

• Companies Onsite Cost Chart ranks each company and producer grouping as above for the mines.

You can hide unwanted columns in the data tables when you print them out.