The document discusses factors to consider when determining an optimal production rate for a mine. It notes that the maximum rate yields the greatest financial return due to fixed costs, but a mine that is too small will not recover invested capital quickly enough. It also states that a larger mine size requires more upfront development time before seeing cash flow and that the mine life should be at least 7 years to allow for corrections and flexibility. Finally, it presents two formulas for relating production rate to ore reserves and annual deepening based on mine characteristics.