ABOUT
Alma Consulting is a private mining services company that specializes in providing advice to the insurance and legal professions. We have worked extensively as the mining expert in business interruption claims and have assisted with opinion on legal matters on a vast variety of claims over fifteen years. This includes open cut and underground metalliferous mines, dragline strip mines and underground longwall coal mines.
CAPABILITIES
Craig Tucker is the Principal Consultant of Alma Consulting; a successful professional mining services company established in 2001. During this time Craig has undertaken many mining related projects. With over 15 years of experience in business interruption claims, he is a specialist mine expert who services the Insurance and Legal professions within Australia, and around the world.
Craig places a high value on undertaking a thorough review of any claim, whilst also maintaining good relationships with teams on both sides. This ultimately leads to a high quality opinion, fully supported and succinctly communicated to clients in a timely manner. Craig has worked in many different mining operations and has the first hand knowledge that allows him to apply his significant mining and insurance experience to any mining claim.
A qualified mining engineer from Ballarat University (formerly Ballarat School of Mines), Craig has over 10 years of operational experience with BHP in the iron ore mines of Western Australia’s Pilbara region and the coal mines of Queensland’s Bowen Basin. After graduating with an MBA from Deakin University, Craig moved to an internal audit and risk management role with North Limited. This provided valuable experience in forensic review and critical assessment, which has provided an ideal platform for his current area of expertise. Here Craig also gained valuable experience in underground hard rock mining and commodities such as copper, gold, uranium, lead and zinc, as well as forestry and manufacturing. Craig gained his initial experience in loss adjusting with guidance from Bill Green, Ian Clendenning, and the late Trevor Williams, all highly regarded industry professionals.
From time to time, Alma Consulting employs carefully selected associates to provide independent expertise to areas outside the mining industry. Craig provides guidance and support in these situations to ensure a quality industry expert service is provided at all times.
PROJECTS
Alma Consulting has acted as a mining industry expert for reinsurers and the legal profession for over fifteen years. During this time Alma has worked with key Loss Adjusters, Forensic Accountants and Lawyers involved in the resources industry both in Australia, and Internationally. Together we have provided opinions on over A$2 billion of material damage and business interruption claims.
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Alma works with the insured, as a part of the loss adjusting team, to understand the operation, review the claim and achieve a timely settlement. We have the experience to achieve this result as we have dealt with a variety of claims, from wall failures, derailments, both single and multiple cyclone events across many sites, to simple underground loader assessments. We have also been involved with claims that have been withdrawn for a variety of reasons.
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As an industry expert and advisor, Alma Consulting ​
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provides opinions on initial material damage and business interruption claims;
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advises on complex claims involving multiple events across sites to basic machinery assessments;
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advises lawyers on operations;
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reviews facts and provides opinions based on evidence;
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works with claim teams to achieve timely settlements.
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Recent projects include a business interruption claim for a highwall failure at the Middlemount mine in Queensland, advise lawyers on a raise borer drill stem failure claim at the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, and a buried underground loader claim at the Agnew mine Western Australia.
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Get in touch at craig@almaconsulting.co
BARMINCO - AGNEW MINE - BURIED UNDERGROUND LOADER
2021
A job with all the information provided including a third party report on the loss made this project quick and simple.
PYBAR MINING SERVICES - THALANGA MINE - BURIED U/G LOADER
2020
This project took longer than normal due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and information flow. Once explanations were provided during a site visit, Alma was able to quickly finalize a report.
MACMAHON'S - OLYMPIC DAM MINE - RAISE BORER DRILL STEM FAILURE
2020
Alma was able to provide an opinion on the information supplied by lawyers in a relatively short timeframe. This opinion was then followed up with a brief report.
MIDDLEMOUNT COAL - MIDDLEMOUNT MINE - HIGHWALL FAILURE
2019
The loss adjusting team worked well with the insured despite having differing views. Alma provided several business interruption options for the loss adjuster and lawyers and continues to provide mine expert advice.
NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES - RHP MINE - BURIED U/G LOADER
2020
The insurer was keen to help settle the claim quickly so they could progress with mining. After a few emails and a conversation with site, Alma was able to provide verbal guidance on the claim quickly to allow mining to progress and a report soon followed.
SOUTH 32 - KLIPSPRUIT MINE - DRAGLINE BOOM FAILURE
2019
This was a very difficult claim due to information issues and the complexity of the mine operation. Alma Consulting developed a production model and provide timely advice that resulted in the claim being settled prior to the end of the indemnity period.
MT GIBSON - KOOLAN ISLAND -Â SEAWALL FAILURE
2019
Following previous work on the Mt Gibson business interruption claim, Alma provided advice to lawyers and barristers. This included review of witness statements and submitting expert reports to court. Alma continues to provide advice.
KINGSGATE CONSOLIDATED - CHATREE MINE - POLITICAL RISK
2019
The Thai government announced that all gold mining in Thailand would cease by the end of 2016. As a result, the Chatree mine was placed on care and maintenance in January 2017. Alma provided advice to lawyers representing reinsurers leading up to the claim hearing.
MANDALAY RESOURCES - AUGUSTA MINE - BURIED U/G LOADER
2019
An underground loader was operating via remote control when a rock fall occurred, burying the loader. Alma Consulting could confirm that the loader was operating in an area of unsupported ground. This assisted the loss adjuster to settle the claim.
PEABODY ENERGY - NORTH GOONYELLA - MINE FIRE
2018
A mine fire occurred at the North Goonyella mine during a longwall change as a consequence of raised gas levels. Alma Consulting reviewed the business interruption loss and confirmed the claim.
