Mining software solutions provider MICROMINE’s geological data management system, Geobank, has extended its presence in Australia’s coal mining sector by securing a contract with Australian coal miner Whitehaven Coal.

This contract comes as global demand for Australian coal continues to increase.

One of the country’s largest independent coal producers, Whitehaven Coal has implemented the Geobank system across all of the company’s projects in New South Wales and Queensland.

The company assists in powering developed and emerging economies in Asia where there is an increasing demand for the company’s product.

Whitehaven operates six mines in the Gunnedah basin, in north-west New South Wales, with an additional development under way in the region. The company’s first development in Queensland’s Bowen basin, is also undergoing approval processes.

The company produced 16-million tonnes of coal last year, which contributed to record Australian coal export results.

In February this year, government independent statistical agency the Australian Bureau of Statistics highlighted coal as the country’s highest-earning export commodity for last year, accounting for $66-billion in export revenue.

MICROMINE Geobank data management specialist Ibo Mango stresses that Geobank provides an important tool for coal miners to hone, manage and direct their exploration and production processes.

Geobank can assist companies in recording, accessing, reviewing, integrating and making use of vital geological data.

“Problems with inaccurate data are often invisible. “Loss of data, poor accessibility or quality control issues can cost millions of dollars and cause inaccurate decision-making, especially in a high-yield sector like coal,” he explains.

As a significant player in the Australian coal mining industry with a major expansion project under way, Whitehaven Coal procured Geobank to provide a robust and adaptable data management solution.

The system has also been adapted to suit the company’s specific workflow requirements, which includes data collection, validation and depth adjustment, browsing and advanced reporting needs.

“Geobank’s fully customisable solution provided Whitehaven Coal with extended functionality designed specifically for its exploration and mining needs. Geobank provides specialised utilities for displaying as well as managing drillhole data,” Mango points out.

Geobank also integrates the Australian CoalLog Standard, which was introduced to the Australian mining sector in 2012.

Before using the CoalLog Standard, about 30 different data formats and more than 100 different data code translation tables were used to capture geological and geotechnical data. This led to considerable inefficiencies in the collection, transfer and analysis of coal borehole data.

Members of MICROMINE’s Geobank team had an important role in the development of CoalLog and have ensured its integration into Geobank’s range of products.