When owners bring Praetorian in
Owners usually bring Praetorian in at one of three points:
- At the study stage (PEA, PFS or feasibility study), for an independent review of the construction cost estimate, the contracting strategy and the project execution plan before the investment decision.
- During project definition, when the scope is firmed up, the execution strategy is set and contracts are structured. This is the highest-leverage period in the project lifecycle.
- Ahead of financing, to build the financial and planning foundation that lenders and boards require. Praetorian has sat in interviews alongside its clients with financing bodies, including the World Bank, to present and defend project plans.
How it works alongside the engineering team
Most feasibility studies are produced by engineering consultants whose primary expertise is technical: defining what needs to be built. Praetorian adds the construction view, covering what the project should cost, how it should be contracted and what the construction risks are in the jurisdiction where it will be built.
We operate at arm's length from the engineering effort, so our recommendations on scope, constructability and cost are independent and made on the owner's behalf. We work with the owner's design team to improve quality and reduce construction risk, and our constructability reviews identify inefficiencies early, before ground is broken.
Our estimate reviews draw on Praetorian's own delivered project actuals. Praetorian IQ, our cost intelligence platform, compares the cost position against comparable delivered projects at the same stage gate, so assumptions can be tested against what similar projects actually cost to build.
Services included
Embedded directly in your team, from study through handover.
Study Development & Planning
Praetorian embeds study managers into the owner's team from concept through feasibility, ensuring the scope, budget, and schedule assumptions are set by people accountable for execution.
We prepare technical reports, conduct constructability reviews, and align all deliverables to stage gate requirements across PEA, PFS, and Feasibility Study levels. Our team supports 43-101 compliant study development and FEED processes, providing the rigour and independence that project financiers and boards require.
Early Project Planning
Praetorian develops project execution plans. We develop and validate budgets to ensure alignment with the stage-gate requirements and help owners meet the lenders' and boards' requirements. We engage engineering groups and contractors to build a solid plan. We consider all options. We ask the tough questions of our team and other stakeholders.
Execution & Contracting Strategy
Development of execution strategies, community and social responsibility plans, and fit-for-project contracting strategies. Praetorian ensures the contracting model, execution sequence, and community engagement approach are aligned before the project enters the market.
Project Optimisation
Praetorian performs constructability studies, value engineering exercises, and project budget validation to optimise the project before capital is committed. We work within the owner's execution team to align engineering deliverables with construction requirements from the early stages.
Project Execution Readiness
Praetorian helps to design the execution framework. We assess the contracting strategy, procurement readiness, organisation design, and controls infrastructure. We implement and integrate controls technologies like Primavera, Contruent, Sequence, SAP, MS Dynamics, NetSuite to ensure that the first dollar of execution is spent against a plan that will hold.
Where Praetorian has delivered this service
Lydian Amulsar Gold Project
Feasibility review, support for financing, ESIA review and value engineering.
View projectNewmont Emigrant Mine
Feasibility support, management of engineering firms, constructability planning and feedback to designers to reduce construction costs.
View projectCalabrian SO2Clean Production Facility
Feasibility data review and validation of budget and schedule, value engineering and constructability.
View projectNewmont Conga Mine
Value engineering and constructability on a large earthworks program in the Peruvian Andes.
View projectQuestions owners ask
When should a mining owner engage an owner's team?
As early as possible, ideally at the feasibility stage. By the time a project reaches detailed engineering, most of its cost is committed. Early engagement also brings continuity: the people who set up the project controls framework during planning are the same people who hold contractors accountable during execution.
What does an independent review of a feasibility study cover?
The construction cost estimate, the contracting strategy and the project execution plan. Praetorian tests the estimate's assumptions against its own delivered project actuals and challenges assumptions about constructability, schedule and contractor capability for the location where the project will be built.
Can Praetorian support NI 43-101 studies and project financing?
Yes. Praetorian supports 43-101 compliant study development and FEED processes, aligns deliverables to stage gate requirements at PEA, PFS and feasibility study level, and helps owners build the financial and planning basis that lenders and boards require.
Does Praetorian prepare the engineering design?
No. Praetorian operates at arm's length from the engineering work on its projects, which keeps its advice independent. Its role is design input with a construction focus: constructability reviews, value engineering and budget validation within the owner's execution team.