MINJAR GOLD - PAJINGO MINE - BURIED UNDERGROUND LOADER
2017
Alma visited site to inspect the buried loader, discuss recovery attempts with staff and gain further records of what had occurred. Alma quickly confirmed the underground loader was irretrievable.
RIO TINTO - KENNECOTT UTAH COPPER (KUC) - MANEFAY SLIP
2016
The KUC claim was two years old before Alma was appointed to the loss adjusting team. On the advice of Alma, the insured altered their approach in determining the production loss which enabled the claim to progress and be settled in six months.
MT GIBSON – KOOLAN ISLAND SEAWALL FAILURE
2014
This particular claim was a true test of Alma’s forensic ability. We worked through the process to establish our views and provided the relevant supporting information to loss adjusters and reinsurers in order to settle the claim.
NEWCREST – CORPORATE - NON DISCLOSURE
2013
Alma provided mining expert advice to lawyers representing reinsurers. Of particular note was our view on significant figures used in production guidance announcements. Our opinions were also validated by corrections to the insured mine expert reports.
CHINOVA RESOURCES – OSBORNE MINE – COLLAPSED WINDER
2015
Alma helped draw an early conclusion to the business interruption claim by establishing agreement that the operation was going to mine all the available ore following the winder repair.
RIO TINTO - HAMERSLEY IRON - FEBRUARY DERAILMENT PEER REVIEW
2014
Alma was involved in a peer review of our original assessment of this claim by another loss adjusting team. Reinsurer's eventually settled the claim for a similar sum to the original Alma assessment.
EVOLUTION MINING - PAJINGO MINE - BURIED UNDERGROUND LOADER
2014
We reviewed the loss of an underground loader and confirmed the recovery efforts undertaken and determined that the loader was irretrievable.
RIO TINTO ALCAN – YARWUN REFINERY – SEAWATER SUPPLY LINE FAILURE
2013
Alma reviewed the method of determining the production loss and the additional raw material costs and was satisfied by the approach used to allow the claim to be settled.
QLD ALUMINA – GLADSTONE REFINERY – JANUARY WEATHER EVENT
2013
Alma reviewed the approach used to determine the business interruption claim and recommended a number of alterations to the production model to determine the production loss that was settled in a timely manner.
ANGLO GOLD ASHANTI – SUNRISE DAM MINE – PIT WALL FAILURE
2011
As part of the task we developed a production loss model for this claim and working with the loss adjuster we were able to endorse the forensic accountant's model that led to the settlement of this claim.
RIO TINTO – HAMERSLEY IRON – FEBRUARY DERAILMENT
2011
Alma reviewed and agreed with the majority of the derailment claim, with a number of minor modifications made to the model and identified some make up in production at the second port.
QUEENSLAND ALUMINA (QAL) – GLADSTONE REFINERY – BOILER FAILURE
2010
We reviewed the claim and recommended some changes to the QAL production model that allowed the claim to be accepted.
VALE-AQUILA RESOURCES – ISAAC PLAINS – MINE FLOOD
2010
Alma reviewed the loss and developed a production model with a focus on developing reasonable standards for the key parameters of plant production to enable loss adjusters to settle the claim.
RIO TINTO – HAIL CREEK MINE – PIT FLOODING
2010
This claim included a loss for both waste movement and coal mining over the direct and indirect impact of a rain event. It presented an issue of double counting and apportioning the loss. Alma worked closely with Hydrologists to determine the production loss leading to a change in claim approach from the insured.
RIO TINTO – KESTREL MINE – INGRESS/EGRESS
2010
Alma reviewed the claim with regard to whether ingress or egress was prevented and then determined what business interruption occurred as a result to assist loss adjusters to settle the claim.
RIO TINTO – HAMERSLEY IRON – FEBRUARY DELUGE
2009
In this claim we found that the operations were operating below capacity prior to the incident and subsequently caught up the production losses following the event.
WESTFARMERS – CSBP AMMONIA PLANT – APACHE GAS INTERRUPTION
2008
We assessed a boiler maintenance shutdown that was brought forward due to the gas interruption and subsequently overran, providing advice to loss adjusters on the claim.
RIO TINTO – HAMERSLEY IRON - YANDICOOGINGA DERAILMENT
2004
An initial review of the claim by Alma determined that there was no production loss due to the operation running below capacity prior to the incident leading to the opportunity to make up the production loss post incident.
AUSTRALIAN BULK MINERALS – SAVAGE RIVER MINE – PLANT FIRE
2006
Alma provided mine expert advice to lawyers on a business interruption claim relating to a plant fire. We considered the mining relationship with the plant and this lead to a speedy claim settlement.
RIO TINTO - HAMERSLEY IRON/ROBE RIVER IRON ASSOCIATES (RRIA) - TROPICAL CYCLONES CLARE, DARYL, EMMA, GLENDA AND HUBERT
2006
Of all projects undertaken to 2021, this project has been the most complex business interruption claim Alma has been involved with. It included modelling production losses across 11 mine operation bottlenecks caused by 5 cyclones.
RIO TINTO - HAMERSLEY IRON/RRIA - TROPICAL CYCLONE MONTY
2004
Alma Consulting’s first business interruption claim. We worked closely with loss adjusters Bill Green and Ian Clendenning (Bateman Chapman) and forensic accountant the late Trevor Williams (RGL Australia) to successfully bring the claim to a conclusion. This proved a solid introduction to insurance claims in business interruption.
Please get in touch to learn more about our work.