Mining Project & Production Finance
Dark Horse Financial arranges mining project finance for junior miners and operators moving into production, assessed against production forecasts rather than years of trading history alone. If your mine is ramping up and a bank has said no because your financials don't yet reflect where the operation is heading, our credit-licensed brokers connect you to lenders on our panel who look at the forecast, the plan and the assets behind it.
Quick Enquiry
Get a free, obligation-free assessment of your production funding gap.
How to Apply for Mining Project Finance
Three straightforward steps from enquiry to a facility structured around your production plan.
Contact Our Team
Submit a quick enquiry or call us directly. We'll ask about your project stage, forecast and the funding gap you're trying to bridge.
Contact Us →Submit Your Documentation
Provide your production forecast, project plan and details of any equipment or assets available as security. We'll handle the application from there.
Start Application →Get Funded
Once a lender on our panel approves the facility, documentation is finalised and funds are released to cover the costs of moving into or scaling up production.
Get Funded →Rated by Our Clients on Google
What Is Mining Project and Production Finance?
Mining project finance is a form of business lending structured around where a mining operation is heading, not just where it's been. It's built for the stretch between a mine having a viable, forecast-backed plan and that plan turning into steady, trading revenue. Rather than relying purely on historical profit and loss statements, lenders on our panel weigh up the production forecast, the assets already owned by the business, and the specific costs the funding needs to cover to get the operation moving.
The Pre-Production Funding Gap
The period between securing a mine plan and generating consistent revenue, when payroll, mobilisation and running costs still need to be met before production income arrives.
Forecast-Based Assessment
Funds are assessed against a credible production forecast and the plan behind it, and against the security and assets already held by the business, rather than judged solely on a limited trading history that a bank would typically require.
Use of Funds
Facilities are structured around the real, near-term costs of production, from mobilising a site and paying crews to keeping fuel and consumables flowing once work starts.
What Can Mining Production Finance Cover?
Pre-production and ramp-up mining businesses have a specific set of costs to meet before production revenue starts flowing. Mining production finance can be structured around any of the following.
Payroll for crews and site staff during mobilisation and ramp-up
Mobilisation costs to get plant, equipment and people on site
Fuel costs across earthmoving plant and site equipment
Consumables, parts and site running costs
Contractor costs for drilling, earthworks and site services
Who Is Mining Project Finance Suitable For?
Mining project and production finance tends to suit:
- Junior miners transitioning from exploration into production
- Businesses a bank has declined due to thin trading history, despite a strong production forecast
- Operators mobilising for a new site or a new phase of an existing mine
- Businesses with owned equipment or assets that can support a facility as security
- Companies needing to fund crews, fuel and running costs before revenue starts
- Operations where a bank's lending criteria simply weren't built for a pre-revenue mine plan
Case Study: $7.8m Raised Against a Mine's Owned Equipment, Not Its Trading History
Challenge: A mine forecasting strong profit was declined by major banks, which lend against what a business has already done rather than its production forecast, and were unconvinced by the mine's thin trading history and past cash burn as it moved into production.
Solution: Dark Horse Financial looked past the historical financials and focused on what the business already owned outright, five Caterpillar 777 dump trucks. We arranged a $7.8 million facility against those trucks at an 80% loan-to-value ratio, and the mine put that capital straight into production while the trucks kept working every day.
Outcome: The facility settled and the business kept its equipment working throughout, closing the funding gap between a bankable forecast and a bank that wasn't willing to look at it.
Why Choose Dark Horse Financial for Project & Production Finance?
Forecast-Based Lending
Lenders on our panel assess your production forecast and plan, not only historical trading figures a pre-production business hasn't had time to build.
Fast Turnaround
A streamlined application and broker-managed process, so funding decisions keep pace with your production timeline.
Mining-Sector Experience
Deal experience specific to junior miners and production ramp-ups, including structuring finance against equipment already owned.
Equipment as a Bridge
Where trading history alone won't satisfy a lender, owned plant and equipment can often bridge the gap, as it did in our Cat 777 case study.
Broker Access, One Application
See multiple project finance options through our panel of 100+ bank and non-bank lenders via a single enquiry.
No-Obligation Assessment
A free initial assessment of your funding gap, with no obligation to proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about mining project and production finance, answered directly.
* Disclaimer: Loans and the benefits associated with them are only available to those who have been approved. The information provided on this page is general and does not consider your individual circumstances. It is not meant to serve as a substitute for professional advice, and you should not rely on it for any decisions. Always consult with a professional regarding finance, tax, and accounting matters before making any choices or taking action.