Fred Banfield

 2014 Inductee in the American Mining Hall of Fame

Fred Banfield chose a career in mining after his father, Armine Frederick Banfield, introduced him to the industry. Armine Banfield was a well-known consulting geologist with worldwide experience. His achievements and professionalism served as a model for his son.

A graduate of Colorado School of Mines with a degree in mining engineering, Banfield founded Mintec from his Tucson apartment in 1970 and now presides over a global network of dedicated mining professionals.  Still headquartered in Tucson, Mintec now has offices in eight countries and is committed to helping its clients solve their problems with MineSight - Mintec’s comprehensive modeling and mine planning platform. The software offers integrated solutions for exploration, modeling, design, scheduling, production and delivers efficiency and reliability to help improve productivity at every stage of a mine’s life.

The foundation of Mintec’s business plan lies partly in Banfield’s considerable wealth of expertise, including auditing reserve calculations and mine plans worldwide; the design and implementation of computerized systems for building geologic models, calculation of grade estimates, mine design, and scheduling; the design of ultimate pit limits and mining schedules for open pit and underground mines based on economic and geotechnical data; calculation of reserves for metals, coal and industrial minerals; and the design and implementation of financial models for mining projects worldwide.

According to MineSight clients, Banfield always seems to be ahead of the industry working on solutions before problems arise. Banfield was the 2007 recipient of the Daniel C. Jackling Award for significant contributions to technical progress in mining geology and geophysics. Under his leadership, Mintec won the 2013 President’s E-Award for Exports - the highest recognition any U.S. company may receive for making significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. 

Now a Hexagon AB company, Mintec’s unparalleled longevity in a highly cyclical industry begins with Banfield applying his passion for mine engineering and computers to solving mine modeling and design challenges.  After 44 years, a simple business model remains:  Make the client successful. 

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